<p>In our area, free buses are provided for those who live 2 or more miles away. Anyone can ride a bus if they pay for it. Our elementary school is about 1/2 mile away, middle is 1.5 miles and high school is right next door. Many kids walk/ride bikes to elementary and middle. I always walk my kids back and forth to elementary (this is my exercise program). Our son walked from the middle school, but daughters car-pooled. Some kids from our neighborhood actually drive to the high school–which I think is a crime since it is less than 1/4 mile through the gate and across the lawn. When I was young, our district provided buses if it was more than a mile. They literally drew a circle on a map. Even on the same block of the same street there were some who qualified for the bus, and some who didn’t.</p>