I know a kid in middle school that wasn't allowed to literally walk across the street to school (wasn't even a busy road). The bus would pick up the kid, move about 10 feet, and turn into the parking lot.

Supervision and legalities related to it can be boarderline oppressive in some places.

Everyplace in America (except apparently California, and a couple major cities like NYC where there is areal public transit) there are school buses.

Genuinely curious, why do working parents drop off their kids if there is a school bus?