Most families in Pierre, especially those of elementary students, have a hardship that majority of South Dakota does not: student transportation. Schools that start the same time as the majority of businesses, including Pierre’s largest employer. Ending earlier than those same employers. Most school districts have a busses to pick up/drop off student, including drop off at after school programs. This year the only means of transportation for school aged children raised rates so significantly that a large portion of families could no longer afford this service. This has put an additional hardship on these families. I have heard mothers crying because they do not know what they will do. They can’t leave at three or they have to be to work before 8 and cannot afford this service. Even before this rate increase, Pierre should have had busses. By providing reliable transportation for school age children, we ensure that student can make it safely and on time. The logistics of travel to and from school influence a student’s ability to get to school on time, his/her number of absences, and her availability to participate in before- or after-school activities (Blackmon and Cain 2015; Canfield et al. 2016; Grossman, Walker, and Raley 2001; Teasley 2004). Not only do students show higher attendance rates with less tardiness. Busses are also the safest form of transportation. Students are about 70 times more likely to get to school safely when taking a bus instead of traveling by car. That’s because school buses are the most regulated vehicles on the road (NHTSA.gov). Pierre School District needs to establish a transportation system.