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Students urge New Haven schools to share details on free 30-day bus passes from House Bill 5523
Summary
Student leaders from New Haven Climate Movement and Hartford testified during public comment that House Bill 5523 provided $175,000 to New Haven for 30-day bus passes; they requested a meeting with the district transportation director for transparency on distribution and asked about bus-fleet electrification.
Student leaders from New Haven Climate Movement and a Hartford participant asked the New Haven Board of Education on July 28 to meet with the district transportation director and to provide details about distribution and evaluation of free 30-day bus passes funded by state legislation.
The nut graf: House Bill 5523 appropriated $350,000 total — split $175,000 each for Hartford and New Haven — to purchase youth bus passes; students said Hartford used its allocation to provide unlimited 30-day CT Transit passes to 506 students and urged the district to explain how New Haven used its funds and tracked results.
Nancy Han, a rising senior at Wilbur Cross High School and a student leader with New Haven Climate Movement, asked the board to arrange a meeting with Transportation Director Sekuela Coleman to learn "how the bus passes were purchased, distributed, and tracked" and to discuss plans related to school bus electrification. Han said the funding supports reducing absenteeism and increasing access to after-school activities.
Adrian Huck, co-founder of New Haven Climate Movement, described the Hartford program as providing unlimited free bus rides for participating high school students and said such passes helped students reach jobs, activities and classes. "Free bus passes are a win for equity and the environment," he said, and requested a meeting with the transportation director to discuss expanding availability in New Haven.
A Hartford student-witness, Oluse Oluborday, testified that Hartford's program provided passes to 506 students and urged statewide expansion of similar measures. "It's simply not fair that a young person who lives within the 2 mile radius of their school would have to pay the $1.40 twice a day," Oluborday said, arguing that transit costs exclude some students from extracurriculars and work.
Speakers also referenced a separate state appropriation that would allocate $4 million to reduce youth fares by 50 percent; students asked the district to detail how the $175,000 was spent in New Haven and how the local program connected to broader state efforts.
The board did not take action at the meeting; student leaders asked the administration to schedule a follow-up meeting with Transportation Director Sekuela Coleman to review expenditures, distribution methods and future plans, including fleet electrification and tracking of academic and attendance impacts.
Ending: the students asked for a public update and for the administration to report back on the use and outcomes of the state-funded passes.
