3 ways Arizona’s school transportation system is straining — and who is paying the price

By Stacy Mantle
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Arizona’s school transportation system is fraying in ways that differ sharply from one district to the next, but the end result is the same: longer rides, strained operations and growing gaps in student access.

Interviews with transportation leaders across the Valley show three major stress points emerging statewide: underfunding, rapid population growth and rising transportation demands that outpace district budgets.

More than one in four school buses in Arizona is more than 15 years old, according to the Arizona Auditor General. But the condition of fleets varies widely. Some districts maintain an eight-year replacement cycle, while others operate buses that are 20 to 22 years old because they lack voter-approved funding to replace them.

Districts maintaining stability still say funding falls short

Tolleson Union High School District is a rare example of stability, according to Bert Herzog, director of transportation for Tolleson district. Routes have remained consistent in length, regular education ride times stay around 20 minutes and the district cycles its fleet every eight years — well below the statewide average. It also maintains a sizable driver team: 45 regular education drivers, 18 special education drivers and nine non-CDL drivers.

But even a stable district hits the same funding ceiling as everyone else.

“Education is not properly funded,” Herzog said. “Transportation has many needs in a lot of districts that cannot be addressed because of poor funding.”

The district used ESSER funds to replace some buses, but officials say it was not enough to close long-term gaps.

ESSER funds refer to nearly $200 billion in federal COVID-19 relief provided through the CARES, CRRSA and American Rescue Plan Acts to help K-12 schools recover from the pandemic. That funding includes programs that target learning loss, safety improvements and student support. Districts must use at least 20% of their allocations to address learning loss.

What Tolleson leaders say they want is  more local control over licensing so they can hire qualified drivers faster — a barrier that disproportionately affects large, urban districts.

Eastside schools face similar dilemmas. Higley Unified School District reports that while walk and ride boundaries have remained consistent in recent years, bus stops have been spaced farther apart.

According to transportation director Josh Crosby, route times continue to average around 35 minutes and have not changed since the pandemic. The district has 62 CDL-certified drivers, including office staff and mechanics. It operates a school bus fleet averaging 14.52 years old. ESSER funds were not used for vehicle replacement. 

Crosby said state funding “does not come close to covering the cost of operating the bus service and fleet,” and added smaller, landlocked districts struggle under current mileage-based reimbursement rules.

Many buses drive fewer than 35 miles a day, while drivers work six or more hours, resulting in a net loss per trip. Rising inflation for fuel, tires and parts has compounded these pressures, while the state funding formula has not kept pace.

Tempe Union High School District has made only modest changes to bus routes in recent years, adding service primarily along the Baseline corridor and expanding routes to support EVIT students and special-education placements.

Most student ride times remain short at 15 to 20 minutes, although the district’s longest commute from Maricopa can run 60 to 90 minutes depending on traffic.

The district reports 52 filled bus driver positions and an average fleet age of six years, with no ESSER funding used for fleet replacement.

“The purchasing of school buses is funded through the generosity of the voters in our district that support bond and override elections,” said Sam Gonzales, transportation director. 

Fast-growth and rural districts face the longest ride times

Dysart Unified School District in the West Valley sees its transportation challenges stem from population growth and repeated bond failures. Families in the rapidly developing northwest Asante area of Surprise face some of the longest commute times in the region.

“In 2025–2026, we had to adjust our eligibility guidelines due to an aging bus fleet, extending the distance students must live from school to qualify for busing,” said district spokesperson Rene Ryon. “The result is a 45-minute one-way bus ride for sixth–eighth graders because there is no capacity at the neighborhood school and voters rejected bonds needed to build a new one.

"Before the pandemic, the district’s longest routes were under 45 minutes," Ryon said. "Today they range from 45 to 75 minutes, largely because schools with available space are located far outside the neighborhoods experiencing growth."

Nearly half of Dysart’s fleet is between 11 and 22 years old. To date, ESSER funds have not been used to fund replacements.

“The costs of fuel, maintenance, insurance and replacement parts keep rising,” Ryon said. “Recruiting and retaining qualified drivers and mechanics adds another layer of challenge."

High-ridership districts are growing but still underfunded

Agua Fria Union High School District in the southwest Valley is experiencing the opposite challenge: rising ridership and strong driver staffing. The district increased from 40 to 50 routes during the past three years, and ridership jumped from 53% to 73%, now totaling nearly 3,900 students per day. 

The district maintains 54 drivers with no shortage and 79% of its buses are from 2013-26.

But rapid growth brings its own strain.

“All of our current routes serve two high schools, and many also serve West-MEC programs across five sites,” the district reported. “Field trips have increased significantly.”

Agua Fria did not use ESSER dollars for fleet replacement. Instead, district leaders emphasize the need for increased transportation budgets and enhanced driver training standards to keep up with the complexity of modern routes.

Academic consequences and safety issues intensify

Transportation delays and long commutes contribute to Arizona’s chronic absenteeism rate — one in three students statewide — with rural and fast-growth regions reporting sharp spikes on days when buses break down or run late.

Students with 60- to 75-minute commutes often arrive fatigued, especially during winter months. Driver shortages mean newer drivers take on high-risk mountain and desert routes.

Policy gaps leave districts pushing different solutions

While each district faces different pressure points, their policy requests align on one theme: Arizona's transportation formula does not reflect current conditions.

Dysart calls for a fully updated formula tied to inflation and real operating costs. Tolleson urges local licensing authority for drivers. Agua Fria recommends higher base transportation funding and statewide enhancements to driver training. Meanwhile, many eastside districts are pushing for updated formulas funding transportation. 

Legislative and legal context

In 2025, a Maricopa County Superior Court ruling found Arizona’s school-capital funding system unconstitutional, citing deteriorating buildings and failing bus fleets as evidence of chronic underinvestment. 

Despite these developments, no comprehensive statewide plan has emerged to update the transportation funding formula or address the aging of district fleets, leaving districts to navigate rising costs and staffing shortages largely on their own.

At the federal level, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., has introduced legislation aimed at easing school bus driver shortages by loosening certain federal licensing requirement.

“Kids in Arizona deserve to get to school safe and on time,” said Kelly in a release. “This bipartisan bill cuts red tape to help more people become school bus drivers, directly addressing driver shortages and making the drive to school a better one.”

The Driving Forward Act could help districts recruit drivers by loosening federal licensing requirements, but it does not address the systemic funding and fleet issues facing Arizona schools. The bipartisan bill is co-sponsored by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.

The bill has been introduced in both Congressional chambers but has not yet been signed into law.

In the state Legislature, lawmakers in recent years have considered allowing districts to use smaller passenger vehicles on rural routes to reduce costs and improve flexibility, acknowledging the strain faced by small and remote communities. 

Local innovation helps — but doesn’t fix the funding gap

Districts across Arizona are exploring a range of local solutions, including shared staffing arrangements with neighboring districts, smaller-vehicle pilots to serve low-density routes, and informal assistance agreements that allow mechanics, parts or spare buses to be shared when fleets break down.

While these efforts help soften the impact of shortages, transportation administrators say none of them substitute for a modernized state funding formula or a fully staffed driver workforce, and none solve the mismatch between actual costs and state allocations.

As for the drivers? They still say it's worth it even though they are managing multiple routes, buses and agendas. 

“It’s worth it, as long as you care about kids,” Wesley Dewitt, a top Deer Valley Unified School District bus driver, told INI reporter Steve Stockmar. “When the kids are on my bus, they’re my kids…”

Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

Stacy Mantle
Education Solutions Reporter

smantle@iniusa.org

Meet Stacy
Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.

Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.

Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!

Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.

Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.