For the first year, students not only get a new student ID on picture day, but they also receive a free fare transit pass. Through the RydeFreeRT program, students have free fare for SacRT buses, light rail, and SmaRT Ride microtransit services.
The pass will be good every day from October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020. It will be given out to K-12th grade students who live or attend school in Sacramento.
The City of Sacramento paid SacRT $1 million for the program. The funds were raised from a one-cent sales tax. The program will cover over 100,000 students according to SCUSD.
This is the first time this program has been approved. It will be renewed depending on how this year goes.
Students seem to be embracing the bus passes. Carlie Floyd (‘21) said, “The bus pass is wonderful because some people don’t have the money for the bus so I’m glad they get to ride the bus for free.” A lot of people rely on the bus to get to and from school, so having a free pass makes one less thing they have to worry about paying for.
Ella Christiansen (‘21) said, “The bus pass is a great idea but I live too far from any transit stations for it to be practical.” She agrees that the passes are good for the general population to have but she won’t be using it herself.
Another student said, “The bus pass thing is nice because I think it’s good to provide students with free transportation, and it makes it easier to access. If everybody has one then nobody really has to seek it out.” They believed the bus pass is a nice convenience for students.
Katherine Krinsky (‘21) said, “I will for sure use the pass because it’ll save me money and I’m happy I don’t use the bus that much, but now that it’s free, I might be more inclined to.” The bus passes make public transportation more convenient and appealing to students. It seems like less of a hassle to some since they don’t have to worry about money.
The bus pass isn’t the only change to this year’s student IDs. Now, printed on the back is the National Suicide Prevention lifeline number. The lifeline offers 24/7 support nationwide to anyone who is distressed or who is concerned for others.
Unlike the bus passes, students aren’t as welcoming to this new addition.
“The hotline on the card is good just in case someone wants to commit suicide but I don’t know if anyone would use it because people already see it as a joke,” said Floyd.
Another student wasn’t fond of the number either, saying, “The hotline number is a good idea but it feels like admin is trying to clear their consciences without making steps to help students themselves. CKM isn’t a good environment for anyone with anxiety, dysphoria, or mental health issues.”
“Having the suicide hotline number is an interesting choice. I was kind of caught off guard by it, and I think while the intent was probably to provide a resource for students, I doubt that anybody is actually going to use it,” said another student.
The way the number was presented did not make students feel like the school was actually trying to help them. Access to the hotline is still generally appreciated but did not have the same positive feedback as the bus passes.