Dear Holmdel Township School Community,

I hope this message finds you well.

The Board of Education and administration have begun receiving emails regarding the proposed removal of courtesy and late busing services from the 2026–2027 school district budget. To provide clarity, we have prepared the information below in an FAQ format to make it as clear and accessible as possible.

Please know that the decision to exclude courtesy and late busing from the 2026–2027 budget was not made lightly or hastily. Rather, it was a necessary step taken to help mitigate the need for additional reductions in staff and/or academic programs.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Dr. Cascone

Background and Context

Is the removal of courtesy and late busing a new concept?
No. This topic has been discussed publicly for more than a year, at multiple Board of Education meetings and has been referenced in numerous prior communications, including recent budget newsletters.

Definitions

What is courtesy busing?
Courtesy busing is a discretionary service provided to students who reside within the statutory walking distance to school. For students in grades K–8, that distance is under 2 miles; for students in grades 9–12, it is under 2.5 miles.

What is late busing?
Late busing refers to transportation provided for students at the MS/HS complex after the regular school day. These buses are available for students who participate in extracurricular activities, allowing them to return home following practices, meetings, or events.

Cost and Scope

What is the annual cost of courtesy/late busing?
Approximately $625,000

How many students currently receive courtesy busing?

Holmdel High School: 388
Satz Middle School:     115
Indian Hill School:        110
Village School:             112
Total Courtesy Riders:  725

The number of students receiving courtesy busing may change from year to year based on school assignment. A student eligible one year may not be eligible the next, and vice versa. Additionally, eligibility can differ within the same family, such as between elementary school and middle and high school students.

Statutory Requirements and Obligations

Is a school district required to provide hazardous courtesy busing?

No. “Where a pupil lives non-remote from a school and the district does not offer courtesy busing, the school is not obligated to provide busing to the pupil even if the pupil must take a hazardous route to school. Courtesy busing is voluntary for school districts to offer, and absent such busing, a school district need not offer busing for hazardous routes.”

506-25 OAL Dkt. No. EDU 06614-25 Agency Dkt. No. 66-3/25.

Will statutory transportation for students living beyond the maximum distances continue?
Yes. The district will continue to fulfill its statutory obligations regarding student transportation.

Will this impact transportation services required under student IEPs?
No. The district will continue to meet all statutory requirements for transportation services as outlined in student IEPs.

Can families decline statutory busing so that those seats can be reassigned to courtesy busing?
No. The district is required to reserve and maintain transportation for all students who are eligible for statutory busing, regardless of whether they choose to use it.

Impact on Families

How will I know if my household will be impacted by the elimination of courtesy busing?
The Board is expected to approve the 2026–2027 school district budget at the March 25 public meeting. Families who are impacted by the elimination of courtesy busing will receive direct communication from the District’s Transportation Department. This outreach will include notification of the change, as well as a survey to gauge interest in participating in a potential subscription-based busing program.

Future Options: Subscription Busing

Will the district offer subscription busing to families previously receiving courtesy busing?
Following the approval of the 2026–2027 school budget, a survey will be sent to families currently receiving courtesy busing to gauge interest in a subscription-based transportation program. A deadline for responses will be established.

What will be the cost of subscription busing?
Once the survey closes, the district will design the most efficient routes based on participating students’ addresses. These routes will be bid out to private transportation providers. The total cost of each route will be shared equally among participating families assigned to that route. A payment deadline will be set in early summer.

A minimum level of interest/participation may be necessary to initiate a subscription bus service.

Operational Considerations

Will increased parent drop-offs impact traffic flow?
While it is difficult to predict with certainty, the district has analyzed current drop-off patterns and notes that a significant number of families already drive students to school, even with courtesy busing in place (approximately 1/3 of students are currently dropped off by car).

Recent infrastructure improvements around the MS/HS school complex are expected to help accommodate additional traffic.

The district will continue to proactively monitor traffic conditions and will implement adjustments as needed to maintain safe and efficient arrival procedures. These efforts may include enhanced staff supervision during arrival, coordination with local authorities, and potential refinements to traffic flow patterns. The district is also exploring opportunities to further stagger arrival times and/or expand designated drop-off windows to better separate bus and parent vehicle traffic and reduce congestion.

Financial Considerations and Alternatives

Was a shared services agreement with the municipality considered this year?
Yes. A meeting was held between the Board of Education leadership and administration and representatives of the township committee. To date, no agreement has been offered for the 2026–2027 school year.

Can anything else be done financially to maintain courtesy busing?
Under current budget projections, the district is already utilizing the full 2% tax levy cap and maximizing available healthcare cost adjustments. As a result, there is no additional capacity to raise taxes to fund courtesy busing beyond these limits. If courtesy busing were maintained, it would necessitate the cutting of an additional 6-7 full-time positions. 

Additionally, the use of outside funding sources—such as donations or supplemental community contributions—is not a viable solution. Given the high and recurring cost of transportation, such efforts would be difficult to sustain and may also be subject to legal and regulatory constraints.