Our local schools also have a proximity limitation. Within that range, you don't get a bus. Walk, bike, or get a ride. (Unsure what that is, as my children are still several years away from public school, as daycare doesn't run a bus)

With the US's current "kids walking alone is endangerment" climate, realistically that means all those kids get dropped off by car.

Having grown up rural, buses tend to shine. I had a 20 minute bus ride to and from town as it collected all the scattered children over there. Route changed yearly to accommodate new or leaving kids.

School ran a small fleet of buses covering the whole district. Routine (within a 5 min window over the years) pickup and dropoff times, the same drivers for years, more or less the same roads.