Ohio School District Cuts Bus Service Amid Budget Strain

July 29, 2026

Tallmadge City Schools in Ohio is eliminating transportation for hundreds of high school students this school year as the district works to reduce costs amid funding concerns and a series of failed levies, reported ABC 5.

According to the news report, Superintendent Steve Wood said the district will no longer provide transportation for any high school students, leaving about 800 students without bus routes. Elementary and middle school students who live within two miles of their schools will also be ineligible for district transportation.

The changes reportedly return the district to Ohio’s minimum transportation requirements. State law requires school districts to transport students in kindergarten through eighth grade who live more than two miles from their schools.

Wood acknowledged that the reductions could create difficulties for families and said via the article that the district is taking steps to ease the transition. Schools will adjust their arrival and dismissal procedures to accommodate an expected increase in vehicles during student drop-off and pick-up periods.

Wood is reportedly discussing possible transportation options with Akron METRO Regional Transit Authority, which operates a bus route through Tallmadge. It remains unclear whether the public transit service could provide a workable alternative for affected students.

According to the article, district officials hope to restore the eliminated transportation services next school year. However, Wood warned that continued funding reductions could prevent the district from doing so and lead to additional cuts.

“The reality is tough,” Wood said via the report. “This is a cost-cutting spiral, and if we don’t receive additional funds for next year, it just gets uglier. It means more teachers out. It means more electives gone. More academic opportunities are gone and less clubs.”

The transportation reductions mark the district’s second round of budget cuts. Tallmadge eliminated teaching and administrative positions last school year and cut additional teaching positions this year. The district also increased its pay-to-play fee for student activities.

Another funding levy will reportedly appear on the November ballot. Instead of seeking a property tax based on home values, the district is proposing an earned income tax based on residents’ wages. Wood said additional revenue will be critical to preventing further reductions to staffing, academic programs, extracurricular activities and transportation services.

Written with the assistance of AI.