Dan Sena, owner of Daniel’s Haagen-Dazs presents LAPS Transportation Coordinator Audrey Washburn and Superintendent Gene Schmidt an ice cream cone. Courtesy photo

LAPS News:

Riding the school bus can be cool as school bus riders will find out Wednesday, Oct. 8, which is School Bus Ridership Day.  

Every eligible student who rides a school bus on that day is in store for a cool surprise. In partnership with Daniel’s Haagen-Dazs, students riding a school bus that day will receive a coupon for an ice cream cone.

Students eligible to ride the school bus include elementary students who live more than one mile from their school, middle school students who live more than more than one and one half miles from their school. and high school students who live more than two miles from their school. Parents seeking more information about school bus stops and times can log on to laschools.net  and click on link Bus Routes or call 505.663.2255.

Over the past several years, school bus ridership has declined and with that decline has come a decrease in state funding support for the Transportation Department. School Bus Ridership Day is unique in that the state counts student riders on that day and then funds our transportation program based on the total ridership count of the day for the entire year.

So parents and students, mark your calendar for Wednesday, Oct. 8. Students who are eligible to ride the school bus, can really help fund the cost of the transportation program by riding the school bus on that day.

It is estimated that close to 1,800 students could ride the school bus, but fewer than 900 have chosen to do so. Increasing ridership on this one day could have a dramatic impact in an increase of funding for the Transportation Department.