Dear Dayton Public Schools Families:

The district will resume responsibility for transporting charter and parochial students for the 2022-2023 school year. As a result, there will be several changes to transportation because DPS drivers and buses will be needed to transport non-DPS students. 

The district is legally required to provide transportation to charter and parochial students. For the 2021-2022 school year, First Student Transportation handled the transportation of all non-DPS students, which made DPS drivers and buses available to bus high school students. However, the First Student contract is not going forward next year. 

The district’s quadrant busing system is still in place, but there will be several key changes. Please carefully review the changes below, and contact the Student Enrollment Center at 937-542-5555 with any questions.

• There will not be busing for high school students (grades 9-12) or preschool students. This means the quadrant system no longer applies to high school students, and they may attend schools outside of their quadrant if they choose. 
• There will not be Limited Service RTA routes to high schools. RTA passes WILL be purchased for high school students who need them.*
• The quadrant system still applies to elementary and middle school students. Students are eligible for transportation to schools within their quadrant as long as they live 1.5 miles or more away from the school. There are exceptions for students attending a district-wide school, and for students who have an IEP that requires transportation as a related service. These students will still receive transportation out-of-quadrant. District-wide schools include River’s Edge Montessori, Charity Adams Earley Girls Academy, and Stivers School for the Arts (middle school only).

Students who were previously grandfathered in to receive out-of-quadrant transportation will no longer be in elementary school next year. As a result, they will also need to follow the quadrant system in order to receive DPS transportation. 

Thank you for your continued support as we work to make transportation as efficient as possible for as many students as possible. Please watch out for letters providing bus route details and school bell schedules over the summer.

Sincerely, 

Elizabeth J. Lolli, Ph.D.

Superintendent

*Please be advised that the letter mailed to households incorrectly states that RTA passes will not be purchased for students. Please be assured that the district will purchase a pass for any high school student who needs one.