Like many high school students, the students of North Kansas City High School are able to drive themselves to school, but the majority of the student body at Northtown qualifies to ride the big yellow school buses.

So what is the ratio of students eligible to ride the bus to students who choose to ride.

“We have around 1400 kids who are eligible to ride the bus and just under 1500 kids are enrolled,” Assistant Principal Mrs. Regina Ellis said.

Not all these students ride the bus every day however.

On average, most upperclassmen take their car instead of riding the bus.

“I drive my car because I like to sleep in,” sophomore Jaclyn Blankenship said.

Other students might say they feel more independent.

“When I drive my car I feel like I have more freedom,”said junior Al Canole.

By the time they reach high school, teenagers tend to want more power and rights.

Who could blame them? But sometimes, the choice of transportation is all about logistics.

Some students live far away, like junior Max Irby.

“I drive to school because I live 20 miles away,” said Irby.

Some students that have a car don’t drive everyday. “I sometimes walk to school because it is fast and I get exercise,” junior Patrick Hoard said.

IB students who ride the bus get free transportation.

“When I don’t take my car, I ride the bus because I get free transportation because of IB,” junior Johnny Becker said.

Other drivers get rides from somebody else.

“My friends pick me up when I don’t take my grandfather’s car,” senior Blake OReilly said.

Regardless of how they get to school, the most important thing is that students come to school to learn.