The Ohio 8 calls for school district representation to study current funding and policies related to student transportation

The Ohio 8 Coalition has long advocated for a special commission to study the best approach to ensure students are transported safely and efficiently, while addressing funding gaps and policies that drive costs up for every school district in Ohio. In her letter published April 29, 2015, in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Mary Ronan, Superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools, and member of The Ohio 8 Coalition, calls for school district representation on the proposed Transportation Taskforce.

Transportation costs are a reoccurring concern for public schools across the state, and the schools in The Ohio 8 Coalition are no exception.  State funding that supports student transportation has not kept pace with actual costs, and currently no school district is fully reimbursed for what they spend to transport students. To help address the gap between transportation costs and reimbursement levels, the Ohio House of Representatives established a Transportation Taskforce, which will study the state’s existing funding approach and policies related to student transportation. While the study is a significant step in the right direction, The Ohio 8 Coalition calls on the Ohio Senate to take it one step further by making sure transportation directors from urban, suburban, and rural school districts are represented.