The operation and funding of school transportation systems heavily depend on local geography and available means of travel. The systems used in eastern Australia cannot be cut and pasted into Michigan’s context. Still, the state could borrow some of these ideas and use flexible strategies to serve the distinct mobility needs of students. Student Mobility Scholarships could extend the ability of underserved students to access schools that were previously out of reach.
The concept is relatively simple, if somewhat innovative: A discrete amount of state funding would be individually set aside on behalf of participating students for restricted use to access transportation to and from school. Key components of the policy are outlined below.