State Rep. Lowell Russell, R-Vonore, has proposed legislation to ensure school districts provide transportation to students attending their zoned school.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Lowell Russell, R-Vonore, has proposed legislation to ensure school districts provide transportation to students attending their zoned school.
House Bill 1818 requires all school districts that offer transportation to provide bus service to students attending their zoned school, unless a bus cannot reasonably reach the child due to road conditions or if the home is in a remote area.
“If a district provides transportation, then students attending their zoned school should have access to it,” Russell said. “This legislation makes that expectation clear in state law. Parents deserve consistency and they deserve to know their child will have a reliable way to get to school.”
Russell began working on the legislation after hearing from constituents whose child’s bus service was disrupted or inconsistent due to driver shortages in some districts.
If a bus can’t reach a student’s home, this proposal also requires school districts to notify parents that they may qualify for mileage reimbursement for taking their child to school.
This legislation does not change Tennessee’s existing transportation reimbursement guidelines for students who live within 1.5 miles of their zoned school.
House Bill 1818 advanced out of the Education Administration Subcommittee and is expected to be heard in the Education Committee on March 3.
Lowell Russell represents District 21 in the Tennessee House of Representatives which includes part of Loudon and Monroe counties. ###