FOR RELEASE
Worcester - Worcester Education Equity Roundtable releases position paper on student transportation and equitable access to out-of-school time programming.
Creating an education ecosystem in Worcester that removes obstacles to learning and maximizes the achievement of all students is the collective responsibility of community-based organizations, the Worcester Public Schools (WPS), higher education partners, and local cultural institutions. This requires coordinated use of the resources in the community to meet the learning, enrichment, and recreational needs of children and youth and childcare needs of families and ensure equitable access to the out-of-school services offered by various providers. Student transportation is a key resource with significant impact on equitable access to out-of-school programming and services.
For more than a decade prior to the COVID pandemic, WPS provided bus service for its students to attend after school and community service providers in Worcester. Under this practice, students were transported to bus stops at or near provider sites.
Although there were inconsistencies in the original implementation of the WPS after school student transportation practices, the situation became worse for Worcester students, families, and community service providers shortly before the beginning of the 2021-22 school year with the issue of an announcement from the Superintendent’s Office: “Due to the shortage of bus drivers, WPS will not be dropping off students at after school daycare programs. Students will be picked up and returned to the same locations.” This decision was made with no public input and no discussion with the service providers who had previously relied on the transportation service to provide Worcester students access to their programs. The announcement also came immediately before the start of the new school year and created significant disruptions for families and providers.
The change in student transportation practices has had a significant negative impact on Worcester students, families, and community service providers by substantially reducing access to services while increasing safety concerns and disruptions in the lives of students, parents, and caregivers.
This paper includes a review of past practices for after school student transportation offered by WPS and their impact. It also includes policy positions and recommendations of the Worcester Education Equity Roundtable (WEER) on this issue.
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Background: Worcester’s education sector is currently experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime inflection point as a series of opportunities converge: 1) new district leadership, 2) an unprecedented infusion of state and federal education funding, 3) an update to the district strategic plan, and 4) reconfiguring of the School Committee as result of a consent decree associated with the 1965 Voting Rights Act. In light of this context and opportunity, Worcester Education Collaborative received a grant from the Barr Foundation to uplift community voice. Through this work, WEC is working with community partners to produce a series of timely, community-informed resources on essential topics in education including briefs on early college, transportation and access to out-of-school programming, community schools, and school safety.
The attached position paper, WPS Student Transportation & Worcester Education Ecosystem, represents the second installment of the WEC Briefing Series on these topics.
