• Getting Kids to School

    Responsible for the transportation of all school-aged children that live within the City of Pittsburgh, the District anticipates the need to transport approximately 17,600 students to and from school each day during the 2023-2024 school year. Similar to school districts across the country, Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) must transform its approach to transporting students to limit the impact of a national school bus driver shortage, hitting close to home. This ongoing lack of bus drivers requires the District to take steps to ensure every student has reliable transportation every day.

    Listening to the voices of students and families related to high school start times, Pittsburgh Public Schools will implement a new four-tiered transportation plan for the 2023-2024 school year. The plan will add a fourth transportation tier, changing the start time for high school students on Tier 1, 25 minutes, from 7:15 A.M. to 7:40 A.M.  

    Other changes include:

    • The start time for Tier 2 schools will move up by five minutes;
    • Nine schools will shift to an updated Tier 3, which adjusts their start times between 15 - 30 minutes;
    • Former Tier 3 schools will move to the new Tier 4, adding two schools to the already 12 with a 9:10 A.M. start time; and
    • Pittsburgh Pioneer and Pittsburgh Clayton have new start times.

    The new bell schedules also support the District’s efforts to provide synchronous professional learning for school-based staff across grade bands, increasing opportunities for teachers to engage with their colleagues across schools on student half-days for professional development.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Transportation

  • -Who is eligible for transportation from Pittsburgh Public Schools?

  • - Will the District continue to provide transportation to students that live in the City of Pittsburgh but attend private, parochial or charter schools?

  • - What is the District doing to address the school bus shortage?

  • - Will transportation be available for all students?

  • - Will students attending school on a PS-6 transfer receive transportation?

  • - When will the Board vote on the new school start times?

  • - Will students riding yellow busses or vans be required to wear masks and social distance?

  • - What if I do not want to use Yellow Bus or Port Authority transportation?

  • Port Authority:

  • - Will my child be required to wear a mask when riding Port Authority transportation?

  • - When will my child receive their student ID/Connect Card?

  • - Are there tools to help plan my child’s transportation on Port Authority?

  • - What COVID-19 health and safety precautions are in place with the Port Authority?

  • - Would children be able to catch a school bus rather than take Port Authority bus?