Reference page
Key statewide and national figures for school leaders, families, community partners, and anyone reporting on student transportation safety.
Last updated October 5, 2026. Each figure below links to its original source.
At a glance
School transportation safety is shaped by what happens on the bus, at the curb, and across the roads students travel each day.
These figures bring together Arizona’s latest statewide crash data, a clearly defined school enrollment measure, and federal school-bus safety reporting. They are provided as a practical starting point for conversations about planning, supervision, route awareness, and shared responsibility.
983,016
This statewide count covers participating schools and gives a current, clearly defined picture of the scale of student travel and school-day coordination across Arizona.
Source Arizona Department of Education, 2025-26 Free and Reduced-Price Percentage Report October 2025 enrollment, report published February 2026118,052
The statewide total provides the broader road-safety context around daily student travel, school arrivals, and school bus stops.
Source Arizona Department of Transportation, 2025 crash data release 2025 data, published August 27, 20261,156
The total was down 5.2% from 2024, according to ADOT, while still underscoring why safe school-day travel depends on careful planning around roads, stops, and crossings.
Source Arizona Department of Transportation, 2025 crash data release 2025 data, published August 27, 2026367
ADOT reports this includes crashes where speed was too fast for conditions or exceeded the lawful speed limit. The number represents 31.8% of all 2025 traffic fatalities.
Source Arizona Department of Transportation, 2025 crash data release 2025 data, published August 27, 2026119
NHTSA reports that 49 were drivers and 70 were passengers during the ten-year period.
Source National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, School Bus Safety 2015-2024 dataUnder 1%
NHTSA notes that risk is higher when children are approaching or leaving the bus, which makes school-stop awareness part of every community’s safety responsibility.
Source National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, School Bus Safety Current NHTSA guidanceWhat the figures mean
School buses remain one of the safest ways for students to travel, but the moments around loading, unloading, and crossing deserve focused attention. A reliable transportation plan accounts for the people, timing, locations, and communication that keep those transitions orderly.
For Arizona schools arranging daily routes, field trips, athletics, or educational outings, planning the details early gives staff, families, and transportation partners a stronger foundation for the day.
Explore school transportation support →Methodology and sources
This page uses public data and guidance from government sources. Arizona crash figures come from the Arizona Department of Transportation’s 2025 crash data release. The enrollment figure is the Arizona Department of Education’s October 2025 count for schools participating in the National School Lunch Program. National school-bus safety figures come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Figures are reviewed about monthly, or sooner when a source issues a relevant update. Source dates are shown with each statistic because reporting periods differ.
Cite this page
Phoenix Suburban Transportation. “Arizona School Transportation Statistics.” Accessed October 5, 2026. https://phoenixsuburbantransportation.com/arizona-school-transportation-statistics
Plan with more confidence
