Dive Brief:
- School officialsin Lincoln, NE, are asking the city's Board of Education to purchase additional buses and vans for the transportation of its homeless student population.
- Districts are required by federal law to provide homeless students with transportation to and from school, and Lincoln has budgeted $320,000 a year to do this; however, the money is not being used in a cost-effective manner as the district is heavily dependent on taxis for homeless transportation.
- School officials hope to buy four 30-passenger buses and two seven-passenger vans which they estimate would cost between $244,000 and $304,000. Officials say that doing so would put a cap on the unsustainable taxi model and help homeless students avoid the stigma associated with it.
Dive Insight:
According to the district's homeless outreach specialist, Bryan Seck, the breakdown of the homeless student population last year was as follows: 142 lived in shelters, 44 lived in motels, 173 lived with family or friends, and 55 were on their own. Accommodating the homeless students is the right thing to do. As the students' lives are in flux, being able to stay at the same school throughout the year provides a small amount of stability. That said, being cost-efficient about these accommodations is also key. Paying for taxis every day is not sustainable and will only rack up costs for the district.
