Embedded Files
Every child deserves a responsible mentor and tutor!
A Better Vision for Dayton Public Schools — Grounded in Today’s Reality
“GrandParents Hands and Children Charity recognizes that Dayton Public Schools urgently needs support to address its escalating absenteeism crisis.”
“GrandParents Hands and Children Charity recognizes that Dayton Public Schools urgently needs support to address its escalating absenteeism crisis.”
Why Is Dayton’s Absenteeism Problem Worse Than Other Cities?
Why Is Dayton’s Absenteeism Problem Worse Than Other Cities?
Districts like Youngstown, Akron, Canton, and Toledo also struggle, but Dayton consistently ranks near the top for missed instructional time. Chronic absenteeism means a student misses 10% or more of the school year, and in Dayton, thousands of students fall into this category every year.
There are not enough bus drivers to take the kids to school.
There are not enough bus drivers to take the kids to school.
Dayton Public Schools is responsible for transporting students to 21 charter and private schools in addition to its own 14 district buildings. With an ongoing driver shortage, DPS has been forced into extreme and inequitable start times—some schools begin at 7:00 a.m., while others cannot start until 10:00 a.m.
Dayton is also the only major district in Ohio that relies heavily on public transit to get high school students to school, making transportation gaps even more disruptive.
RTA Passes have been banned.
Students can no longer receive RTA passes from their school district. Now Dayton's students experience the following problems: stranded students, increased tardiness, spiked absenteeism, and added stress to families
Dayton Public Schools is now locked in a legal fight with the State of Ohio, standing as the only district subjected to a transportation restriction this extreme.
Unsupervised students can cause more harm than good.
When transportation breaks down, everything else follows: attendance, academic performance, youth safety, family stability, and staff retention. In Dayton, the transportation domino is not just tipping — it’s collapsing faster and with greater impact than in any other Ohio district.
What Problems Stem From the Transportation Crisis?
What Problems Stem From the Transportation Crisis?
Transportation is not just about getting from point A to point B. When students can’t reliably get to school, the consequences ripple through every part of their lives.
1. Chronic Absenteeism
1. Chronic Absenteeism
Students who can’t get to school fall behind quickly. Missing just two days a month can lead to academic decline, disengagement, and eventually dropping out.
2. Mental Health Strain
2. Mental Health Strain
Absenteeism increases isolation, anxiety, and stress. Students lose access to counselors, mentors, and supportive adults who help them cope with trauma and daily challenges.
3. Increased Youth Conflict
3. Increased Youth Conflict
When students aren’t in school, they’re often unsupervised during peak hours. Dayton has already seen rising conflicts at the library and RTA hub — a direct result of students having nowhere structured to go.
4. Family Stress and Instability
4. Family Stress and Instability
Parents struggle to juggle work, childcare, and transportation. Missed work leads to lost income, which can deepen housing and financial instability.
5. Teacher Burnout and School Strain
5. Teacher Burnout and School Strain
Unpredictable attendance makes it harder for teachers to plan, support students, and maintain classroom stability.
Transportation is the first domino — when it falls, everything else follows.
What’s at Stake if We Don’t Act Now
What’s at Stake if We Don’t Act Now
Academic decline will accelerate, further lowering graduation rates.
Dropout rates will rise, especially among students already facing instability.
Youth conflict and community violence will increase as more teens spend unsupervised hours navigating unsafe environments.
Mental‑health strain will intensify for both students and families already stretched thin.
Public trust in schools and institutions will erode, making future solutions harder to implement.
Dayton’s future workforce will shrink, leaving employers without prepared graduates.
Nonprofits and churches will be overwhelmed, unable to meet the growing needs created by transportation failures.
Join Us in Solving Dayton’s Transportation Crisis
Who Do We Need to Solve This Problem?
Who Do We Need to Solve This Problem?
Everyone.
This crisis is bigger than any single school, agency, or family. It will take a united team — schools, city officials, transit partners, nonprofits, churches, funders, and families — working together with one shared purpose:
To ensure no student in Dayton lacks transportation, safety, support, or opportunity.
To ensure no student in Dayton lacks transportation, safety, support, or opportunity.
This is the vision Dayton deserves.
This is the vision we can build together.
Page updated
Report abuse