PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — Some parents in the Port Washington-Saukville School District are concerned about how they'll get their children to school this fall after changes in the enforcement of the district's busing policy.
The school district is now requiring families to fill out online forms to verify they live more than two miles from school or qualify for a safety exemption in order to receive bus transportation.
Kirsten Coenen and her husband live in Port Washington but their children attend Saukville Elementary, just under two miles away on the other side of Interstate 43.
Watch: Port Washington School's new busing policy raises concerns for some parents
Coenen says that, in the past, families would have to call the bus company directly to sign their kids up for transportation, and that there was little enforcement of the two-mile rule.
"If you were reliant on the bus, you now have just over a month to figure out exactly how your children are going to get to and from school," Coenen said.
The district has since designated the I-43 underpass as a hazard, meaning that the Coenen family will get bus transport this Fall. But Kirsten says she's speaking up for other parents who may not be so lucky and now face difficult decisions to either drive their kids, pay for other transport or book after-school care.
"Fortunately, the underpass has been labeled a hazardous area — I'm very concerned for people who aren't and may be running short on options," Coenen said.
When Coenen posted about the issue in a community Facebook group, it garnered close to 150 comments, many from parents who may lose free bus transportation.
"My motivation to post it on social media wasn't necessarily to rile people up, it was to be informed and recognize there is a huge communication gap between the district and parents," Coenen said.
In a statement to TMJ4 News, Superintendent Michael McMahon apologized for the inconvenience and clarified that the two-mile rule is a long-standing district policy in line with state regulations.
"As a result of this work, we’ve expanded from two small hazard zones to seven larger, designated hazard zones, with more currently under evaluation; meaning more families than ever before will now properly qualify for district-provided transportation," McMahon said in part. "At the same time, we recognize that some families who previously received bussing may no longer qualify for our district-provided transportation or our “City Bus” option that we are providing for those living between 1 and 2 miles from school."
According to the district, the new online system will ensure those rules are followed consistently for everyone after enforcement was relaxed during the COVID pandemic.
The district is directing concerned parents to this FAQ. View the Superintendent's full statement below.
Hello Alex,
Thanks for reaching out.
We’ve worked diligently to share transportation information as soon as it became available in July, including helpful details that were not previously accessible to families. Since the announcement, our team has been responding quickly to phone calls and emails, and we remain fully committed to assisting every family in determining their eligibility and exploring available transportation options.
To further support families, we have developed a clear FAQ and launched an updated webpage outlining district hazard zones and transportation eligibility. These resources are being updated regularly as new information becomes available to ensure families stay informed throughout this process.
Here is some more context from our FAQs as well as links to our recent communication:
Due to a number of recent parent requests for the District to reassess our bussing plans, specifically the designated hazard zones, we worked with new leadership at Johnson Bus to undergo a comprehensive review of bussing services across the district. Through that evaluation, we identified several inefficiencies, including a lack of properly documented hazard zones, which resulted in dozens of eligible families missing out on district-provided transportation over the past number of years.
In Wisconsin, a hazard zone—also known as an unusual hazard area—is defined by state law as a location where walking conditions to or from school pose more than ordinary risk to student safety based on predefined criteria. These areas allow us as a school district to provide bussing even if a student lives within two miles of school. We also discovered that some families had been receiving district-provided bussing services for several years despite not meeting the state and district required eligibility criteria.
It’s important to note that we have made no policy changes regarding bussing for the 25-26 school year. We have simply worked hard to ensure that the existing policies are now being applied more consistently and equitably across our district. Because school transportation is subsidized by taxpayers, it is critical that we follow state statutes, which clearly define the services school districts are required to offer, and apply them fairly and responsibly.
As a result of this work, we’ve expanded from two small hazard zones to seven larger, designated hazard zones, with more currently under evaluation; meaning more families than ever before will now properly qualify for district-provided transportation. At the same time, we recognize that some families who previously received bussing may no longer qualify for our district-provided transportation or our “City Bus” option that we are providing for those living between 1 and 2 miles from school.
Link to our FAQs [pwssd.org]
Link to District Communication [drive.google.com]
We understand that this change may impact plans families have already made for the upcoming school year, and we sincerely apologize for any disruption or inconvenience this may cause, especially given the timing of this work and the announcement made on July 31, 2025.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
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