KALAMAZOO, MI – A new partnership between school and city officials will allow any Kalamazoo Public Schools high school student to ride a city bus for free.

Students will have unlimited access to Kalamazoo Metro Transit buses with their school-issued ID, beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, through the Kalamazoo Youth Mobility Fund. The Board of Education unanimously approved the partnership during a meeting Thursday, Jan. 24.

“This will provide greater access for our students,” Board Vice President Ken Greschak said.

The fund is a partnership between Kalamazoo Public Schools, the City of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Metro Transit and the Kalamazoo Public Library.

The students' bus fares will be paid for by the Youth Mobility Fund through the Foundation of Excellence, said Steve Brown, Foundation for Excellence Coordinator. Officials are not yet releasing the estimated cost to the foundation, but will be offering further detail soon, he said.

Students with after-school activities like sports, class projects or band rehearsal will know they have a ride home, board member Jennie Hill said during the meeting.

“I think this is super awesome," Hill said. “Now they have mobility."

The district transports about 9,000 students over about 300 routes to and from school every day, Superintendent Michael Rice said.

This partnership is not meant to replace the existing system, but will expand students’ options for getting to after-school, work and extracurricular activities, Rice said.

“We appreciate very, very much the consideration for our young people in Kalamazoo,” Rice said.

Students can succeed when educational, employment and social barriers are removed, Board President Patti Sholler-Barber said. With the partnership, students can get themselves to jobs, school events and recreational activities, she said.

“We’re expanding their world,” Sholler-Barber said.

The Metro system will track the number of students who use the buses but will not be tracking individual students, Rice said.

Metro Transit fares for an adult costs $1.50, while children under 48 inches tall pay 75 cents. Western Michigan University students ride the city buses for free, according to Metro Transit.

The Kalamazoo students’ IDs already include access to public libraries through the OneCard partnership, which began in August. The OneCard program allows students to check out books or other resources from any Kalamazoo Public Library using their school-issued ID.