PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — The back-to-school jitters include a mix of excitement and worry. That worry is more prevalent for students who rely on SEPTA to get to and from school.
As students go back on the first day of school in Philadelphia, 20% of the buses that kids rely on are being cut due to budget issues.
RELATED: Commuter Crisis: First round of SEPTA cuts in effect | What you need to know
About 52,000 kids in the School District of Philadelphia rely on public transportation. With Monday being the first day of school and the first weekday of SEPTA’s reduced schedule, it could be a challenge. Still, School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington remains optimistic.
He highlights safety efforts the district is making, which includes increasing police presence in its safe paths program to protect kids.
RELATED: SEPTA to increase police presence ahead of school year, service cuts
This year, the district is also looking to stay on the upswing with increased test scores and enrollment, but the SEPTA cuts could impact one key area: attendance.
The school district has said it will not penalize students who are late because of SEPTA route changes, when they have a valid note from a parent or guardian.
For weeks, though, the district has encouraged parents to come up with a plan.
RELATED: 1st weekday commute since drastic SEPTA cuts in Philadelphia
“We are encouraging parents and guardians to carpool to the extent that they can. We’re encouraging them to use our Flat Rate program where we provide $300 per family to bring your children to school,” said School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington. “Anything else we can do, we are there to support our parents and families, and certainly, we will not penalize these students.”
“We do have a plan,” said Armanie Nickens of Mantua. “We do plan to use a new app where we just carpool and it’s more organized.”
As students face the transportation challenge presented by the first day of school, the district is celebrating a victory in a different area. Late Sunday night, the school district reached a tentative agreement with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, the union representing teachers in the school district of Philadelphia. It’s a three-year deal, meaning the school district will avoid a potential teacher strike.
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