Waunakee board restores bus service for students 1–1.75 miles from new middle school, adopts K–8 one‑mile rule

The Waunakee Community School District board voted to change board policy BP 751 on transportation so that students in kindergarten through eighth grade who live one mile or more from their assigned school are eligible for district busing. The change reinstates service for students who live between 1.0 and 1.75 miles from the district's new middle school; administration said roughly 190 students fall into that band.

The change was proposed by Steve Summers, a district staff member who presented routing options and maps and said the district can use an existing in‑town route (one of two buses that previously shuttled elementary students) to pick up students at predetermined neighborhood stops. "That second bus that leaves the elementary schools would then come back into town and would focus on picking up students within that 1.0 to 1.75 mile distance," Summers told the board. He said the adjustment should have minimal — and possibly no — net cost because it largely repurposes buses already operating in the area.

Superintendent Dr. Monica Kelsey Brown and other board members noted the district must operate within state law (the statutory maximum for mandatory transport is two miles) and that local voters authorize exceptions each year at the district's annual meeting. Dr. Brown said administrators consulted with board members in advance and aimed to recapture as many affected students as possible while limiting budgetary impact.

Several parents and guardians urged the board to act. "When I picture my soon‑to‑be seventh grader walking nearly 2 miles to school on a dark January morning, crossing busy roads and snow and below zero windchills, I simply don't believe that that is a reasonable expectation," parent Cammy Dodge told the board during public comment; she said she had collected a petition of district families (she reported about 192 signatures) asking the board to reconsider hazardous‑route designations and restore service.

Board members asked staff about bus capacity and options for ninth graders who lose eligibility after promotion; Summers and other administrators said the fall opt‑out process (hosted through Infinite Campus and additional channels) helps refine ridership counts and that many parents have asked whether a paid alternative service could be offered for high‑school students. The board asked the policy committee to study options for ninth‑grade coverage, including possible fee‑based rides or case‑by‑case discretion, at its July meeting.

A board member moved to adopt the new language for BP 751; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Board members said the change will be implemented through route adjustments this summer and staff will return to the board with maps and final routing details before launch.

Next steps: administration will finalize pick‑up points and anticipated stop walking distances, provide maps to the board, and present any refinements for ninth‑grade coverage to the policy committee in July.