Final answer:
The definition of a school bus is a vehicle designated for carrying students to educational institutions, typically as part of a strategy called busing that aims to achieve racial balance in schools.
Step-by-step explanation:
The definition of a school bus is a vehicle designated for carrying students to educational institutions. This service is often used as a means to facilitate the strategy known as busing, which refers to the transportation of children to schools beyond their neighborhood. The goal of busing is to achieve racial balance in schools, which may be racially imbalanced due to the makeup of their communities.
Busing has been a contentious issue, with some arguing that it disconnects schools from their neighborhoods and imposes inconveniences on families. The practice was intended to further desegregate education, and courts have ordered its implementation in certain school districts. This meant that students would attend schools they might not normally have the opportunity to attend, thus promoting racial diversity.
It is important to note that the definition of a school bus strictly pertains to the transportation of students, and does not include other uses such as carrying children and their parents to school events, transporting educational materials, or other types of passenger service within a school district.