UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
Nathan Holmes — MURP 2015
Principal in the Parking Lot
Faculty Advisor: Evelyn Blumenberg Client: Lauren Gase - Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
A n E x p l o r a t i o n o f H o w S c h o o l s V i e w T h e i r Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n C h a l l e n g e s RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1) What do principals, teachers, and parents at two Los Angeles area schools identify as their biggest student transportation challenges? 2) What opportunities exist for applying existing transportation policy and program innovations to these schools?
APPROACH This project consists of two in-depth case studies at different schools in the Los Angeles region. Extensive interviews with parents and school personnel at each school are analyzed within the context of a school’s demographic profile and its physical relationship to the local urban form.
Location
Northeast
Westside
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles City
Type
Charter K-8
Public K-5
Size
400
260
Demographics
“The chaos that comes from busing mix-ups “We live two blocks away, but I drive.” -Elementary School Parent
INITIAL FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS
CASE STUDY SCHOOLS
for our special needs kids is our biggest issue.” -Elementary School Principal
- 35% White
- 65% Latino
- 30% Black
- 20% White
- 30% Latino
- 10 % Black
- 5% Asian
- 5% Asian
“By far the most dangerous time of day is the morning drop-off.” -LAUSD Transportation Consultant
(1) School transportation issues extend beyond the journey to and from school. Key challenges may include busing schedules for special education students throughout the day and securing funding for field trip transportation. (2) Increasing a parent’s ability to tap into the school’s social network may play an important role in expanding transportation options for families. Interviews suggest parents with more school contacts have greater ease managing their pick-up and drop-off difficulties. (3) The creation of a school-specific transportation strategy needs to account for the broader education policy framework. For example, charter schools with a high percentage of students commuting from beyond walking and biking range may prove immune to standard Safe Routes to School programs. “When I’m out there in the parking lot, parent driving isn’t as bad.“ -Charter School Principal