Rep. Tims Requests Governor Veto Harmful Provision Aimed Solely at Dayton Public Schools Use of RTA Hubs

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Desiree Tims (D-Dayton) today sent a letter to Governor Mike DeWine requesting he consider a line-item veto of a provision in the State Operating Budget (Am. Sub. House Bill 96) that would place harmful restrictions on Dayton Public School’s use of Dayton RTA’s mass transit systems. 

“This provision, in effect, establishes a new and unnecessary requirement, one that would currently only be enforced on the Dayton Public Schools (DPS), that, by law, mandates schools find costly transportation alternatives for students barred from mass transit systems because the system uses a central hub,” said Rep. Tims’ letter to the governor. “If not vetoed, this legal requirement imposes a substantial operational and financial burden on the district, particularly in light of current staffing shortages and inadequate funding levels. Not to mention, while this only impacts DPS at this time, that could change with population shifts occurring throughout Ohio. Without an alternative solution, this provision will not help the underlying transportation problems Dayton public schools face along with many other school districts.”

The provision, found on page 436 of the Legislative Budget Office (LCS) comp doc, if not line- item vetoed, “Requires a school district in a county with a population between 530,000 and 540,000 in the most recent census, that uses mass transit systems to transport students to and from a community or chartered nonpublic school to ensure that any transfer between routes does not occur at the central hub for the mass transit system.”

Rep. Tims has long been a proud defender of DPS, its students and the public safety of all Daytonians and believes Dayton and local and statewide leaders should be working collaboratively to analyze the real challenges and develop a sustainable, long-term solution to improve school transportation in our state.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A copy of the letter sent to the governor Friday can be found attached to this release here.