Georgia’s Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) and Chatham Area Transit Authority (CAT) are working together to enable public transportation opportunities for local students. 

Enabling Mobility for Students

The two organizations have come up with a new Student Pass Program that will allow K-12 students to utilize CAT’s fixed-route and paratransit services for free through May 31, 2025.

The program was approved on February 25 by CAT’s board of directors to provide students with reliable transportation to school and other destinations.

“Transportation should never be a barrier to education,” said Deidrick Cody, chair of the board of directors. “By working together with SCCPSS, we are ensuring that students have the freedom to travel safely and affordably, whether they are heading to class, after-school programs, or home. This is a win for students, families, and the entire community.”

How the Program Works

Parents and guardians interested in the program registered their children for the program through SCCPSS, who distributed CAT passes to the students. Students can also use their school-issued ID cards to access the public transit services.

“At SCCPSS, we believe that access to safe, reliable transportation plays a vital role in shaping a student’s future,” said Megan Davidson, chief operations officer. “We work daily to improve our transportation services and continue to seek expanded service offerings to overcome transportation barriers and to ensure all students can travel freely to school, after-school programs, and the many unique learning opportunities that our school district provides.”

As part of the agreement, SCCPSS is contributing $3,125 per month through the end of May, after which CAT and SCCPSS will evaluate the impact of the program and begin negotiating terms for the upcoming school year.