Dearest Community
Linked below please find a petition from Change.org, asking NYCPS to open OMNY access to all NYC Public School Students. Under the current model, SWD are offered one option for school transportation (bussing or OMNY card), often having them miss out on critical programs like after school, where they can socialize and build community. We know that SWD who receive bussing services as part of their IEP are challenged in receiving consistent and timely transportation to school and should be included in having the OMNY card available to them.
We also know that NYCPS is the body responsible for approving who receives access to the OMNY Cards.
Per the Mayor, the program was a “game changer for families across New York City, particularly for working-class families that need just a little more help to afford our city — families where older siblings pick their younger brothers and sisters up from school, or where kids have after-school and summer jobs to help make ends meet.”
Per the Chancellor, “expanding access to public transit means more and more students will have opportunities to explore our city and experience all that New York has to offer,”
This cannot hold true if NYCPS fails to recognize how the program could alleviate bussing tensions and provide equity for all students in the system. See the petition here.
CCSE