video by Brayden Barger and Nicco Morello | photography by Rebecca Breland
The Lakota School Board voted unanimously to reinstate busing to both Lakota Freshman Schools starting in the 2020-2021 school year. High school busing was originally eliminated in 2011 after a series of levy failures. As a result, the district had to cut the budget down by $12 million.
Currently over 9,900 Lakota students are transported to each of Lakota’s 18 different K-8 schools and per state law, 1,246 non-Lakota students are transported to 19 different K-8 schools. The new plan will add an estimated 34 routes for East and West freshmen, bringing the total number of routes for the district to an estimated 216. The plan is estimated to cost about $2.7 million.
