Pittsburgh SD board asks staff to clarify parent transportation reimbursements, Connect-card overlap

The Pittsburgh School District agenda review on June 17 focused board attention on item 8.04, a parent transportation reimbursement program that would pay parents who drive students to school when district transportation is unavailable.

Director Walker asked how parents are notified and can apply for the reimbursement, saying she has received questions from families and wants clear guidance for constituents. “How parents are made aware of the ability to apply for these funds,” she asked.

Mike McNamara, the district’s Chief Operations Officer, said the transportation department is sending mailers to eligible parents and that he would provide additional details on how students are selected for the program. “We’re sending out mailers to the eligible parents for this,” McNamara said, adding that special education transportation is handled separately through IEP processes.

Board members also sought to clarify whether students receiving Connect cards — fare cards provided to families of certain students who live more than 1.5 miles from school — overlap with those eligible for parent reimbursement. McNamara said he was not certain of the overlap and promised to follow up with more information.

Director Eudora described the district’s transportation tabs in the agenda responses, saying there are three distinct categories: special education transportation, school-age student transportation, and a Connect-card item (7.11) that applies to early childhood families outside the 1.5-mile radius. She emphasized that early childhood students who receive Connect cards are not eligible for school-age transportation.

Director Silk pressed staff on the proposal’s not-to-exceed limit, asking why the cap is set at $125,000 when the Q&A responses listed “25-26 actuals were 1590 with an additional 760 pending.” Staff said the higher cap likely provides room for expanded participation and to cover rising transportation costs and that they would consult Director Patton and report back. The Q&A did not specify the units for the 1,590 and 760 figures.

No formal motion or vote occurred during the agenda review; board members asked for follow-up materials. The district pledged to provide additional details on eligibility criteria, the relationship between the Connect-card program and parent reimbursements, and clarification of the figures cited in the Q&A. The board moved on to other business after those clarifications were requested.

Next steps: staff will report back with details on application/outreach procedures, eligibility overlap with Connect cards, and an explanation of the 2025–26 Q&A figures, according to McNamara and other staff remarks.