The Arkansas Department of Education has begun a second application cycle for the Transportation Modernization Grant, a program created by the 2023 LEARNS Act to help school districts and other eligible local entities update student transportation resources.
Grant funds are available to public K-12 school districts, open-enrollment charter schools and licensed daycare centers that serve publicly funded students. Cities, towns and “other entities deemed eligible” by the department — such as counties, education service cooperatives and nonprofits — also may apply, according to a commissioner’s memo published by the department.
why districts are seeking aid
Rural districts often operate long, sparse routes that strain budgets and personnel. Woodlawn School District Superintendent Kevin Hancock described routes that send buses down long stretches of dirt road and said staffing shortages sometimes mean administrators fill in as drivers.
“I'm going to be driving a bus here in another hour,” Hancock said, noting that in a small district “when you've got one person out, you've got the superintendent driving the bus.”
Hancock said the district would benefit from newer mapping equipment and other tools that could shorten routes and reduce time students spend on buses.
program purpose and who can apply
Education Department spokeswoman Kaelin Clay said the grant is intended to help communities “reimagine what student transportation can look like” by addressing inefficiencies in traditional fixed-route systems.
“Traditional school bus routes and fixed bus stops can sometimes be underutilized and inefficient,” Clay said.
The memo accompanying the grant announcement lists eligible applicants and outlines that funds may be used for transportation-related purchases and modernization projects. The Transportation Modernization Grant was established as part of the LEARNS Act, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ wide-ranging 2023 education law.
context and next steps
- The grant program is in its second application cycle; the department published application details and the commissioner’s memo last week.
- Eligible applicants include public school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, licensed daycare centers serving publicly funded students and other entities deemed eligible by the department.
- Officials cited transportation inefficiencies in rural and spread-out districts as a principal reason for offering the grants.
Districts seeking relief from lengthy routes and tight transportation budgets can apply during the open cycle. The department’s memo provides application instructions and eligibility criteria.
