This chapter shall be construed and applied to:

(1)  Create a state plan for the busing of pupils beyond city or town limits, in recognition of the legislative policy to encourage the establishment of and continuance of consolidated and regional schools;

(2)  Provide a unified statewide busing service;

(3)  Afford to pupils who attend public schools the opportunity at the election of the school committee of the city or town in which the pupils reside to attend a public school, either full time or part time, outside of the city or town which provides a program or curriculum not available within the city or town in which the pupil resides, as authorized by § 16-3.1-1 et seq.;

(4)  Afford to children with disabilities equal educational opportunity;

(5)  Afford bus transportation to pupils who attend nonpublic nonprofit schools which are consolidated, regionalized, or otherwise established to serve residents of a specific area within the state, and who may be counted for purposes of reimbursement to cities and towns under the state aid formula provided by § 16-7-22 et seq.;

(6)  Conserve valuable natural resources by reducing the number of vehicles necessary to transport pupils to school; and

(7)  Provide for the transportation of public school students who attend schools located outside of the city or town in which they reside, to protect the health, safety, and welfare of pupils who live at such distances from the schools which they attend as to make it impractical or hazardous to require the pupil to walk to school.