CT: Climate advocates press New Haven schools for clarity on $175K free student bus pass program

Student advocates are calling for more transparency from New Haven Public Schools on how it spent $175,000 in state funding intended to provide free bus passes, saying the program was not well publicized and its impact remains unclear.

The funding came through House Bill 5523, passed during the 2024 — 25 school year, which allocated $175,000 each to New Haven and Hartford Public Schools to expand transportation access for students.

In Hartford, the funding provided 30-day CT Transit bus passes to 506 students, particularly those who live within five miles of their school and do not qualify for district-funded transportation.

"In Hartford, we have a lot of young people who depend on public transit to attend school and engage in extracurricular activities or to get to their job," said Oluwaseyi Oluborode, a rising senior in Hartford Public Schools. "It's simply not fair that a student who lives two miles from their school would have to pay $1.40 twice a day just to make it to sports or other activities."

Advocates say the same need exists in New Haven, but the program has not been as transparent.

Manxi Han, a rising senior at Wilbur Cross High School, said she has been trying to learn how the passes were purchased, distributed, and checked. She has requested a meeting with NHPS Transportation Director Sequella Coleman for answers, which they've had.

Han is also involved with the New Haven Climate Movement, where she and co-founder Adrian Huq have pushed for alternative, cleaner transportation methods.

Huq said that as a student commuter, they understand the realities of getting around to school, work, and other events by bus.

"This funding was highly impactful for students, helping them get to jobs, school, enrichment programs, or just meet with friends," Huq said. "But we need the same transparency and better promotion here in New Haven that Hartford achieved."

Justin Harmon, NHPS marketing and communications director, said the district used its $175,000 state grant to purchase 7,200 two-hour ride cards and 6,000 10-ride cards for student transportation.

"These cards were distributed at the high schools to students who signed them out in order to participate in after-school programming, clubs, athletics, extra academic help, or jobs," Harmon said. "I don't have a precise count of the number of students who benefited, but it was in the hundreds."

A new bill is reportedly in the works that could make free or discounted ride cards more widely available, something Harmon said the district is "enthusiastic" about.