Minn. district eyes transit busing for high-schoolers

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) is considering transit passes instead of yellow school bus service for high school transportation.

The district said on its website that the switch would have "many benefits for students." For example, the Metro Transit Go-To Cards allow for unlimited rides to school and can be used after school hours for other student activities.

Also, the district said, transit busing "supports a flexible schedule for high school students" and "provides student access to community resources and real-world learning opportunities."

MPS noted that students would need training about public transportation, and that Metro Transit safety personnel would need "continued training on supporting adolescents."

Also, the district acknowledged that it would have less control over stops and routes and less ability to mitigate risks like labor strikes, cost increases and government shutdowns.

"Currently, our Go-To Card team is gathering feedback from families through numerous community engagement sessions," the district said.

Since the 2009-10 school year, a number of MPS programs have provided Go-To Cards to high school students.

"MPS students who had Go-To Cards overwhelmingly like them and want to expand the program to other students," the district said.

On its website, MPS provides a cost analysis for various transportation plans involving the transit passes. Most of the plans would entail additional costs to the district.