Thousands of Ohio Students Stranded Without School Bus as Private Transport Expands

Many families in Ohio are facing problems with school bus rides this year. Public schools in some areas have stopped giving bus rides to thousands of high school students. However, they still transport students to private and charter schools to avoid heavy fines. In Dayton, a judge recently allowed a temporary plan to give students public transit passes instead of bus rides. This happened after the district went to court, saying the state had unfairly limited the program.

Why the Bus Shortage Happened

The main reason is a shortage of bus drivers. This shortage became worse because of Ohio’s school transport rules and a program that pays for students to attend private schools. For years, districts had to transport students with EdChoice vouchers. The problem grew bigger as nearly 90,000 more students joined this program in the last four years.

Public Money for Private School Transport

Public school supporters say the state rules are unfair and costly. The law makes districts take K-8 students to private or charter schools, even on days when public schools are closed. It also says districts must give the same transport to private high schoolers as they do to public ones.

Some districts stopped high school bus service for everyone. They gave city bus passes instead or left students to find their own way. But even then, they still had to bus private students if notice was not given on time.

Parents and Students Feel the Pressure

Many parents are unhappy about public money going to private school transport. One parent in Dayton said it is unfair because it takes money away from public schools. Her daughter, a senior, now uses a city bus every morning. She said it is “not bad,” but it can be hard to manage connections and reach school on time.

Dayton’s school leader said it is “madness” that the state will spend $2.5 billion on the voucher program in two years and still make public schools pay for transport. His district runs 54 routes for public students and 74 for non-public students. He believes that without this rule, all public students could have easy bus rides.

The Cost of Transportation

Some lawmakers disagree that there is a crisis. They say schools get money to cover costs and accuse districts of avoiding their duty. The state gives $1,500 per student for transport, and if buses are not used, families get between $600 to $1,200 instead.

But public schools argue that this money is not enough. Transporting both public and private students costs much more. For big districts, this difference is millions of dollars.

Impact on Parents

In Cleveland, the district paid families for over 2,700 private school students because it was “impractical” to bus them. Columbus paid for about 2,500 students. The state even sued Columbus schools, saying they failed to transport voucher students properly.

Parents in some places have had to quit jobs or change their schedules because of transport problems. Columbus has a large system with over 450 routes and spends about $75 million each year on transport, plus another $15 million on fines.

The Bigger Picture

Running a transport system is costly. Buses can cost more than $150,000 each. Mechanics earn about $66,000 a year, and drivers make around $22 an hour with benefits. Many drivers prefer other jobs like package delivery because they pay better and offer more flexible schedules.

Some lawmakers want schools to share transport services within counties. Big districts say the laws are outdated and need to be changed to match current times. A study group is looking into one part of the problem and will give suggestions in 2026.

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