The district covers 320 square miles, about one-third of Sacramento County. In comparison, the Sacramento and San Juan unified school districts are about 80 square miles each. As enrollment has grown over the years, so has the number of schools, so the number of students being bused has not been as dramatic as enrollment. However, more than 1,000 students are bused outside of their neighborhood because the school in their attendance area is full. The district also buses students for safety concerns like crossing busy roads.
Most bus routes are short.
It varies based on length of trip, number of stops on the route, and number of schools serviced on the route. Students who live on the outskirts of the district have longer trips because the bus has further to go and it can make several stops in remote areas. In 1997-98, for example, out of 8,300 students and 107 bus routes, only 117 students on 20 bus routes have a bus ride of more than 1 hour. This number has changed only slightly in the past six years.