Senators probe student-transportation bills as driver shortages and route cancellations persist
March 18, 2026 | Senate, Legislative , Hawaii
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The committee considered two student-transportation bills addressing service disruptions and access. H.B. 1785 would authorize DOE to hire a new contractor if a transportation contractor fails to provide service on a contracted route for five or more consecutive instructional days and permit use of the school-bus fare revolving fund to offset replacement costs. H.B. 1780 would require a student bus-first system and allow free bus passes for students who meet statutory criteria.
Shanta Jima (DOE) said the department "stands on our written testimony" and cautioned that giving DOE route-suspension and procurement exemptions "does not solve the root cause of the statewide driver shortage." Bonnie Kahakui of the State Procurement Office said existing statutes and rules allow contract remedies and warned that giving the governor authority to intervene could conflict with the chief procurement officer's duties under HRS 103D-205.
Lawmakers pressed DOE on operational consequences. DOE reported about 19,000 students ride school buses statewide; roughly 10,600 ride free and about 8,300 are paid riders. DOE estimated a family pays about $288 per student per year and the DOE cost per student is about $1,600 per year; city bus passes cost roughly $300 and the current city-pass program costs about $2.1 million annually for Oahu students. The department said roughly 7,000 secondary students on Oahu already receive municipal bus passes, while Maui and the Big Island have broader coverage.
On service disruptions, the department said canceled routes are often handled by notifying schools, which then notify families. DOE is exploring an opt-in app that would let parents receive direct notifications from bus companies but said it cannot share student data with vendors without parental opt-in due to federal privacy rules. Senators noted both equity gaps (families without internet access) and cost trade-offs for apps versus operational solutions.
On driver supply, DOE testified to a six-year decline of roughly 230 drivers followed by a recent one-year gain of about 69 drivers after contractors implemented higher wages, signing bonuses, guaranteed hours, and paid training. Committee members asked whether student behavior on buses contributes to retention challenges; DOE said misbehavior complicates the job and emphasized the need for timely incident reporting and school follow-up.
No committee vote was taken; chair leadership deferred decisions to a later meeting.
Shanta Jima (DOE) said the department "stands on our written testimony" and cautioned that giving DOE route-suspension and procurement exemptions "does not solve the root cause of the statewide driver shortage." Bonnie Kahakui of the State Procurement Office said existing statutes and rules allow contract remedies and warned that giving the governor authority to intervene could conflict with the chief procurement officer's duties under HRS 103D-205.
Lawmakers pressed DOE on operational consequences. DOE reported about 19,000 students ride school buses statewide; roughly 10,600 ride free and about 8,300 are paid riders. DOE estimated a family pays about $288 per student per year and the DOE cost per student is about $1,600 per year; city bus passes cost roughly $300 and the current city-pass program costs about $2.1 million annually for Oahu students. The department said roughly 7,000 secondary students on Oahu already receive municipal bus passes, while Maui and the Big Island have broader coverage.
On service disruptions, the department said canceled routes are often handled by notifying schools, which then notify families. DOE is exploring an opt-in app that would let parents receive direct notifications from bus companies but said it cannot share student data with vendors without parental opt-in due to federal privacy rules. Senators noted both equity gaps (families without internet access) and cost trade-offs for apps versus operational solutions.
On driver supply, DOE testified to a six-year decline of roughly 230 drivers followed by a recent one-year gain of about 69 drivers after contractors implemented higher wages, signing bonuses, guaranteed hours, and paid training. Committee members asked whether student behavior on buses contributes to retention challenges; DOE said misbehavior complicates the job and emphasized the need for timely incident reporting and school follow-up.
No committee vote was taken; chair leadership deferred decisions to a later meeting.
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