THE FUTURE OF
BUSING IS HERE
Manchester is growing. Our children deserve safe, reliable, and free transportation. Join the movement to bring LSTA to our community.
THE MISSION
LSTA was born from the vision of Lakewood rabbonim and askonim to solve one simple problem: Every child deserves a seat on the bus.
Currently, thousands of children are left without free busing, forcing parents to supplement costs for private transportation. LSTA steps in by pooling the state-mandated $1,177 per student, leveraging massive buying power to negotiate efficient, cost-effective routes for the entire community.
COMMUNITY POWER
By pooling our resources, LSTA leverages massive buying power to negotiate efficient routes that private vans simply can't match.
RELIABILITY
LSTA manages 55,000 students across 155 schools. This scale ensures that more routes are picked up and more children get to school on time.
ZERO BURDEN
The Board of Education writes one single check to LSTA, stripping away the administrative nightmare and replacing it with organized service.
THE SAVINGS
WHAT YOU SAVE PER CHILD
Compare your current private transportation costs with what you could be saving with LSTA support.
| SCHOOL | PRIVATE COST | AIL BENEFIT | YOUR SAVINGS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bnos Yaakov | $2,850 | $1,177 | $1,673 |
| Nesivos Hatorah | $2,760 | $1,177 | $1,583 |
| Talmud Torah | $2,720 | $1,177 | $1,543 |
| Bais Faiga | $2,290 | $1,177 | $1,113 |
| Cheder/Ohr Shraga | $1,980 | $1,177 | $803 |
*Based on current Manchester rates.
SAVINGS CALCULATOR
ESTIMATED ANNUAL SAVINGS
HOW IT WORKS
PORTAL REGISTRATION
Register via LSTA's secure portal, pre-populated with your student’s data from participating schools for a seamless experience.
TOWNSHIP PARTNERSHIP
LSTA works directly with the local township and Board of Education to secure and manage state-mandated transportation funding.
ROUTE OPTIMIZATION
We build efficient "tiered routes" using specialized software to ensure every registered child has an optimized seat.
BIDDING PROCESS
LSTA coordinates a competitive bidding process among licensed contractors, leveraging community scale to secure busing.
ASSIGNMENT
Routes are Assigned as they are picked up. No cost to your family, aside from LSTA's small annual administrative fee.
THE FUNDING
New Jersey law mandates that every nonpublic school student living more than 2 miles from school receives a specific annual allocation for transportation.
$1,177 PER YEARLSTA MODEL
Funds go directly to LSTA, which leverages massive community buying power to negotiate bulk routes. Parents pay nothing if a bus is secured.
AID IN LIEU (AIL)
Parents receive the $1,177 check directly, but must arrange and pay for private transportation—often costing between $2,000–$3,000.
KEY BENEFITS
SAVE THOUSANDS
Families save an average of $1,200-$1,700 per child per year by eliminating out-of-pocket transportation costs.
EFFICIENT AIL DELIVERY
If no bus is available, LSTA manages the state aid (AIL) process to ensure parents receive the full $1,177 payment as efficiently as possible.
PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT
LSTA handles registration, routing, bus company contracts, and parent communication—no hassle for you.
COMMUNITY STRENGTH
Manchester joins a network of 155+ schools across NJ. More students = more routes = better coverage.
SIMPLE REGISTRATION
Online portal takes 5 minutes. One registration per child. LSTA handles the rest.
BACKED BY LEADERSHIP
LSTA was created with guidance from Lakewood's rabbonim and askonim to serve the community's needs.
ADDRESSING YOUR CONCERNS
If LSTA cannot secure a route for your school, you will receive the full $1,177 AIL payment directly—paid to you. You lose nothing.
NJ law allows an $80-$90 fee for administration. LSTA collects this separately so the full $1,177 goes to bus companies, making routes more attractive to bid on.
LSTA works to optimize routes for safety and convenience. While state law allows flexibility, in practice LSTA groups schools in reasonable clusters to minimize walk distances.
If LSTA secures a bus for your route, that is the primary service. AIL is only available when a bus route is not picked up. This ensures enough riders to make routes viable.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Registration typically opens in spring and closes by late April for the following school year. Late registrations may still be accepted but are not guaranteed bus placement. Check LSTA's website for exact dates.
Any nonpublic school student in grades K-12 who lives more than 2 miles from their school is eligible for the $1,177 state transportation aid. Students must be registered through LSTA's portal and attend a participating school.
The township evaluates the community's needs and the feasibility of a partnership with LSTA. By showing strong community interest, we can move closer to establishing LSTA's proven transportation model for all Manchester families.
LSTA aggregates all registered students by school and neighborhood, then creates efficient route clusters. These routes are put out to competitive bid among licensed bus companies. Routes with enough students are typically picked up.
LSTA currently manages transportation for over 55,000 students across 155+ nonpublic schools in New Jersey.
LSTA works to ensure that AIL payments are distributed as efficiently as possible. If your child's route is not picked up by a bus company, you will receive the full $1,177 state aid payment.
TIME TO CHOOSE.
BE PART OF THE STORY
It's a community coming together for our children. Are you interested in a future where every child in Manchester has a seat?