Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) parents want a return to school, but are they asking the right questions? The focus has been on teachers, but the issue is more complex.

To return now, a school district as large as PPS would have to modify the CDC 6-foot distancing guidelines in order to keep costs down to allow more students on buses than what is recommended. Why? Costs. More, consider who would be involved in making these life/death decisions. Is there any real oversight?

As a lawyer and owner of a carrier company doing business with PPS, I have initiated discussion on the logistics involved, but there have been no resolutions. Beyond masking, transporting students safely requires social distancing. Following those guidelines would triple the transportation and drivers needed. Running up to three times the number of routes with the same number of buses would lead to spikes in wages, fuel, maintenance and cleaning costs.

The question should be, “Is PPS budgeted to do this safely?” The carriers have been financially sidelined or operating at 20% capacity and cannot absorb additional costs associated with covid. Further, PPS, even with subsidies, has resolved to pay its contractors based on current demand, which does not cover expenses. Consequently, equipment and drivers are sidelined, causing financial nightmares into the future. There will be untenable “costs” passed on to parents.

PPS’s transportation contractors must be included in logistic discussions before returning to school instead of just being issued routes. Parents, make no mistake, school transportation concerns should lead you to ask more questions rather than simply making demands.

Carmen Robinson

Crawford Square

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)