DPS Ends Bus Passes: Parents Now Responsible for High Schoolers’ Transportation
This school year, high school students in Dayton Public Schools (DPS) will no longer receive RTA bus passes from the district, a shift expected to affect around 4,000 students in grades 9 through 12.
According to Superintendent David Lawrence, the change comes in response to House Bill 96, a piece of legislation recently signed into law by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.
The bill prohibits school districts from covering public transit fares for students and restricts transfers through downtown Dayton, a key connection point for many routes.
As a result, families are now fully responsible for transporting their children to and from school. Superintendent Lawrence says the district has been surveying parents, many of whom are trying to determine the best alternatives.
Some plan to carpool, while others say their children will walk or that they’ll purchase RTA passes themselves. With one-way rides costing $2.20, the financial burden is expected to weigh heavily on already stretched household budgets.
The Greater Dayton RTA operates 20 fixed routes and has long served as a primary mode of transportation for DPS high school students.
While the district will continue to provide busing for elementary and middle school students living more than 1.5 miles from school, as well as for homeless students, those in foster care, or students in group homes, most high schoolers are now excluded.
To help students adjust, the district is incorporating transportation education into freshman seminar classes. About 300 students currently in the building are being taught how to navigate RTA routes independently, particularly in ways that avoid the downtown transfer hub.
Despite these efforts, Superintendent Lawrence is clear: this new policy is creating a significant and unnecessary burden on DPS families who depend on public transportation as an essential link to education.
This development impacts the child’s right to education. By removing transportation support for high school students, especially in a district where many families rely on public transit, the policy creates a significant barrier to consistent school attendance.
Without affordable and reliable means to reach their classrooms, students’ ability to fully benefit from their education is compromised, putting this fundamental right at risk.
