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Dayton schools and RTA step up supervision at downtown hub as transit-pass use grows
Summary
Board members and district leaders described new staffing, safety and scheduling steps at the downtown RTA hub to improve high-school attendance and student safety after the district resumed issuing transit passes.
Board members and district staff on Sept. 9 described new and expanded supervision at the downtown RTA transfer hub and discussed next steps to manage student use of district-issued transit passes.
The district said school resource officers, building administrators and RTA ambassadors have been stationed at the hub during peak student travel times to encourage students to board buses and reduce loitering. Superintendent Dr. Lawrence told the board the district has placed staff “in the morning, building staff down there in the morning” and added they are experimenting with east- and west-end coverage in the afternoon to prevent students from leaving the platform before boarding home buses.
Board members said the presence of adults has improved boarding rates. “When those buses come and there's a presence like that, almost all the kids get on the bus,” Board Member Dr. Goodwin said during the discussion. School leaders said that when additional buses can be called by RTA supervisors, those extra buses materially reduce crowding and tardiness.
Why it matters: Dayton’s decision to issue RTA passes to high school students is intended to make transit a reliable way to get students to school and to work. Board members and administrators said the operational challenge now is ensuring the passes are used for school transportation while recognizing students also use rides for employment and other purposes.
What the board heard and asked - Logistics and staffing: District leaders described morning staffing between about 7:00 and 7:30 a.m., when many transfer routes converge, and said the district has added SROs and district staff at the hub in the evenings to usher students onto platforms. Dr. Lawrence said principals, SROs and district staff have been deployed to the platform and that principals and district staff spent time “down there this morning” observing routing and platform activity. - Bus scheduling: Board members asked whether RTA route frequency could be restored or covered by on-call buses when drivers are available. Administrators said RTA supervisors have sometimes been able to send an extra vehicle when drivers are available but that driver shortages limit options. - Staffing trade-offs: Several board members cautioned that having administrators regularly at the hub creates an “administrative tax,” removing paid salaried staff from building-based duties. Board member Mr. Walker asked that any ongoing arrangement include clear written commitments from partners where possible. - Identification and badges: Administrators said student ID badge distribution is underway; badges on order will reach the district within one to two weeks. Staff said they are monitoring badge use at the hub while badges are being distributed. - Behavioral and operational limits: Members discussed limits to what staff can compel once a student leaves the platform. One board member warned that the district cannot physically prevent a student with a pass from leaving to visit a store or other location, so the board must rely on relationships and behavioral interventions.
District next steps and requests - Continue RTA coordination: Administrators said they will continue to meet with RTA staff to pursue more frequent service and a plan for standby buses when drivers permit. The board requested clearer, written commitments from RTA where feasible. - Data and mapping: The district will share maps and dot-mapping of student home locations to inform future pass policy decisions and to assess who most relies on public transit for school and work. - Badge rollout and schedule: Staff said a weekly schedule of when assessments and interventions occur will be circulated to board members and that complete badge distribution is imminent.
Board members framed the current hub measures as a short-term operational response while the district and partners study longer-term policy on who receives passes, time-of-day limits and safeguards. “If our students are down there by 7 … they have a higher chance of being to school on time,” one board member said as staff outlined the trade-offs involved.
Ending: Administrators asked for continued board support for the operational staffing and for help coordinating with partner agencies as the district develops an accountable approach to transit passes and hub supervision.
