CINCINNATI —

The Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education approved the transportation contract with the Southwest Ohio regional Transportation Authority (SORTA) Monday ahead of the new school year.

The contract was approved unanimously during a board meeting.

The contract will allow CPS students in grades 9-12 to ride public transportation to and from school activities during the school year.

The deal also allows seventh and eighth grade students who participate in extra-curricular activities to ride the Metro home.

Middle school students will continue to ride yellow buses to and from school at normal pick up times.

“Transportation is a key component of ensuring our students can get to school safely and on time,” said CPS Superintendent Iranetta Wright. “I am very grateful the CPS and Metro teams came together to ensure our students will have the most direct transportation to and from school this year.”

Students will receive route postcards in the mail from the CPS Transportation Department before the start of school.

The postcards will have more information for how high school students can get to and from school.

The postcard will also serve as students’ bus pass on August 18, the first day of school.

Students will pick up their Metro passes from their school on the first day of school.

“We are proud of our long history of serving students and families and look forward to our continued partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools during this upcoming school year,” said Darryl Haley, Metro CEO & General Manager. ‘We are committed, as always, to providing safe, on-time and reliable service that connects students to classes throughout the city.”

Seventh and eighth grade students participating in after-school activities can also pick up their Metro cards from their school.

If students do not receive their route cards by August 15 or have additional questions, they are encouraged to call the CPS’ transportation hotline at 513-363-RIDE (7433), Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. or visit them online.

CPS will host a virtual Transportation Information Session for parents on Sunday, Aug. 14, at 4 p.m.

For more information visit the CPS website.

CINCINNATI —

Cincinnati Public Schools will officially move to remote learning Wednesday.

Two years ago, thousands of students didn't have the ability to connect to the internet at home.

There were a lot of issues when CPS originally went remote including lack of internet access for lower-income families.

The district worked with Cincinnati Bell to improve infrastructure and has added more tools so everyone can connect for the seven upcoming days of virtual learning.

CPS staff said the district is more prepared to go remote in 2022.

The 'Connect our Students' partnership program with Cincinnati Bell provides free internet to around 6,200 students who wouldn't have it otherwise.

"The brings us very near to 100% internet access for our student base. They will continuing the program. We offer full-time year-round, including this time. So any student who needs internet access can call and get that free service for them at any time," said a district IT staffer.

Some parents are still skeptical about the move.

Those without internet woes said the technology hasn't been reliable.

"My concern is his laptop. I had issues with his laptop when he was on remote," said Claudia Howell.

Howell's son is a freshman at Taft High School.

She said virtual was touch-and-go in 2020.

"The internet was fine but it was just the connection. Sometimes it was frozen. And sometimes it wasn't him, it was the school end," Howell said.

The district said it has layers of service offering for students to make remote work for a time.

The 1:1 tablets are one tool as well as a fallback to the Cincinnati Bell program.

"So if for any reason they are unable to get the connect our students service. Like for instance their address doesn't have the infrastructure or cable capability, then we also have hot spots that we can issue to those students on demand to cover any needs additional," the staffer said.

The district is moving online due to a severe staff shortage related to COVID-19.

Howell hopes this time at home helps everyone recover and return to a safe learning environment together.

"I hope the teachers get better so they can go back in school," Howell said.

Howell said her son did come home with a new laptop so she's hopeful it works and supports the move to remote while COVID-19 case numbers are so high.

Board members said they hope this time allows staff to recover from illness and for additional cleaning of buildings.

The students are set to return to the classroom Jan. 24.

CINCINNATI — Metro will discontinue its agreement with Cincinnati Public Schools, it wrote in a letter to the school system Wednesday.

The agreement will end in June 2022, after this current school year.

Metro cited a federal law prohibiting Metro/SORTA (Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority) from submitting a bid for their services in competition with private charter operators, and Metro says CPS opened up bids to for their next agreement in 2022.

"They've asked us to do something we're not allowed to do," said Kreg Keesee, SORTA board chairman. "What that means is that because they've asked private companies to bid on them, we can't provide the extra service even if we're able to."

Metro currently provides rides to CPS students for free, based on eligibility, to a variety of schools around the city. About 9,000 students use the bus system every day — nearly pre-pandemic levels.

Cincinnati Public Schools had recently asked the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority for some of its money back, saying $2.5 million worth of bus passes have gone unused after the elimination of Metro's XTRA routes.

The district said about half of the students who took Metro to school last year are not taking it this year, and those who do take Metro are often showing up late. Phoenix, a junior at Walnut Hills High School, said it is taking him about three times as long to get home from school every day since the XTRA routes were eliminated.

"There used to be only one bus that ran to each neighborhood — catch the bus at a certain time every single morning," Phoenix said. "Last year I could take one bus straight to home. It was 15-20 minutes tops. Now, it's an hour to get home. It takes two buses."

His mother, Lora Jost, said many Walnut families are now carpooling because of the bus struggles.

"It stresses us both out," Jost said. "When the buses do show up, it's a cluster mess because there's more cars in the way of the buses trying to do it. The buses are making it more difficult for the drivers, the drivers are making it more difficult for the bus riders."

RELATED: Cincinnati Public Schools board looking for solutions to canceled Metro bus routes for students

During a CPS board meeting, the district surveyed principals, finding "the current state isn't good." Parent complaints are up nearly 75%, while 82% of principals said they are seeing worse times than last year.

"It seems as though we haven't received from SORTA specific data requests that we've received in the past," board member Ben Lindy said. "Specifically, we haven't received comparative ridership data to understand how different the student experience is compared to last year's."

In response to the survey Metro said was completed without their knowledge, Metro said they were transparent in communicating changes to the XTRA routes — and noted conditions would have been worse if the XTRA routes had been maintained due to an ongoing bus operators shortage.

Metro said the service provided, while not without challenges, is working "reasonably well," though some parents say otherwise.

"We're doing what we think is the best that can be done under the circumstances," Keesee said. "We wish that folks, instead of saying that these should be the circumstances, [would] lean in to help us get there. We think it's working pretty well."

Even after the contract is up, Metro will continue providing the same routes thousands of students take every day. The difference could come down to who is forking over the money to get the kids to school.

RELATED: CPS busing: XTRA routes not coming back due to Metro driver shortage

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Public Schools board of education approved non-contact sports starting within the district this week, and contact sports like football can begin next week.

A decision on spectators at sporting events will be forthcoming, according to a CPS spokesperson late Thursday.

Academically, everything stays the same as it was for at least another week, the board decided during Monday's meeting. The board reached a consensus to get to a blended learning option as soon as data allows it.

The board will meet again on Sept. 21 to discuss what Labor Day’s COVID-19 numbers look like, as school officials said it’s still too soon to know.

Cincinnati Public Schools parent Mandy Carroll is the parent of a third-grader and a high school freshman.

“Now we’re finally hitting our stride,” she said. “Getting into the groove. Both my children are expressing extreme anxiety about coming back with COVID.”

Caution appeared to be on the mind of many parents who spoke via webcam.

“I don’t think it’s worth it to rush into this – and to open sports,” meeting participant Daniel Brenner said. “We don’t want to be another statistic."

Other meeting participants voiced frustration that online learning isn’t the best option.

“It takes constant interaction with a parent for her to do well in school,” parent Beth Sundermann said. “With two working parents in the family, it doesn’t work.”

Two weeks into the online curriculum and more than 5,000 students aren’t participating in school at all.

“Ask any parent of a 4-year-old or a 6-year-old how remote learning is working,” parent Jessica Powell asked. “And I guarantee that you’ll get an answer that it’s not."

Superintendent Laura Mitchell said she’s looking toward the future.

“No matter what decision is made, we’re ready to move forward,” she said.

There are three possibilities on the table for CPS:

• Continue online learning
• Move to a hybrid plan
• Go back to full-time in-classroom learning

“These kids deserve to play,” said Jerome Belcher, who participated in the online meeting. “The numbers justify it as you’ve already read. That’s why I don’t see there’s any reason why they wouldn’t allow them to play.”

Cincinnati Federation of Teachers president Julie Sellers spoke last.

“It’s important that you’re looking and thinking about all aspects before any decision is made,” she said. “I don’t think it will improve the educational options to go back part time."

CINCINNATI — The Western Hills/Dater High School football team will not play tonight as an investigation continues into an alleged hazing incident.

Thousands have signed a petition asking Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) to change how the district is handling the case, adding they want head coach Armand Tatum to be reinstated.

Petitioners argue Tatum is not to blame for any hazing among Western Hills/Dater football players.

“He's a role model for all the young kids here,” said Antonio Willis, a former player at the school. “For all the men that don't really have fathers in their lives, that's what he gives to us.”

Willis signed the petition after CPS relieved Tatum of his duties. This was after a video surfaced online showing what police believe may be Western Hills/Dater football players holding down a teammate and pulling his clothes off as he struggles to escape.

In addition to removing the coach, the district put the football team on pause. Students protested and the petition is still growing in popularity.

“(Tatum) trusted his team with the years of advice he has given, to make the right decisions when he's not looking … like any parent, that's all you can do,” the petition reads.

“He teaches these players what's right from wrong,” Willis said.

Students and parents are working to schedule a meeting with the board of CPS to present the petition. They said they do not want to undermine the seriousness of the incident.

"Toxic behaviors and normalization of horrible events such as these is exactly what Coach Tatum has worked so intensely to avoid," the petition reads.

“I have talked to a couple of (the players) and they do regret what happened,” Willis said.

CPS had no comment on the petition. If the district changes course, it could set a standard for who is responsible.

Police are still investigating to see if criminal charges apply.

So far, no date has been set for a school board meeting with petition organizers.

CINCINNATI — Students of Cincinnati Public Schools will return to a blended learning model starting Feb. 1, the district announced Saturday after a vote from the CPS school board.

The district is working on specific plans for the return but said it will begin with specialized classrooms and younger students.

The board agreed to continue to review in-person options for Walnut Hills High School, as well as when it can return all CPS students to full-time in-person learning later in the school year.

The vote comes just three days after Hamilton County appeared purple on the Ohio Department of Health’s color-coded COVID-19 risk map.

"I do feel the need to remind folks that we’re purple and things are worse than they’ve ever been and we have thrown every piece of criteria we have ever laid out out the window to have a discussion to speed up getting kids back," said Mike Moroski, CPS board of education member.

School board members differed on whether that was a factor that should stop the district from returning to classrooms as the semester continues.

"If you’re only looking at the color coding system from the Governor, that can paint you in a box. If you look at the number 40 that can paint you in a box," said Laura Mitchell, CPS superintendent, in reference to the school's previously stated goal of returning to classrooms only when COVID-19 cases were below 40 per 100,000 residents.

Staffing challenges related to the pandemic pushed CPS to transition to a distance-learning model in November. The district said additional staffing, shorter quarantine time for individuals and the roll-out of the vaccine to district staff will make the gradual return to in-person instruction possible.

In order for CPS staff to be included in Phase 1B of the vaccination roll-out, the district said it will sign the “Notice of Intent” commitment form required by the State of Ohio. The form indicates the district will return to a learning model that includes some in-person learning by March 1.

Parents of CPS students pleaded with the board to return to in-person education during Monday's virtual board meeting.

“Life is going on everywhere else,” parent Ashley Tolokonsky said. “I mean, people are at Target. People are at soccer tournaments, hockey practice. I mean, everybody’s doing everything except us.”

CINCINNATI —

Officials with Cincinnati Public Schools announced that some employees will receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday.

The Cincinnati Health Department has received its first supply of the vaccine for school employees, CPS officials said Monday.

"In response, we have accelerated the schedule to get the vaccinations into the arms of employees," a statement reads in part.

Pfizer vaccinations will be given out starting Thursday for employees designated in the district's Group A. That group includes:

• Teachers and paraprofessionals in preschool, kindergarten and grades 1-3 classrooms
• Teachers and paraprofessionals in specialized classrooms from preschool through 12th grade
• Paraprofessionals one-to-one
• Nap aides
• Related service providers
• Custodians and building engineers

Human resources will notify those employees who are eligible.

Group B will include all other school-based employees. Group C will include employees based at the Education Center and Iowa Street, bus drivers and CPS employees who missed the first two weeks and want to be vaccinated.

On Thursday, Group A individuals can receive their first vaccination at Mt. Airy School from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. There will also be Group A vaccinations scheduled on Saturday at the Duke Energy Convention Center from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The CPS school board has decided to begin blended learning on Feb. 1. But the decision is making some uncomfortable.

Among them is Angie Wilson, who thinks it's too soon and that teachers should be able to receive the vaccine first.

"It's safer for them, it's safer to the students and I think that all reflects back to our community," Wilson said.

Those feelings, prompting her and others to make a video. Parents expressed their concerns to school board members because they believe their voices aren't being heard.

The move by CPS veers from data guidelines laid out by the superintendent last month.

But according to CPS board members, school officials feel okay with welcoming kids back based on research regarding limited spread in schools and following safety protocols.

Not to mention, Gov. Mike DeWine said schools that submit a plan that includes at least some in-person learning by March first can be on the priority to get a vaccine.

"So that does not mean every school will get it on Feb 1, but we're going to start during the month of February that this process is going to move forward," DeWine said.

CINCINNATI —

For high school students at Aiken High School, the days of catching the bus home right after school and in front of the building are a thing of the past.

With the elimination of XTRA bus routes that were used exclusively for students and took them directly to and from school, Aiken students now have to walk to the corner of Hamilton and Belmont avenues to catch city buses on their regular routes.

WLWT was at dismissal Wednesday and watched as groups of students made their way to the bus stop, crowding onto the sidewalk by Grace Episcopal Church.

Aiken Principal Lisa Votaw was helping supervise students Wednesday afternoon, along with a crossing guard -- a new addition and a school resource officer who splits his time between several schools.

"Just trying to keep our babies safe. It's not the optimal position, but all we can do is what we can do and try to be preemptive and proactive to try to keep the kids from getting hurt," Votaw said. "Cars coming down Hamilton Avenue, they just fly! And it would really just take one distracted driver to really create a traumatic scene."

Votaw said school leaders are watching the busing situation daily and trying to tweak and make it safer and better.

"Bring back the XTRA routes," she pleaded. "We're definitely concerned."

A spokeswoman for Metro tells WLWT currently, there are no plans or timelines on if or when XTRA routes could be reinstated this school year, because their "decisions are driven by our workforce."

The company estimates it needs between 70 and 100 drivers to restore all the XTRA routes.

They are currently hiring and offering $1,000 sign-on bonuses.

J. White has been watching Aiken students closely over the last week from the steps of Grace Episcopal Church.

"Looking out for the kids because there are so many of them," she said. "It has been a rough one week almost, because some of the kids try to get on the bus and they just can't get on the bus 'cause there's not enough room."

White is a longtime educator herself, a teacher of 53 years. Currently, she teachers at a private school. She is worried for students' safety. Last summer, she was part of protests at the same corner and said several cars went over the curb while they were standing there.

"So I'm really worried about that many young people standing out here," she said.

A railing in front of the church is damaged. Church members say a car jumped the curb and ran into it last week.

White said cars speed down Hamilton Avenue at all times of day.

"It's a roadway from point A to point B, not the Indianapolis Speedway," she said. "This is just like the perfect storm for a major mess if somebody doesn't get a handle on it."

School board member Eve Bolton, who lives nearby, called the situation "an accident waiting to happen."

She also has major concerns about CPS students waiting for buses in inclement weather and the amount of time kids spend waiting along city bus routes.

The school board's student transportation policy reads that "transportation vehicles shall arrive and depart school within 15 minutes of start and completion of the school program."

WLWT timed how long it took to get the group of students on buses at the stop for Aiken. It took approximately 35 minutes.

"I'm afraid that this is all part of the SORTA/Metro business plan," Bolton said. "I think they've made choices, and our kids are not the priority."

The latest meeting between the SORTA board, which oversees Metro, and Cincinnati Public Schools is set for next week. Councilman David Mann, who chairs the budget and finance committee, invited both groups to attend Monday afternoon's meeting "to discuss the many concerns being expressed about the abrupt changes in transportation for older school children."

CINCINNATI —

Cincinnati Public Schools board of education members say changes have been made to keep students as safe as possible when the school year kicks off Thursday.

Concerns from board members, teachers and parents have been heard loud and clear over the last few weeks following a decision by the SORTA board to eliminate XTRA bus routes thousands of CPS students rely on each year to get to and from school. Instead, CPS middle and high school students will commute alongside adults on the regular Metro routes.

"I think it's a real possibility that this can go pretty well," said school board member Melanie Bates. "We're had discussions with the city, further discussion with SORTA. And people are on the same page about safety for our students."

Last week, representatives from CPS met with SORTA in a private meeting that produced little progress other than an agreement that individuals from both groups needed to work together to make changes ahead of the first day of school.

Ryan Messer, vice president of the school board, was part of that meeting and the conversations since.

"They came together to look site by site. What could we do to make these as safe as possible?" he said. "Life is one percent what happens, 99 percent how you respond."

CPS and Metro are responding with a list of changes to keep students safe. The school board expects more changes will be needed once the school year s tarts.

Metro is adding and changing bus stops at several high schools and adding a few additional routes. Bates said those changes were important to her.

"My worry was the children say from Walnut Hills having to go to Montgomery Road and crossing en masse," Bates said.

Metro also agreed to have shadow buses on standby in case there are routes that do not have enough capacity.

CPS is adding more adult supervision at arrival and dismissal times which will come from school staff, central office staff and school security. School resource officers will also help with pedestrian safety efforts.

"From what I'm hearing it's all hands on deck," Bates said. "Our security guards have been trained as crossing guards. They're now licensed crossing guards."

Staff from Metro will be at each high school orientation to help students learn about public transportation and the Metro system. An unidentified number of Metro staffers will also be present at various transfer points to help guide students at the start of the year.

Students will ride for free for the first few days of school. They will receive bus passes at their respective schools.

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education painted a dismal picture for the crowd at their Wednesday meeting, describing a scenario where 1,000 students catch Metro buses on a busy Clifton Avenue.

That was in response to Metro ending dedicated routes for nearly 6,000 students and forcing them to use new, regular Metro routes instead.

“It’s too dangerous for our students,” Cincinnati Federation of Teachers president Julie Sellers said. “Not fair to our kids.”

It’s not clear how many of those students would then need to transfer to other buses to get to school.

“That means the Cincinnati Police Department will be managing the children,” board member Eve Bolton said. “They will be in the hundreds waiting for the next bus. That’s unacceptable.”

The XTRA routes were put in place decades ago to help students get to school safely – board members said they learned about the changes one week ago.

“They’re choosing what to eliminate, and what they’re choosing is the bus routes for children,” board member Ben Lindy said.

The board unanimously voted to oppose Metro’s elimination of the XTRA routes. They plan to write a letter to SORTA, which oversees Metro, meet with their board members and bring everyone to the table to discuss options.

“This is a service that they wanted to take away – we need a year to figure that out, certainly not three weeks,” board member Mike Moroski said.

Others said stronger actions should be taken.

“(The) district should talk with the legal department to find out if they can seek a temporary injunction prohibiting any change until a real plan can be developed,” Sellers said.

The consensus from board members is that it would take months to reconfigure bus routes – and that’s time they don’t have. School starts in the next few weeks.

“There is irreparable harm,” said David Brenner during the meeting. “It’s a huge safety issue for students.”

The district’s director of transportation – who negotiated the deal with Metro – is now on administrative leave. He’s accused of making decisions without telling senior administrators or the board and misrepresenting the talks with SORTA.

Metro spokesperson Brandy Jones said the new system will be much better for students, partly because it will be more reliable. The XTRA routes missed hundreds of rides a month. By merging school routes with regular routes, those mistakes should be taken care of. Also, she said, it’s too late to make a radical change before classes start.

“There is no time left, 10 days prior to the start of school to redesign our service -- that is not a feasible option,” Jones said. “Per our contract, CPS was to deliver to us the new start times of the school year back in March, that did not occur until July. And so, we were not given the information. Months later, that per the contract, we’re supposed to have back in March.

The issue, she said, comes down to miscommunication. Once parents get a chance to look at the new route information, Jones thinks they will see the enhancements made for students.

“Under the new model, no student will make more than one transfer,” she said. “We had students who, you know, if I missed my bus, if I’m running late, and I’m five minutes late, there’s no other bus that I can take. Now another bus is coming five to seven minutes later your way. And so, if you look at the frequency, the more trip options that students can take, the shorter the trip time.

She said the ride to school will be 10 minutes shorter on average and students will be picked up withing 200 feet of their home. Metro was able to make that adjustment because CPS provided it with every student’s address.

SORTA is hosting a virtual meeting Thursday, August 5 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. where they will discuss the route changes. The meeting will also be streamed on Metro’s Facebook page.

CINCINNATI —

Cincinnati Public Schools board members had a few hot-button issues to discuss Thursday evening.

As many expected, the board voted unanimously to start the school year requiring masks for all students and staff in indoor settings. Masks are not required outdoors.

School board members discussed at length the latest crisis on its hands -- busing -- without much consensus on how to move forward. SORTA announced last week that it would eliminate XTRA routes students have used for years to go directly to CPS buildings.

"What are we going to do? We have to do something. Even if we say delay school, what are the implications of that? What is the impact of that?" said school board president Carolyn Jones. "We have to also take control of our own situation to some extent."

SORTA is hosting a public meeting to discuss busing changes Thursday. It will be held virtually from 4-6 p.m.

"I thought this doesn't even seem possible that you would have this kind of change," said school board member Ryan Messer. "They might be there for 24 hours getting public comment."

David Brenner is a parent of CPS students and spoke during the public comment portion of the school board meeting.

"There is irrefutable harm, and it is a huge safety issue for our students," he said. "When I looked at what it would take for my students to get to school, it was at least double, so they would be on the bus at least an hour each way plus a substantial walk to get to school or to home."

Educators are also concerned.

Cincinnati Federation of Teachers president Julie Sellers listed several issues, including pedestrian safety.

"I think it's way too dangerous," she said. "I do think that the district should talk with the legal department to find out about seeking a temporary injunction prohibiting any change."

The board voted to draft a letter of opposition and send it to SORTA ahead of its public meeting Thursday afternoon. The board also agreed to send additional communication about the situation to parents, request to meet face-to-face with the SORTA board CEO and request city and county leaders to also write formal letters of opposition.

CINCINNATI —

In the last 72 hours, 16-year-old Oliver Santiago made the kind of decision that Tianay Amat fully supports.

"I started thinking (about getting vaccinated)," Santiago said. "I talked to my family, my mom, and she told me, 'Take the vaccine, and everybody is going to be safe.'"

With his family's guidance, Santiago got his first dose of protection against COVID-19 Monday at a clinic for students at Aiken High School.

"It feels good because I'm saving my family, my friends, my community," Santiago said.

Amat said the decision students like Santiago are making -- to get vaccinated -- should help classrooms in the Cincinnati Public School District look and feel more like they did during pre-pandemic days when the new year starts in August.

"Our hope is that we can open five days for all families; that it's a safe environment," Amat said. "We're going to continue to look at our data and monitor and make decisions as we go."

Amat is the district's interim superintendent. She assumed the title after Laura Mitchell announced her resignation last month.

"(I was) born and raised in Brooklyn, New York," she said.

When the native New Yorker came to Greater Cincinnati she worked as a principal in the Princeton City School District and in Lakota's curriculum department.

"Then I had to come back home to CPS, where I reopened Hyde Park school; and now, here as the interim superintendent," Amat said.

At Aiken High School Monday, Amat and principal Lisa Votaw were grateful for local health workers who vaccinated students in an effort to keep the coronavirus out of classrooms, once and for all.

"The kids are excited to have the opportunity," Votaw said. "They're excited. They're relieved. They want to be back at -- normal is really the goal."

in addition to checking on the status of student vaccinations, Amat also focused on the district's Summer Scholars program. As part of the program at Aiken High School, students do four hours of academic work followed by two hours of enrichment activities, which can range from cooking to gardening to playing ping pong with classmates.