OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed a new bill allowing school districts to use state funding for alternative transportation options when school buses are not cost-effective.
Student transportation is funded through the Student Transportation Allocating Reporting System. The bill adjusts the formula to include funding district owned passenger cars and vans. This is expected to give districts the flexibility to use smaller vehicles instead of large school buses to transport only a few students.
The bill takes effect on July 27, but the superintendent of public instruction will have until Sept. 1, 2026 to write regulations for drivers transporting students in alternative vehicles.
