A for Arizona, an education organization that advocates for policies that increase the ability of Arizona K-12 students to access excellent schools, announced today the awardees of the Arizona Transportation Modernization Grant Program, a first-in-the-nation $20 million initiative to modernize K-12 transportation options and improve access to reliable and safe transportation for students.

The grant program is administered through the A for Arizona Expansion & Innovation Fund and supports locally driven solutions to provide reliable access for more families to the public learning options that best meet each child’s needs.  

“Arizona has a system of public school options envied across the country, but transportation barriers to these quality schools are a reality for far too many Arizona families,” Gov. Doug Ducey. “Arizona kids deserve access to a classroom that meets their needs, and the Arizona Transportation Modernization Grants Program is providing new ways to make this a reality. These solutions will strengthen opportunities for K-12 kids and their families in rural communities and all areas of the state. I thank A for Arizona for their partnership in launching this vital effort.”  

Grant applications were reviewed and assessed by a committee of local and national industry, philanthropic and community leaders. In this first cycle, the committee awarded more than $18 million in awards to fund 24 proposals across Arizona, with 40% of the funds going to proposals representing rural and remote communities.  

Grant awardees will deliver a wide range of school transportation solutions to tackle problems identified at the local level, including providing direct-to-family grants to help assist with transportation needs, high-efficiency vehicles to drive down costs, micro-transit efforts to target key subgroups of students, and more.

include Arizona Autism Charter Schools, which plans to use its $2 million grant to partner with Kid Commute, an organization dedicated to transporting students with special needs, and launch a transportation system that serves high-needs students traveling from all parts of the Valley.

Bowie Unified School District, a small district in rural Cochise County, aims to use its $550 thousand grant to purchase an electric bus with Wi-Fi and the necessary charging supports to dramatically increase efficiency, reduce gas and maintenance costs, and to safely transport students long distances. BUSD believes it can help increase homework completion rates and put the bus to use in non-school hours to get services to needy families.

“The Arizona Transportation Modernization Grants will accelerate the pace at which the Grand Canyon State can move past an antiquated education transportation system and respond to the student-focused needs of the 21st century,” said Emily Anne Gullickson, founder and CEO of A for Arizona. “It is evident by the competitive cycle and number of high-quality proposals that school leaders, entrepreneurs, and community partners have forward-thinking and innovative solutions ready to address our K-12 transportation needs. This first cycle of awardees will serve as a catalyst to tearing down long-standing access barriers and inform playbooks on how others can deliver multiple transit options to better serve every K-12 student.” 

The Arizona Transportation Modernization Grants Program was established in the state budget passed in June by the Legislature. Supported by a coalition of education reform groups representing the education and business communities, the grant program provides resources to improve access to reliable and safe transportation for students who attend a district school through open enrollment or who attend a public charter school.

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Applications for a new initiative aiming to expand access and improve the reliability and safety of school transportation in Arizona by modernizing the state’s transportation network are now open.

Administered through A for Arizona, the Arizona Transportation Modernization Grant will disperse $20 million in grants supporting proposals designed to improve school transportation across the state. Ten million dollars were appropriated by the state Legislature earlier in the year and will be matched with federal stimulus funding through the Governor’s Office. At least $5 million will support proposals in rural and underserved communities.

“The grant program provides resources in addition to current transportation funding levels to incubate ideas to improve access to reliable and safe transportation for students who attend a district school through open enrollment or attend a public charter school, and to accelerate innovation and efficiency solutions,” According to A for Arizona.

“The Arizona Transportation Modernization Grants Program will strengthen opportunities for kids and families in rural communities and all areas of the state, and it will expand access to safe transportation for K-12 students,” said Gov. Doug Ducey. 

The program will also seek to expand transportation options for students attending nontraditional schools. 

“Through this all-call for solutions, public schools have an incredible opportunity to partner with entrepreneurs, local government, and community leaders to boldly identify options to transport students not solely reliant on yellow school buses,” Thiel Capital Managing Director Jack Selby said. Selby is an A for Arizona board member.

Schools, local governments, and community leaders can submit grant proposals up to $2 million on . The application window will close at 3 pm MST on Friday, October 8.

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