School Consolidation ended that. The excuse was the consolidated schools could offer better equipment, but the internet and telecommunication has made a joke out of that premise. Just putting schools back in neighborhoods would eliminate busing and that alone would cut our "Carbon Footprint {:~)" immeasurably.
What technology can't do is provide 6,000 kids to pick a football team from.
Sports drive a lot of what goes on in school policy. In my county there is one high school. Kids are on a bus for 3 hours a day ( 1.5 hours each way) just so the football team can have 3,000 kids to choose a team.