Latest news with #DaytonPublicSchools
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dayton Public Schools sues state for new busing law, calling it ‘unreasonable,' ‘discriminatory'
Dayton Public Schools Board of Education is fighting back against the state. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] News Center 7's Mason Fletcher digs into the recent lawsuit and will have the latest LIVE on News Center 7 at 11:00. TRENDING STORIES: Sherrod Brown to run for U.S. Senate in 2026, reports say Family of pregnant woman found dead in sealed plastic tote issues statement Owner of dog that attacked 89-year-old, killed pet speaks out As previously reported by News Center 7 in July, part of the state budget made it illegal for Dayton Public Schools to buy RTA bus passes for their high school students. >>RELATED: Dayton Public Schools sues state over busing law In a lawsuit filed on Aug. 11, DPS calls the law 'arbitrary, unreasonable, and discriminatory' and asks a judge to temporarily block the state from enforcing it. 'Without RTA passes, certain students will be unable to consistently attend school. Some students will not be able to attend school at all ... There will be a high risk that students will skip school because of the burdens necessary to get to and from school,' court documents state. News Center spoke with family members dropping off and picking up freshman students for their first day back on Tuesday. The district said it had no choice but to pass off the responsibility. 'I don't know if I have to bring her or not. I hope not. I hope not,' one student's great-grandmother said. News Center 7 will continue to follow this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dayton schools could end high school transportation over contested provision in Ohio's budget
Jun. 27—Dayton Public Schools may opt to no longer provide any transportation options for district high school students if a locally backed provision in the state's recently passed budget becomes law. The provision in question singles out DPS and blocks its students from transferring bus lines at the Greater Dayton RTA's downtown bus hub. Dayton Public Schools Board of Education member Jocelyn Rhynard told this outlet that the law would likely render the district's current bussing solution for high school students unworkable. "We don't put them on yellow buses now, we don't have the fleet or the drivers. What we've been doing for the past couple years is buying the monthly bus passes for them," Rhynard said. "But if they cannot go through the RTA hub, then buying them the bus passes would be pointless. So, we would have to tell our students that they would be on their own because of the decisions made at the Statehouse." Other options are still on the table, Rhynard said. DPS could expand its yellow bus fleet (the district estimates needing about 70 additional buses and 70 additional drivers). A satellite RTA transfer hub for students is also a theoretical option. But, Rhynard said the law, which would go into effect for the coming school year, offers the district little time to come up with a solution. "We possibly will not be doing high school transportation for Dayton students or nonpublic students," Rhynard said. "We haven't had the meeting to discuss that, there's a lot we have to finalize and figure out, but at this point the Statehouse might have made the decision for us." The provision is backed by local Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Butler Twp., who has been supported in his attempts to distance high school students from the downtown hub by Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims, a Democrat, and the Dayton chapter of the NAACP. The issue became an even greater priority following the April killing of Alfred Hale III, an 18-year-old Dunbar High School student who was shot near the downtown RTA hub on his way to school. "They could do this. I don't want to hear their excuses," Plummer, a former Montgomery County sheriff, told this outlet. "Here's the main thing: We had a kid killed down there. It's a terrible environment. I would not want my 13-year-old daughter standing down there waiting to transfer buses in that climate. "You know, you have drug dealing going on down there, you've got gangs down there, you've got homeless, mental health people down there. It's not a place for a 13-year-old kid." Plummer admits that his provision doesn't offer the district much time to adjust. He wanted to provide a one-year runway, but that version of his amendment wasn't the one that made its way into the state budget. The provision, like all of the state budget, is still subject to review from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who wields line-item veto power and is expected to sign the budget early next week. School transportation is made more complicated by an Ohio law that saddles public districts with the responsibility of transporting both public and non-public students up through eighth grade, which has caused headaches particularly in districts like DPS — large, urban, open-enrollment districts with charter schools and private schools aplenty. Districts have more leeway for high school students, but they must offer the same transportation solutions to public and non-public high schoolers alike. "The biggest issue here, that it seems like nobody in the Statehouse is willing to acknowledge, is that we are able to transport all of our students, K-12, on yellow buses if we did not have to transport non-public students," Rhynard told this outlet. "If we did not have the mandate, we would be able to do the transportation in house for all of our Dayton Public students. But because we have to transport all of the nonpublic students, we can only transport through eighth grade." Rhynard said lawmakers were looking at the wrong solutions with this provision. "If our legislators in the Statehouse actually wanted to solve this transportation issue, they would get rid of the mandate that we transport non public students," she said. "There's no reason why we should be doing transportation for students who do not attend Dayton public schools." To this outlet, Plummer said that the transportation requirements hoisted upon public schools "need revisited." He said the current law made more sense before the rise of charter and private schools, noting that about half of the students DPS transport on their yellow buses are non-public students. "It is an antiquated system that needs changed. But, they need to ask themselves why 50% of our kids go to other schools," Plummer said. "Maybe start there." ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dunbar grad wins prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship
For the first time in a decade, a Dayton Public Schools student has been awarded the Honorable Gates Millennium Scholarship. Paul Laurence Dunbar graduate Simeon Akins is the 20th to get the scholarship in the district's history. After years of excellent grades, playing the clarinet in the band, pioneering in the National Honor Society, and what he says were four intricate essays, Simeon is going to Belmont University for free, thanks to the Bill Gates and Melinda Gates Foundation. 'It's supposed to cover everything, including the books, my freaking room and board, the actual pay of the school, even the food,' said Simeon. 'I already say that? Yeah.' The Gates Millennium Scholarship is a highly selective and prestigious scholarship that is need-, merit- and academic-based. It's familiar in the Dayton Public Schools district. 'The fact that we have 20 of them, you can start to call DPS 'the home of the Gates scholars,'' said DPS Superintendent Dr. David Lawrence. Lawrence said Simeon adds to the district's legacy of excellence. 'We again produce scholars, they win lots of scholarships and lots of awards,' said Lawrence. 'And I think: Don't always believe what you hear, but believe what you see. 'And I'm so proud of Simeon.' Simeon said one of his favorite counselors at Dunbar told him about the scholarship, and one of his teachers took him on the college tour in Nashville. He said he is grateful for the support from his family and the district, and now he is pushing that message forward. 'It shows that they actually believe you're well capable of learning things,' he said. 'I guess like challenging yourself is the only way to iron things into yourself.' Simeon said he plans to study Audio Engineering and possibly minor in Art at Belmont. With the hopes to repair a local DJ's equipment who he says really enjoy his music. 'They were impressed with my music,' said Simeon. 'And they were like, Ooh, the kid has got the beats.' After graduating from Dunbar as valedictorian last week, Simeon plans to travel the country this summer with his mom before heading to Nashville in the fall. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘It's not safe;' Leaders meet, discuss transportation changes after student killed near bus stop
City, school and transportation leaders recently met to discuss ways to keep students safe as they're getting back and forth to school. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] News Center 7's Amber Jenkins breaks down the long-term and short-term solutions LIVE on News Center 7 and 6:00. TRENDING STORIES: 2 local elementary schools to close at the end of the year; here's why 2 police officers, 1 firefighter injured while arresting man for domestic violence High school senior dies after house fire Changes are in the works after a Dunbar High School student, Alfred Hale, was shot and killed near the RTA Hub in downtown Dayton in April. >>RELATED: 18-year-old high school student killed in downtown Dayton shooting Dayton Public Schools students have been using RTA buses and their transfer hubs for school transportation. The district said it will take them 18 months to get new buses, not including drivers. 'Dayton has a unique set of circumstances. We have the Dayton Public School system responsible for transporting young people to some 90 different locations, in addition to the location that we have within Dayton Public Schools,' Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims said. Some city leaders have suggested changing transfer hubs to safer areas. 'Welcome Stadium was something they would do in the morning time. It would be a transfer point in the morning time. Honus could be a potential transfer point into the afternoon,' NAACP Dayton Unit President Derrick Forward said. News Center 7 will continue to follow this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Area high school student awarded scholarship to attend any U.S. university for free
A Dayton Public Schools high school senior will have his choice to go to any four-year college or university in the U.S. for free. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Paul Laurence Dunbar High School valedictorian Simeon Akins was awarded the Gates Scholarship. This scholarship is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Simeon is the 20th student in Dayton Public Schools history and the second from Paul Laurence Dunbar High School to be awarded this prestigious scholarship, according to a release from Dayton Public Schools. TRENDING STORIES: Dorothy Lane Market announces opening timeframe, hiring fair for new location Michael Bolton speaks about glioblastoma diagnosis, an aggressive form of brain cancer 24 travelers banned after massive fight breaks out at Carnival Cruise Line terminal Two Dayton Public School students received this scholarship 10 years ago and Akins is the first to receive this honor since then. The Gates Scholarship is a highly selective scholarship awarded to outstanding, Pell-eligible, minority high school seniors who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, leadership ability, and personal resilience, according to The Gates Scholarship website. 'This honor is a testament to Simeon's hard work, dedication, and limitless potential. We are incredibly proud of him and are excited to see the amazing impact he will continue to make in the world,' said Superintendent of Dayton Public Schools Dr. David Lawrence. Akins will have his full cost of attendance covered, including tuition, fees, room, board, books, and transportation. Akins plans to attend Belmont University in the fall and major in computer science or music production with a minor in art. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
