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Major transit cuts are poised to derail Philadelphia’s start of the school year as state lawmakers squabble over funding for SEPTA, which more than 21,000 Philadelphia students use to get to school.
On Monday, the House passed a bill that included funding for the transit system, as well as new money for roads and bridges. But Senate Republicans have rejected the past four versions of the funding package that would include investments in SEPTA.
If the transit authority does not secure more funding by Thursday, massive system-wide cuts at the beginning of the school year are unavoidable, SEPTA officials have said.
“When things are down to the wire, I’m just so concerned about how this will affect our students and our families,” said Bianca Gillis, principal of Baldi Middle School in Northeast Philadelphia.
Baldi is one of the schools slated to be most affected by the potential cuts, with four bus lines that serve the 1,500-student middle school scheduled to be discontinued in the coming months unless lawmakers strike a funding deal. Three of them are part of the SEPTA’s 400-series lines, which specifically serve schools at the beginning and end of the school day.
Gillis said she worries that losing those buses could lead to students being late for class and increased absenteeism.
“It would just create unreasonable demands on children with those kind of necessary pivots that families would have to make,” Gillis said. “So I hope they come to a decision before the first day of school.
Students in Northeast Philadelphia will be affected most by the cuts. They will have to wait longer for transportation and change buses more frequently to get to school, SEPTA officials have said.
But no part of the city will be immune, according to SEPTA officials, with longer wait times and more crowding expected throughout the transit system that provides key transportation services for students.
Though the district provides school buses to elementary school students and some students with disabilities, most students in grades six and up are expected to walk or use public transportation to get to school. The school district provides students who live at least 1.5 miles from their school with free SEPTA cards to pay for the transportation.
A district spokesperson said district officials are monitoring the budget negotiations and SEPTA’s plans. In documents shared before a June school board meeting, district officials acknowledged that transit cuts could affect on-time school attendance and limit access to after-school programs.
During a virtual information session organized by the school district in late July, SEPTA Chief Planning and Strategy Officer Jodie Holton told educators that the transit authority is working with lawmakers to secure more funding.
“We have hope that the state will pass a budget, and I know the school district is anxiously awaiting that as well,” Holton said. “We have hope that funding for transit will be included.”
The transit authority has been planning for two separate scenarios. In one, it does not receive more state funding and begins a 20% service cut across the system. In another, it can continue its service without changes. SEPTA is also raising fare costs by around 20% on Sept. 1.
The service cuts are scheduled to begin on Aug. 24, but for planning purposes, SEPTA officials have said they need confirmation of funding by Aug. 14. Without additional money, the transit authority will have to start service cuts that could take months to reverse even if funding does eventually come in.
Over the weekend, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro called on lawmakers to pass the transit budget immediately.
“Every day, hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians rely on SEPTA to get to work, take their kids to school, and keep their lives moving,” Shapiro said in a statement. “We need long-term, recurring funding for SEPTA and for every transit agency in our Commonwealth — and the time to act is right now.”
The district is still hiring bus drivers for school bus transportation for elementary school students. Families eligible for school bus services may apply to the district’s parent flat rate program that pays eligible families $300 per month to drive their children to school.
However, the majority of middle and high school students who commute to school will still be expected to take SEPTA on Aug. 25, the district’s first day of school.
Rebecca Redelmeier is a reporter at Chalkbeat Philadelphia. She writes about public schools, early childhood education, and issues that impact students, families, and educators across Philadelphia. Contact Rebecca at rredelmeier@chalkbeat.org.
