Rialto board approves Omnitrans pact to give students unlimited free rides through 2029
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Summary
Trustees approved an agreement with Omnitrans to provide unlimited free rides to K–12 students from June 1, 2026 to June 1, 2029 at a not-to-exceed cost of $156,000; staff said Omnitrans/county grants may offset the cost and explained ID/pass tracking.
The Rialto Unified School District board approved an agreement with Omnitrans at its Feb. 11 meeting to provide unlimited free transit rides to kindergarten–12th grade students on Omnitrans routes from June 1, 2026 through June 1, 2029 at a cost not to exceed $156,000, to be paid from the general fund if grant funding does not fully cover the expense.
Dora Parenham, the district’s transportation director, explained that Omnitrans and the San Bernardino County funding authority help finance the program and that students will use district-issued identification to board. Parenham said staff will request ridership statistics from Omnitrans to assess usage and that many district students already use the service.
Trustees asked how many students use public transit; staff said they do not have exact district tallies on hand but can obtain data from Omnitrans. The board voted to approve the agreement with a recorded yes vote by Trustees Doctora Lewis, Evelyn Domínguez, Edgar Montes and Board President Joseph W. Martínez.
What’s next: Staff will work with Omnitrans on implementation, student notification and data collection to inform future renewals.