All Cincinnati Public Schools 7th and 8th graders will take Metro buses to school this fall instead of yellow buses.
The Board of Education voted to approve the change during its meeting Monday night. The move is expected to save the district more than $9 million in transportation costs. The reduction in spending is one of a number of cuts CPS leaders have made over the past several months to eliminate a $90 million budget gap brought on by the loss of pandemic emergency relief funding this year.
While board members say the decision was difficult, some felt it was a change students and families could manage since many students in those grades already choose Metro buses over yellow buses.
"We've seen a number of parents actually opt to have their kids on the Metro rather than having them on the yellow buses in some of the 7-12 schools for the exact reason that Metro offers a few more opportunities to have a variety of times and that type of thing to get your kid to a from school," Board member Brandon Craig told his fellow board members.
Although board members agreed the move was necessary to close the district's budget gap, Board President Eve Bolton expressed frustration over a state law that requires public school districts to provide yellow bus transportation to students who attend private and charter schools.
"We reduce the option of our students unlike the parochial, the private, or the charter students who are forbidden by law from Columbus to ride Metro. But they insist, and we're insisting that our students ride Metro, our 7th and 8th graders. I think that's a problem," Bolton said.
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Bolton also says the switch may present challenges students didn't have a few years ago when Metro offered student-specific routes for CPS. Previously, Metro offered XTRA bus routes, but those have not been reinstated.
"I think Metro's a great opportunity, but when we did do that as it was mentioned a few minutes ago, it was when there were extra routes devoted to our students," Bolton said. "It was not general population rides as it is now, which is the option that Metro gives us."
Board member Mike Moroski resigns
Later in the night, Board member Mike Moroski announced his resignation from the board.
Moroski said he decided to resign to spend more time with his family and focus on his job as Executive Director at Hamilton County's Human Services Chamber.
"I would like to spend even more of my time focusing on that," Moroksi said. "I'm trying to make our little corner of the world better through that position and try out just one job. This is something I'm not used to and that I've never had but focus is something I believe I need in my life at this point."
Moroski's resignation is effective immediately. He has served on the board since 2018. The school board must now consider who they will appoint to fill his position.
