busing

Or bus·sing

[buhs-ing]

noun

1. the transporting of students by bus to schools outside their neighborhoods, especially as a means of achieving socioeconomic or racial diversity among students in a public school.

busing

1. The movement of students from one neighborhood to a school in another neighborhood, usually by bus and usually to break down de facto segregation of public schools.

A Supreme Court decision in 1971 ruling that busing was an appropriate means of achieving integrated schools (see integration) was received with widespread, sometimes violent, resistance, particularly among whites into whose neighborhoods and schools black children were to be bused. In 1991, the Court ruled that school districts could end busing if they had done everything “practicable” to eliminate the traces of past discrimination.

Word History and Origins

Origin of busing¹

1885–90; bus ¹ (v.) + -ing ¹, spelled irregular with single s, perhaps to avoid association with buss

Example Sentences

Providing this busing was one of many elements considered in the complex project.

From Los Angeles Times

They apparently couldn’t get past Harris’ attack on Biden for his opposition to busing during the first debate of the 2020 Democratic primary season.

From Salon

For the most part, the busing system is used by students with disabilities — for whom transportation is legally required — and students attending magnet programs at campuses far from where they live.

From Los Angeles Times

Congressional Republicans slipped a provision into their budget passed Thursday that would hand out billions of dollars to pay for things like Texas Gov. Greg Abbot’s immigrant busing initiative and state-funded border wall.

From Salon

“We were busing three, four times a week, just hanging out with everybody for an extra 30-40 minutes a day that we usually wouldn’t have,” Cholowsky said.

From Los Angeles Times