Ohio district pushes back on public transportation recommendations by work group 

Columbus City Schools (CCS) in Ohio has criticized recent calls to phase out a public transportation loophole that allows districts to avoid busing children to charter and private schools.

“School districts are required under state law to provide transportation for nonpublic, community and charter school students unless they declare a student ineligible for transportation or ‘impractical to transport,’” The Columbus Dispatch explained. “Then, the districts have the authority to offer Payment in Lieu of Transportation (PILO) to the parent or guardian.”

The pushback comes after the Ohio Pupil Transportation Workgroup recommended phasing out the PILO system after more than 22,000 students were declared “impractical to transport” during the 2025-26 academic year, according to the news outlet.

“For Ohio to thrive, all our students must attend school on a regular basis and graduate high school with the skills and knowledge to take productive next steps,” the report concluded. “To reach this goal, transportation matters.”

‘We continue to be concerned’

CCS pays 2,501 student families through the PILO system, making it “the largest user … in Franklin County,” The Dispatch noted.

“We appreciate the committee’s recommendations, but we continue to be concerned about the state’s lack of full, fair funding to meet the actual costs,” CCS spokesperson Mike Brown said in a statement.

The district, which enrolls more than 45,000 students across 116 schools, plans more than 9 million miles of bus and van routes annually, according to the news outlet.

“Transportation costs the district more than $75 million, which Brown said is far more than the funding received from the state to pay for busing support.”

However, private school advocates emphasize the importance of providing transportation options for children outside the public education system.

“Students attending Catholic schools have been able to attend the school of their choice due, in part, to Ohio’s establishment of transportation for all students in 1966,” said Brian Hickey, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Ohio. “Families can remain in communities important to them while placing their children in their preferred schools, thanks to Ohio’s transportation system.”

Without access to busing, families often disenroll from Catholic schools or decide not to enroll altogether, Hickey said.

The work group consisted of legislative officials as well as public, charter and private school representatives, including Andy Boy of United Schools charter school in Columbus.

“I believe the recommendations in the report are a step in the right direction,” Boy said. “It highlights where challenges have been in the past and attempts to make changes that specifically address these problems.”

As previously reported by Heartlander News, about 8% of the state’s K-12 students – more than 140,000 children – use school choice programs to attend private schools.