This story was originally published by Chamber Business News on February 17, 2021.
A bill to provide transportation for students to attend public schools outside of their assigned campus cleared its first hurdle at the Arizona Senate.
The Senate Education Committee approved the bill, Senate Bill 1683, which would establish a $10 million fund to provide grants to public schools and municipalities to provide safe and reliable transportation for open enrollment and charter school students. Parents also could receive monthly stipends for driving and mass transit costs.
Ensuring every student gets the best educational fit possible regardless of their “zip code or economic status” is the intent, said a proponent of the bill, Emily Anne Gullickson, president and founder of the education advocacy group, Great Leaders, Strong Schools.