Dayton Public asks parents to review rideshare policies before scheduling student pickup

DPS does not provide yellow bus transportation for high school students. Instead, students are provided with RTA passes.

“The district was not saying families could NOT use these services,” said district spokeswoman Alex Kincaid. “Multiple drivers contacted us saying they could not pick up those under 18, and to please let families know. Our goal was to prevent inconveniences to families due to trip cancellations.”

The district encouraged those struggling with transporting their kids to school to reach out to the transportation department at 937-542-4010.

Before the school year started, the Dayton Daily News asked DPS superintendent David Lawrence about busing for high school students. Lawrence said busing currently is doing well under what is the current system - only busing kids in grades kindergarten through eight to school.

Previously, the Ohio Department of Education penalized Dayton Public after multiple private and charter schools said DPS was not getting buses to school on time or picking students up on time after school let out. Dayton Public sued the state and the matter was settled without DPS needing to pay a fine and getting back some of the money the state took as a penalty for late buses.

Before school started, Lawrence discussed some ideas for helping high schoolers get to school, like talking to local churches about transporting kids and working with the Montgomery County Educational Service Center to get kids their drivers’ licenses.

DPS is required by state law to make sure all of their own students, plus students who live in the DPS geography but go to another school, get to school on-time and are picked up after school.