Public school districts operate mass transit systems, not on-demand taxi services. By federal definition, mass transit provides regular service on fixed routes with predetermined stops and schedules. Yet Ohio’s legal framework requires districts to simultaneously transport all K-8 students beyond two miles, private and charter school students, career-technical students, open enrollment students, and students with disabilities — all with 7,000 fewer drivers and wages 43% below median worker pay.
This isn’t a transportation problem. This is a math problem. You cannot transport more students to more locations with fewer drivers. Ohio’s response? Pass more laws. Blame districts.
Real solutions that work
Solution 1: Full-Time Driver Positions. Toledo Public Schools partnered with their union to guarantee drivers eight-hour days instead of split shifts. The result: increased retention, consistent driver-student relationships, and reliable service.
Solution 2: Regional Transportation Consortiums. Jefferson County ESC implemented a shared services model for 20 school districts, creating efficiency gains individual districts cannot achieve alone. Ohio should fund regional consortiums with technical assistance for shared routing, databases, and consolidating routes.
Solution 3: ESC or Consortiums should Contract Transportation. Over 80 percent of Pennsylvania districts contract with private operators who leverage economies of scale, maintain fleets, and provide full-time employment. Ohio should issue guidance to ensure contracts cover transportation necessities.
Solution 4: Category-Based Funding. Structure funding into distinct categories: Fair Transportation for public schools, Regional Consortium grants for private/charter students with complexity subsidies. This transparency reveals which obligations consume resources and whether funding is adequate.
What won’t work
Don’t pass more regulations mandating service districts cannot provide. Don’t blame districts’ superintendents for a national workforce shortage they didn’t create. Don’t reduce impracticality decisions without providing solutions—that’s a compliance trap.
Implementation path
These solutions are proven and working now in other states and Ohio districts. An 18-month timeline: regulatory clarity (months 1-3), pilot consortiums (months 4-6), adjusted funding formulas (months 7-12), and statewide scaling (months 13-18).
From blame to solutions
For years, Ohio has posted speed limit signs while the real problems — workforce shortage, funding inadequacy, operational constraints — remain unfixed. The solutions exist. They’re documented. They work.
What’s required now is not more blame, regulation, or mandates, but action toward collaboration with schools, legislators, and the public.
Doug Palmer is a Transportation Consultant for Best Bus Logic LLC.
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