STOCKTON, Calif. — Starting Thursday, Aug. 1, middle school and high school students in the Stockton Unified School District [SUSD] will be able to get to and from school and all over the city for free.
San Joaquin Regional Transit District [RTD] and SUSD created a financial partnership that provides free transportation to all students in the district. The pilot program will also allow students to go to after-school programs, community centers, jobs, medical appointments and anywhere else for no cost to them.
Superintendent John Deasy said the district is hoping this program will reduce the number of students absent from school.
"The no-cost two-year pilot program is critical toward the support of our youth and the reduction of absenteeism in our schools," Deasy said.
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RTD's CEO Donna DeMartino said the program is the district's way of helping the community and unlocking doors for youth in Stockton.
"A lack of adequate transportation should never be a barrier to obtaining a good education," DeMartino said.
For students to participate, all they have to do is show the bus driver their student ID. RTD spokesperson Emily Oestreicher said students will soon be able to use an app to utilize this program.
Oestreicher said other cities such as Minneapolis and Seattle have launched subsidized transit programs for students. She said these efforts were proven to improve air quality and decrease the need for additional parking structures.
The transit district plans to track statistics related to ridership, attendance, and GPA during this two-year pilot program.
Oestreicher said the district hopes to expand the program with the help of additional community leaders and organizations.