As seniors who have been DC Public School students their whole education career, we have always struggled to get to school. Inclement weather, unsafe conditions, and traffic have caused trouble for us in the mornings. Along with thousands of other students in Washington, D.C., we suffer from transportation issues.  School buses should be considered to ensure students’ safety and access to school.

According to a 2019 report from the Deputy Mayor for Education, about one-third of students live within walking distance to their school. But since the covid pandemic, the metro has been cutting services, and it has become more unsafe with numerous instances of fights, shootings, and stabbings.  Parents everywhere, including ours, have become concerned about sending their children on the train. As teens, we also fear what could happen on the train.

According to members of the DC School Safety Enhancement Committee (DCSSEC), all of these problems could be resolved with the addition of school buses. School buses provide safe and secure transportation to and from school. Students can get to school on time and avoid unsafe conditions. Parents will not have to struggle to drive their children to school.

Due to the already scarce budget for our school systems, officials meeting with the DCSSEC have stated that DCPS cannot afford transportation for all its students.

While all of these budget issues could be considered, our students’ safety should be the top priority for DCPS. Our safety is constantly put in jeopardy by the lack of transportation for our students, and all avenues for making students’ lives safer should be considered.