Ohio public schools are canceling buses for thousands of high schoolers while still busing some students to private and charter schools

"Public school districts canceled bus transportation for thousands of high schoolers again this year while in some cases still busing students to private and charter schools to avoid steep fines under state requirements. In Dayton, a stopgap effort that gives students public transit passes in lieu of school bus rides was temporarily restored by a judge last week. This came after the district sued, alleging the state illegally restricted the program."

"The crunch for rides emerged as a bus driver shortage was compounded by Ohio's school transportation regulations and its expansion to a universal voucher program to help pay for students to attend private schools. Districts have been required for years to transport students with EdChoice vouchers, but disputes over how to do that intensified as the program added nearly 90,000 students over the past four years."

"Advocates for public education argue Ohio's transportation mandates are inflexible, vague and expensive. It makes public school districts responsible for transporting K-8 students to their private or charter schools, even on district holidays or when buses break down. It also requires districts to extend whatever transportation service they offer to their own high schoolers to every high schooler at a private or charter school in the same area."

Public school districts canceled bus transportation for thousands of high school students while continuing to provide rides to private and charter students to comply with state requirements and avoid fines. Dayton temporarily restored a program issuing public transit passes after a judge's order following a district lawsuit alleging illegal state restrictions. A bus driver shortage combined with strict transportation regulations and an expansion of a universal voucher program added nearly 90,000 students, intensifying strain. State rules require districts to transport K-8 private or charter students even on district holidays or during breakdowns and to match high-school offerings for voucher students.

Read at Fortune