CLASS ACT, CITY

Buses thousands more homeless kids to school

THE CITY will bus a record number of homeless students from shelters to public schools this year in an effort to get more kids to class.

City officials said the 5,161 homeless students being taken to school in buses represent a nearly 77% increase over last year, when the city bused 2,920. The spike comes in the midst of a citywide surge in student homelessness.

Education Department officials said it will cost the city $17 million to operate the 270 yellow-bus routes needed to get the students to class.

Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks said reliable transportation to class is key to the students’ academic success.

“We have improved transportation options ... so that children experiencing homelessness are set up for success, from day one,” Banks said.

Statistics show students who experience homelessness at some point in their lives are more likely to be absent from class and transfer schools.

They are also less likely to meet grade-level standards for reading and math or graduate from high school on time.

The number of homeless students eligible for school transportation in city shelters grew 13%, from 6,300 in the 2016-17 school year to 7,121 this year.

In addition to the new bus routes, 793 homeless kids in shelters are getting free MetroCards for the new school year. The free MetroCard program began this week.

The new student transportation programs come as city schools and shelters struggle to contend with a spike in the number of homeless students.

The number of students in temporary housing who are enrolled in city schools ballooned to a record 105,445 students in the 2015-16 year, up from 86,694 in the previous year.

City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña said the new transportation programs will do a better job getting homeless kids to class.

“With strong coordination across agencies and more yellow bus routes in place this year, we’re ensuring that students living in shelters will have safe, reliable transportation,” Fariña said.

The city Education Department began offering yellow bus service to homeless students in shelters in 2016, with service for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade.Children from 300 shelters go to and from 750 different public schools on 190 bus routes.