Priority 2: Access to Magnet Schools
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Magnet schools serve students from multiple districts and
neighborhoods. Transportation is a major barrier for some families interested in magnet schools. We need smart
policies that will ensure students throughout the state have equal access to magnet schools.
Transportation
Every child in a public school in Connecticut should have safe, reliable, and free transportation to and from school. Because magnet schools serve children from a wide geographic area, transportation to and from school can be very expensive. Local districts are not required to transport kids to regional magnet schools, which leaves many students without a reliable way to get to and from school. Magnet school operators would like to provide bus transportation for their students, but the current state reimbursement of $1,300 per child is not sufficient to operate a bus service. Some parents are forced to remove their child from their magnet school because they are unable to drive them to and from school.
Every child in a public school in Connecticut should have safe, reliable, and free transportation to and from school. Because magnet schools serve children from a wide geographic area, transportation to and from school can be very expensive. Local districts are not required to transport kids to regional magnet schools, which leaves many students without a reliable way to get to and from school. Magnet school operators would like to provide bus transportation for their students, but the current state reimbursement of $1,300 per child is not sufficient to operate a bus service. Some parents are forced to remove their child from their magnet school because they are unable to drive them to and from school.