SAN ANTONIO — A new plan aimed at keeping students in the classroom could soon give thousands of San Antonio families one less thing to worry about.
District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito is set to announce a proposal Monday that would provide free VIA bus fare for all middle and high school students across the city. The initiative, created in partnership with VIA Metropolitan Transit, would give eligible students access to all existing VIA routes.
City leaders hope the program will help address San Antonio’s high rate of chronic absenteeism — the highest among major cities in Texas. Research has long shown that students who miss school are more likely to struggle academically, face lower test scores, drop out of high school, and experience declines in social and emotional development…