(The Center Square) – The School District of Philadelphia wants to continue a $36 million program in which it would pay parents who take their children to school to cope with a bus driver shortage.
The program is up for renewal at the Feb. 29 school board meeting. The district said there are 13,400 families registered for the program this year.
Started in the current school year, registered families receive up to $3,000 for taking students to and from school. If a family takes their child to school in the morning and has the child take a bus after school, they receive $1,500.
The district spent $179 million on transportation in 2022, up from $100.7 million in 2019, a 77% increase over that three-year period.
“The Parent Flat Rate Payment for Transportation Expenses is needed to provide an alternative transportation option to families impacted by the national bus driver shortages,” the district stated in documents provided to the school board.
The district has not yet responded to a request for comment from The Center Square.
