USD 365 Community Transportation Update
Serving Our Communities with Transparency and Fiscal Responsibility

Dear USD 365 Families and Community Members,

As your school district, we are committed to being fiscally responsible stewards of taxpayer resources while ensuring fair and efficient services for all students across our three-town community.

In recent months, a routine review of district operations revealed inconsistent transportation practices that required school board attention. Most notably, our transportation system had been allowing some students—including those attending St. Rose—to receive free home pick-up and drop-off, while other families were paying fees for similar services. These inconsistencies were not aligned with board policy and, in many cases, created inequity among our families.

To address this, the USD 365 Board of Education reviewed transportation fees and route practices at their July 10th and July 17th meetings. These discussions included multiple options for managing routes, eliminating or adjusting fees, and evaluating the cost of serving all student groups. Ultimately, the board adopted a revised policy that balances efficiency, fairness, and accessibility.

What’s Changing with Transportation for 2025–2026

• Free Pick-Up/Drop-Off:
  Students will continue to receive free transportation if they:
  • Live on a regularly scheduled route and attend their assigned public school.
  • Are picked up at one of the district’s designated community bus stops, which are available in each town.
  • Are picked up at a stop already included in a regularly scheduled route.
• Fee-Based Transportation:
  Families who request home pick-up/drop-off but do not live on a regularly scheduled route—for example, those choosing to attend a school other than their assigned center or St. Rose—may still receive these services, but a transportation fee will apply, as it has since 2016.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all private school families have to pay a fee?
No. Families with a student regularly riding a route to the public high school may still receive home pick-up/drop-off at no cost.

Why are transportation fees necessary?
Removing all transportation fees would require the district to add one to two bus routes, resulting in higher fuel, staffing, and vehicle costs. The current fees help offset fuel expenses but do not cover salaries or major maintenance.

How much does private school transportation cost the district?
Transporting private school students—such as the transfer from Garnett Elementary to the private school—costs the district approximately $7,500 annually. In comparison, transportation fees collected for all fee-based riders (including pre-K) totaled $9,300 last year.

Why make this change now?
The transportation department conducted a full-year review of ridership data at the end of the school year. The inconsistencies discovered were brought to the board at the next available meetings to allow families time to prepare for any impact.

Will the fees continue permanently?
The board will review the impact of this policy again in March 2026 to assess its effectiveness and determine possible alternatives.

How do other districts manage this?
It was shared during discussions that in other rural communities, private schools often pay the transportation cost rather than individual families.

 

We understand that changes to transportation may create new considerations for some families, and we are committed to making the transition as smooth as possible. If you have questions about your eligibility or need clarification on your specific situation, please contact our Transportation Department directly at (785) 448-5778 or cstrobel@usd365.org.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we work to serve all of our students with fairness, accountability, and respect.

 

Sincerely,
Dr. Ryan Most
Superintendent
USD 365