This week, we're kicking off our series on DCAYA's big budget asks for FY17. Expanding transportation subsidies for older students was not included in Mayor Bowser's proposed budget-- but we are prepared to keep advocating for our youth who have re-engaged in education! Earlier this year, DCAYA worked with our partners at Raise DC's Disconnected Youth Change Network (DYCN) to conduct a youth survey on transportation. Below you'll find the advocacy resources we identified.
You can find the full report of our findings here: Issue Briefing on the Transportation Needs of Re-engaging Youth.
THE ASK: An
additional investment of $950,000 will ensure that youth (ages 22-24) who have
overcome multiple barriers to re-engage in their education at a Local Education
Agency (LEA) are able to attend school without the persistent worry of how they
will afford to get there. This estimate is based on the average weekly cost of
transportation that students reported to DCAYA via the DYCN Youth
Transportation Survey ($30/ week on average) and OSSE’s reported number of youth aged 22-24
enrolled in DC schools (LEAs) in 2015 (721).
TALKING POINTS:
No District-wide support for
the transportation needs of students 22+
· No youth 22 or older has access to any citywide transportation aids. The District's Student Transit Subsidy Program (includes Kids Ride Free and subsidized passes) is available to youth ages 5-21.
Absence of transportation
support significantly affects 22-24 year old students
· Transportation is a significant expense for District youth. 54% of survey respondents 22-24 reported spending over $30 a week or $120 a
month travelling to and from their programs.
· Despite the high cost of transportation, youth are prioritizing their education. The majority of older youth surveyed reported
spending 45% or more of their weekly income getting to and from their
educational programs.
· Transportation costs are high for all youth, but those living east of the river are the hardest hit. 83% of all youth 22-24 reported spending approximately one-fifth or more of their weekly income
getting to and from their programs; notably 55% of these youth live in Wards 5,
7, and 8.
Impact of DC’s second-chance
system investments relies on access to affordable transportation
· When transportation costs are so high, showing up to class is half the battle for re-engaging youth. 21% of older youth reported missing
class 3 or more times a month due to insufficient transportation funds. Most
programs are less than 40 weeks long, so youth are missing 13% of their
program’s total class time because they cannot afford to get there.
· The loss of economic productivity and social costs associated
with disconnected youth are profound. The roughly 7,500 currently disconnected
students[1] in
DC cost taxpayers (in lost earnings) roughly $13,900 each annually, for a total
of $104 million every year. When you add in the annual per-student social cost
(subsidized health care, income assistance, higher rates of criminal justice
involvement) of $37,450 associated with disconnection, that’s an additional
$281 million a year.[2]
THE NEXT STEPS:
1. Testify and elevate youth narrative: Council needs to hear from you and
your youth about the ways transportation costs affect student persistence and
success. Over the next several weeks, we ask that you prepare testimony and
work with your youth to provide examples of the need for expanded
transportation support for youth 16-24.
District
Department of Transportation
(DDOT)
Budget Hearing: Friday, April 8, 2016 at 11 am in Room 500
Budget Hearing: Friday, April 8, 2016 at 11 am in Room 500
To testify,
contact Aukima Benjamin, abenjamin@dccouncil.us or 202-724-8062
Office of the
Deputy Mayor for Education
(DME)
Budget Hearing: Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 10 am in Room 120
Budget Hearing: Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 10 am in Room 120
Sign up here or call 202-724-8061
Budget
Hearing: Monday, April 18, 2016 at 10 am in Room 412
Sign up here or call 202-724-8061
Budget Hearing: Monday, April 25, 2016 at 10 am in Room
412
To testify, contact Sarina
Loy, sloy@dccouncil.us or 202-724-8058
2. Contact
councilmembers to elevate ask & youth narrative
COUNCILMEMBER
|
AGENCY OVERSIGHT (HEARING DATE)
|
COMMITTEES
|
EMAIL
|
TWITTER
|
Mary Cheh*
|
DDOT (4/8)
|
Transportation & Environment
(Chairperson)
|
|
|
Jack Evans*
|
DDOT (4/8)
WMATA (4/25)
|
Transportation & Environment
Finance & Revenue (Chairperson)
|
||
Brandon Todd*
|
DDOT (4/8)
DME (4/13)
|
Transportation & Environment
Education
|
||
Kenyan McDuffie*
|
DDOT (4/8)
WMATA (4/25)
|
Transportation & Environment
Finance & Revenue
|
||
Charles Allen*
|
DDOT (4/8)
DME (4/13)
|
Transportation & Environment
Education
|
||
David Grosso*
|
DME (4/13)
WMATA (4/25)
|
Education (Chairperson)
Finance & Revenue
|
||
Vincent Orange
|
WMATA (4/25)
|
Finance & Revenue
|
vorange@dccouncil.us
|
|
Elissa Silverman
|
WMATA (4/25)
|
Finance & Revenue
|
||
Yvette Alexander
|
DME (4/13)
|
Education
|
||
Anita Bonds
|
DME (4/13)
|
Education
|
*Indicates high
influence for our budget ask
3. Use Sample
Tweets (.@Councilmember)
(.@Councilmember) Please fund Kids
Ride Free expansion for youth 22-24 to help #KeepDYOnTrack. #DCFY17
(.@Councilmember) Surveyed youth 22-24
lack transportation supports, over half spending 45% of income getting to class
#KeepDYOnTrack #DCFY17
(.@Councilmember) 21% of surveyed
youth 22-24 miss 3+ days of class/month bc they can’t afford transportation #KeepDYOnTrack
#DCFY17
(.@Councilmember) Showing up is half the battle: students 22-24 are struggling to afford
their trip to class #KeepDYOnTrack. #DCFY17
That's all for now! We hope to see you at the Wilson Building this advocacy season!
Amy Dudas is the disconnected youth and workforce development policy analyst at DC Alliance of Youth Advocates. If you have any questions about today's blog, or would like more information on our transportation advocacy please contact her at amy@dc-aya.org.
[1] OSSE. (2014) “Bridging LEAs to Resources for
Enhanced Student Outcomes” Online at: http://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/OSSE_T1S3_FINAL%20PRESENTATION_%20110714_YDA.pdf
[2] Belfield, Levin, & Rosen (2012). The
Economic Value of Opportunity Youth. Civic Enterprises. Online at:
http://www.civicenterprises.net/MediaLibrary/Docs/econ_value_opportunity_youth.pdf.
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