Baltimore School Cuts Absenteeism With Bus Program

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Elementary has lowered chronic absenteeism to around 31% after a transportation initiative began.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Special Education

Screen-print poster illustration of a single yellow school bus parked on a quiet brick street under a pale sky. — Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Elementary in Baltimore cut chronic absenteeism to about 31% after a bus program began serving 88 children across three schools. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Elementary School in Baltimore has reduced chronic absenteeism from 55-65% to around 31%. The gains followed the closure of nearby Eutaw-Marshburn Elementary and a transportation program that now serves 88 children across three schools.

Why it matters

Transportation was identified as a major barrier for students in the Upton area after Eutaw-Marshburn closed, and children aged 4-11 cannot walk alone between the two schools. The results show how getting students to class can affect attendance for families in Baltimore.

Chronic absenteeism at Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Elementary dropped from 55-65% to about 31%, measured against prior-year rates. The data does not indicate how long the decline has been sustained or which other changes contributed.

The players

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Elementary School

A Baltimore public elementary school whose chronic absenteeism rate has fallen sharply following the transportation initiative.

St. Francis Neighborhood Center

A Reservoir Hill community organization that provides buses to transport students to school.

ENOUGH Initiative

A Maryland state program whose grant funds the transportation initiative serving Baltimore students.

The details

St. Francis Neighborhood Center in Reservoir Hill now uses buses that had previously been limited to after-school pickups to transport students to school. Parents ready children for pickup as part of the program, which is funded by a grant from Maryland's ENOUGH Initiative.

Maryland allocated a record $32 million in state funding for fiscal year 2027.

Special Education Context

The transportation program is funded through Maryland's ENOUGH Initiative, which provides grant support for Baltimore students facing attendance barriers. The initiative's grant structure ties the attendance gains directly to the state program's funding.

Families in the Upton area who rely on school transportation may find that bus access now determines whether children attend class. Parents of children aged 4-11 who cannot walk alone between schools may need to plan around the new pickup arrangement.

The takeaway

Reliable transportation can be as important to attendance as the classroom itself, especially for young students who cannot travel alone. Families and schools facing similar barriers may find that coordinating pickup with community partners makes a measurable difference.