Assemblyman Avi Schnall is honored to join as a primary sponsor of Bill 4323, a crucial piece of legislation aimed at amending the outdated transportation requirements for school students in New Jersey. The bill proposes to reduce the mandated busing distance from two miles to one and a half miles for elementary school students and from two and a half miles to one and a half miles for high school students.
Currently, school districts are required to provide transportation only to elementary students who live more than two miles and to high school students who live more than two and a half miles from their public school of attendance. This new legislation will also extend to nonpublic school students residing in school districts that are mandated to provide pupil transportation.
“The current mileage requirements are archaic and fail to reflect the modern needs of our students,” said Assemblyman Schnall. “Expecting young children to walk two miles to school is simply unrealistic, especially in dense urban areas where safety hazards are a major concern. Parents cannot and should not be expected to make their children walk such long distances.”
“This legislation is not just about making life easier for parents; it’s a critical attempt at improving the safety of our school children as they travel to and from school,” he added.
Assemblyman Schnall acknowledged that one and a half miles is still a considerable distance, but said that this change is a necessary first step. “I recognize that even one and a half miles is no short distance for a child to walk. Ideally, we would provide busing for even shorter distances. However, such changes must be made incrementally to maximize the likelihood of legislative approval and enactment.”
Assemblyman Schnall is honored to join forces with Assemblymembers Verlina Jackson-Reynolds and Benjie E. Wimberly in sponsoring this important legislation.
“I am thrilled to work alongside my esteemed colleagues, Assemblymembers Jackson-Reynolds and Wimberly, in championing this bill. Together, we are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all students in our state,” Schnall said.
