San Antonio approves District 7-funded free VIA student passes to reduce chronic absenteeism in 2026

A one-year student transit pilot approved by City Council

San Antonio City Council approved a District 7-funded pilot program that will provide free VIA Metropolitan Transit semester passes for middle and high school students ages 12 to 18, a measure city leaders framed as a direct response to chronic absenteeism and transportation barriers. The program is backed by $150,000 in funding allocated from District 7 Councilmember Marina Alderete Gavito’s office budget.

The initiative underwrites VIA’s existing student semester pass, which provides unlimited rides during the semester period. Under the new arrangement, eligible students can receive the pass at no cost, shifting the expense from families to the program’s dedicated funding.

Who is eligible and how the passes work

The free-pass pilot targets students ages 12–18 who are currently enrolled in school. The semester pass can be used across the VIA bus network and is intended to cover routine school commuting as well as tutoring, after-school programs, and other learning-related travel.

• Funding level: $150,000 from the District 7 City Council office allocation.
• Estimated reach: several thousand semester passes, with projections ranging roughly from about 5,000 to 5,500 students depending on final program cost per pass and participation.
• Timing: enrollment began in late December 2025, with passes intended to support student travel through 2026 under the approved pilot structure.

Why attendance and transportation are linked in the policy case

City officials cited chronic absenteeism—commonly defined in education policy as missing 10% or more of the school year—as a persistent local challenge with downstream effects on literacy, course performance, and graduation outcomes. In public statements supporting the pilot, Alderete Gavito identified transportation as a recurring practical barrier for students, particularly in a school-choice environment where some students may attend campuses outside traditional neighborhood attendance zones.

The program was presented as a targeted intervention: removing the cost of transit for students who rely on buses to reach school and academic supports.

How VIA and City Hall describe the tradeoffs

VIA leadership has indicated the agency could not broadly waive fares for student semester passes without outside underwriting. The pilot model, as adopted, funds passes directly rather than changing VIA’s fare structure across the system.

Separately, debate at City Hall has continued over broader fare-free proposals that could extend beyond students. Those discussions have included questions about how fare relief would be funded and how it might affect long-term transit capital priorities, including rapid transit projects that depend on stable revenue planning.

What happens next

City leaders have described the District 7 program as a starting point and have signaled interest in identifying additional funding—public and private—to extend or expand the pilot. Program uptake during 2026 is expected to determine whether San Antonio pursues a longer-term free student pass strategy, a broader fare assistance model, or a mix of both.