Springfield Local Schools values all the services it provides its residents and families attending preschool through high school programs. Transportation is an important piece of learning for more than 1,800 students in the district that elect to utilize school transportation. The shortage of certified bus drivers has presented challenges for the district and those relying on a safe ride to school. The board of education approved the recommendation to make changes to the transportation program Springfield Schools provides its students and families. The concepts detailed below will be instituted for the start of the 2025-26 school year, beginning Friday, August 15, 2025: 1) The district will move toward utilizing Transportation Hubs across the village and township. A Hub will be a collecting point for a wider area of students beyond the historically used “bus stop” in the past. Springfield buses will not enter many of our neighborhoods, instead picking up students at a “collection point” that has been identified for all students to meet. This concept is not new to Springfield, or surrounding districts, but the district will utilize this concept at a greater frequency this coming school year.
Please note, Hubs will differ from P-3 grade routes to 412 grade routes.
2) The district will move toward expanded “No Transportation Zones,” meaning the distance from a child’s school will grow where the district will not provide transportation. Expanded No Transportation Zones will occur at Holland Intermediate, Holloway Elementary, Springfield Middle School and Springfield High School. This is not a radius, but a path to school that is not more than one mile; students with homes inside the one mile distance will not be scheduled a bus stop, bus route or bus number in grades K-12.
Please note that a No Transportation Zone for Holloway is different from, and not related to, route planning for Holland Intermediate, SMS and SHS.
All of the changes mentioned above are within the parameters set forth in Ohio Administrative Code for pupil transportation. The district has not maximized all of the allowances when planning transportation for next school year, but the need to make changes is necessary for managing an effective transportation department. All routes for the 202526 school year will be posted via the district website on the afternoon of August 8, for grades 4-12. The routes for grades P-3 will be shared at your building level JumpStart appointment.
