The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) and the Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) Board of Education approved the transportation contract for the 2022-23 school year.
The contract was approved unanimously during the CPS Board's meeting on Aug. 1. The SORTA Board of Trustees unanimously approved the contract during its meeting on July 19.
This contract allows CPS students in grades nine through 12 to ride Cincinnati Metro to and from school and after-school activities during the school year. In addition, it also allows students in grades seven and eight who participate in after-school activities to ride Cincinnati Metro home after those activities.
"Transportation is a key component of ensuring our students can get to school safely and on time," said CPS Superintendent Iranetta Wright. "I am very grateful the CPS and Metro teams came together to ensure our students will have the most direct transportation to and from school this year."
Students riding Cincinnati Metro to school will have at most one transfer on their way to or from school.
"We are proud of our long history of serving students and families and look forward to our continued partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools during this upcoming school year," said Darryl Haley, Cincinnati Metro CEO and general manager. "We are committed, as always, to providing safe, on-time and reliable service that connects students to classes throughout the city."
Students will receive route postcards in the mail from the CPS Transportation Department before the start of school. The route postcards will have more information for how students can get to and from school, as well as serve as students' bus pass on Aug. 18, the first day of school. Students and families are encouraged to visit Metro's student transportation website for route look-up information and the Transit mobile app. Students will pick up their passes from their school on the first day of school.
Students in grades seven and eight will ride yellow buses to and from school at normal pick-up times. Seventh- and eighth-grade students participating in after-school activities will ride Cincinnati Metro home and can pick up their Metro cards from their school.
