Figure 1.--Here we see a small school bus about 1930. Most kids at the time walked to school, but rureal school distructs had begun to buy buses like this and closinhg small one-room schools as a cost cutting measure.

The United States from an early point wanted to create a free public school systemn for all its citzens. The Constitution reserved education to the states under the 10th Amendment eserved powers to the state unless specifically granted to the Federal Government (1789). This includes education among many other functions. But Congress even before the Constitution had acted to fund free public schools. The Second Continental Congress passed the Land Ordinance of 1785. This dividided the land in the Nortest Territory bedore extensive settlement into townships. And each townships were divided into 36 sections. This proivided the foundation of public land policy in the Northwest Territory which was establisged by the Northwest Ordinance (1787). Each bloc of territory included a school section. Part of it would bed the sure of a school and the land not needed for the school could be sold to finanace the building of the school. The idea was to provide small rural schools that were in walking distance of the children. At this time walking distance was much longer tha would be our modern concept. Many children walked several miles to school. This for a century was basically how children got to school, they walked and there were small schools that were in walking distance for most children. School busses came into exitence almost exactly 100 years after the passage of the Northwest Ordinance, It is difficult to be sure, but the earliest school bus we have found so far is when Wayne Works in Indiana began making horse-drawn carriages (1886). They were known as known variously as 'school hacks' or 'kid hacks'. About the same time we note another horse-drawn carrinage in Fresno, Californaia taransporting Kindergartners to school (1889). Most children still walked to school. None other than Henry Ford would change this. He put America on wheels with the Model-T Tin Lizzie (1909). And very quickly Ford was also producing trucks based on the Model-T. The United States did not have much in the way of weapons to offer the Allies. It did have trucks. The automotive business was booming. None other than Wayne Works back in Indiana saw an opportunity to motorize the carriages it had been making for three decades. Thus the motorized school bus was born. As far as we know, this was an American incention. The interior of the carriage was basically unchanged. The children sat along the sides of the bus and faced inward. There was also at first little protection from the weather, no glass windows at first. Still children mostly walked to school. here were mo mahor changes until after World War I in the 1920. And the motivating force was economics. Rural counties began to reconsider the economics of small one-room school. School authorities began to realize that it was cost effective to close one-room schools and but a few school busses. By the 1930s this began to change the face of rural education. And as children attended secondary schools, busses were needed. Secondary schools had to be larger than primary schoools becuse of the many different subjects that had to be offered. The move to the suburbs which became increasingly pronpinced after Wotld War II, school busses became more and more common. Children both walked and took the bus. The basic rule became kids living within 1 mile of school had to walk. The school bus became a major aspect of school life.

The 18th Century

The United States from an early point wanted to create a free public school systemn for all its citzens. The Constitution reserved education to the states under the 10th Amendment eserved powers to the state unless specifically granted to the Federal Government (1789). This includes education among many other functions. But Congress even before the Constitution had acted to fund free public schools. The Second Continental Congress passed the Land Ordinance of 1785. This dividided the land in the Nortest Territory bedore extensive settlement into townships. And each townships were divided into 36 sections. This proivided the foundation of public land policy in the Northwest Territory which was establisged by the Northwest Ordinance (1787). Each bloc of territory included a school section. Part of it would bed the sure of a school and the land not needed for the school could be sold to finanace the building of the school. The idea was to provide small rural schools that were in walking distance of the children. At this time walking distance was much longer than would be our modern concept. Many children walked several miles to school.

The 19th Century

As the Frontier moved west, the land distribution system established for the original Northwest Territory moved west with the settlers as more and more states were formed and admitted to the Union. As a result small one- or two-room schools were built throughout the United States. The South was a little different because of slavery and a lesser commitment to public education. Thus for a century, waling was basically how children got to school, they walked and there were small schools that were in walking distance for most children--at least the 19th century concept of walling to school. School busses came into exitence almost exactly 100 years after the passage of the Northwest Ordinance. These were not motorized school byses, but they were buses. Although we would now call them hrse-drawn carriages. It is difficult to be sure, but the earliest school bus we have found so far is when Wayne Works in Indiana began making horse-drawn carriages (1886). They were known as known variously as 'school hacks' or 'kid hacks'. About the same time we note another horse-drawn carrinage in Fresno, Californaia taransporting Kindergartners to school (1889). There were not that nay Kindergarteners in America and they were all located in cities. But chidren that age of course needed special care. Most children began school with grade 1 at about 6 years of age. And almost all still walked to school. Many rural children quit school earluer tham city childrem, bit they nostly vegan at avout the same age. Secondary education was much more limited in the 19th century than today. If rural children wanted to attend secondary school, they had to move into town where hopefully there were relatives that they could stay with.

The 20th Century

None other than Henry Ford would change this. He put America on wheels with the Model-T Tin Lizzie (1909). And very quickly Ford was also producing trucks based on the Model-T. The United States did not have much in the way of weapons to offer the Allies. It did have trucks. The automotive business was booming. None other than Wayne Works back in Indiana saw an opportunity to motorize the carriages it had been making for three decades. Thus the motorized school bus was born. As far as we know, this was an American incention. The interior of the carriage was basically unchanged. The children sat along the sides of the bus and faced inward. There was also at first little protection from the weather, no glass windows at first. Still children mostly walked to school. here were mo mahor changes until after World War I in the 1920. And the motivating force was economics. Rural counties began to reconsider the economics of small one-room school. School authorities began to realize that it was cost effective to close one-room schools and but a few school busses. By the 1930s this began to change the face of rural education. And as children attended secondary schools, busses were needed. Secondary schools had to be larger than primary schoools becuse of the many different subjects that had to be offered. The move to the suburbs which became increasingly pronpinced after Wotld War II, school busses became more and more common. Children both walked and took the bus. The basic rule became kids living within 1 mile of school had to walk. The school bus became a major aspect of school life.

The 21st Century

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Created: 5:14 AM 7/6/2020
Last updated: 5:14 AM 7/6/2020