Portland families impacted by canceled bus routes to receive $300 monthly from district
PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland Public Schools is offering a monthly stipend to families impacted by the cancellation of more than a dozen bus routes for Benson and Lincoln high schools.
The routes were canceled for the foreseeable future as the district faces a bus driver shortage. All told, five routes serving Benson High and eight routes serving Lincoln High were suspended.
Eligible families can receive $300/month to cover alternative modes of transportation for their students to get to and from school. The district said this funding would be available through the end of the school year or until PPS is able to restart the canceled bus routes on a more regular basis.
PPS said it will determine eligibility monthly. Students registered to the specific bus routes affected will receive emails on Monday, Sept. 27, with more information about the funding.
The district has also announced that it is making the "Carpool to School" website and mobile app available to Benson and Lincoln families during the bus route disruption. The app is a third-party platform where users can coordinate carpools with each other. Families will receive an email Monday with instructions on how to register for the app if they'd like to opt-in.
PPS made the announcement about the app with the following disclaimer:
"Please note that while PPS is making Carpool to School available, use of the app and participation in the carpools that result are at the discretion of families. Carpool to School operates separately from the district and is not run by the district. PPS does not manage or monitor app users/carpool participants."