David Lawrence, the district’s superintendent, said the new ruling allows the district to continue providing bus passes for the entire 2025–2026 school year. The case is scheduled to resume in court in September 2026, he said.
“We’d like to especially thank the parents and community members who took time out of their day to attend and testify at the hearing in Columbus,” he said. “Thanks to this decision, all DPS students in grades 9-12 will continue to have reliable access to transportation through RTA.”
Under House Bill 96, the state’s most recent budget bill, DPS students could not transfer through the Greater Dayton RTA downtown transit center.
The law was approved following disruptions and problems near the bus hub, including the death of Alfred Hale III, a Dunbar High School senior who was killed on his way to school in April.
The Dayton Public School board of education sued the state in August to stop enforcement of the law.
Lawrence said any attempt to prevent DPS students from getting to school is an “attack” on public education and the progress the district has made.
Lawrence said schools saw an increase in absences this year because students weren’t able to use the RTA bus system.
“In our testimony in Columbus yesterday, we gave several examples of schools where attendance was down anywhere 6% to 7%,” he said at a press conference Friday afternoon. “That may seem small to some people — that is colossal."
Lawrence said some parents testified that they would likely have to switch to part-time employment in order to be able to pick up their kids after school if the district did not provide a busing solution.
He also said other significant consequences for students included both increased tardiness and more early dismissals since some parents could not get their kids to class on time or they needed to pick their children up early because of their work schedules.
Lawrence said DPS wants to transport its students on yellow school buses and would be able to do so if the district was not required to bus charter school students. He urged state lawmakers to change this requirement.
DPS board president Chrisondra Goodwine said the school district and stakeholders, including parents and community members, are actively working to figure out what the best busing option is moving forward.
“This not a perfect solution and we aware of that,” she said. “If legislators, want to help out or really solve this problem or get closer to it, fund the other individuals, also fund us appropriately so we can continue to make sure our kids ride safely to school.”
State Rep. Tom Young, R-Washington Twp., told the Dayton Daily News “the legislation in HB 96 has absolutely nothing to do with bus passes. Anyone in the American Republic can buy a bus pass.”
“The magistrate was very clear in pre-trial with our attorneys and in the hearing that he was going to rule against the state,” Young said. “The legislation’s intent is to keep students safe and away from the RTA hub downtown while going to school. Since November, two shootings and one murder are sad examples. It is not safe. That is what the legislation is about.”
