As a change in school transport for 400 students in Piracicaba raises an alert for dropouts Around 400 students from the state network of Piracicaba (SP) will no longer have chartered school transport when they return from the July holidays. The change will come into effect on July 24, 2026, when students will be served through a school pass. The measure covers students enrolled in Elementary and Secondary Education, aged 12 and over. Changing the transport model can have direct impacts on pedagogical performance and exposure to insecurity, in addition to raising awareness about the risk of school dropout. The analysis was carried out by representatives of the Commission on the Rights of Children and Adolescents at OAB Piracicaba and parents of students consulted by g1. Understand, below, the expected impacts on students’ routines and the criteria of the new rule. Buses from the new public transport company in Piracicaba start running this Sunday (7) Piracicaba City Hall Why was the change made? Previously, chartered school transport was guaranteed to these students by an agreement between the government of São Paulo and the city of Piracicaba. However, the model was changed after a review of criteria carried out by the State Department of Education (Seduc-SP). With the replacement of charters with the School Pass, these students will start using the city's regular urban public transport lines. Piracicaba City Hall reported that it tried to intervene with the Regional Education Directorate and the state government to maintain the previous model, but was unsuccessful. Follow g1 Piracicaba on Instagram Piracicaba Bar Association (OAB) assesses risks of changing school transport in Piracicaba Marcia Minharo Felício Galvão/OAB/Reproduction The São Paulo State Department of Education (Seduc-SP) stated that the change will cover "only students whose travel can be carried out by regular bus lines". See what the Government of São Paulo says about the change, at the end of the report. According to the municipal administration, state schools will forward students to the company Rápido Sumaré to provide the cards. “The city hall is only responsible for purchasing the credits from the company,” the municipality told g1. What are the risks? When asked whether there will be any screening to identify which of these students are mature enough to use urban transport without the supervision of guardians or tutors, the São Paulo government did not respond until the publication of this report. The city hall, in turn, explained that, according to the rules published by Seduc-SP, there is no provision for a "maturity screening" to check whether the child is able to use public transport alone. Piracicaba Regional Education Board Edijan Del Santo/ EPTV “The main criteria for the type of service is objective, such as age, eligibility for the program, access conditions and any special needs, and not a formal assessment of individual autonomy", said the local Executive. In the opinion of the president of the Commission on the Rights of Children and Adolescents of OAB Piracicaba, Isabela Correa, the change raises an alert regarding the vulnerability of students in Elementary School 2, who are between 11 and 14 years old. According to the lawyer, this age group is going through a moment of transition and does not have the same autonomy as older young people to deal with the unforeseen events of circular lines. "There are risks of greater exposure to situations of insecurity, risk of delay, which can end up impacting school development and pedagogical development, as well as contributing in a certain way to school dropout. Especially when we talk about vulnerable children and adolescents, from rural areas, from peripheral areas, who do not have family support", ponders Isabela. The lawyer explains that the charter model guarantees more peace of mind on the journey. "With the migration to the shuttle bus, pre-teens start to depend on walking to the stop and waiting for the vehicle, being exposed to a routine for which they are not yet fully mature. The tendency is that it can have a very significant impact on the lives of these students", he concludes. Change is legal, but with reservations The change in service is based on the Paulista School Transport Program (TESP) and Resolution 161/2025 of the State Department of Education, and occurs amid the renewal of the agreement with Piracicaba City Hall. Although the measure is legal, experts interviewed by g1 have legal reservations. Lawyer Márcia Minharo Felício Galvão, member of the OAB commission, explains that, legally, the State can replace the school bus by providing urban tickets, "as long as the student lives in an urban area with regular lines that fully cover the route to school", she explains. The expert details that the measure is based on administrative autonomy for the termination of municipal agreements and compliance with the constitutional duty to guarantee access to education, as provided for in Article 208 of the Federal Constitution and Article 10 of the Education Guidelines and Bases Law. "However, this practice becomes illegal if applied to students in rural areas or regions without regular public services, violating the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA) and the guidelines of the National School Transport Support Program (PNATE)", specifies Márcia. Isabela Correa also highlights that this is a legal measure because it results from the exercise of normative power by the Department of Education over the organization of the service itself. However, she makes an important warning: the formal legality of the act does not end the legal analysis of the situation. "The concession of school transport is part of the spectrum of access to education guaranteed by the Federal Constitution and the ECA. When we talk about children and adolescents, we must always remember the principle of full protection, the best interests of the child and adolescent", highlighted Isabela. What to do in case of losses? Márcia advises that, if the change causes practical harm to the student's routine, the school community must gather evidence of the impact — such as inadequate routes, delays or registered absences — and formally contact the Education Board and the Guardianship Council. "In practice, the impact for 12-year-old students is significant, as the transition from the controlled environment of the school bus to common public transport increases the vulnerability of young people to overcrowding, delays and risks to urban public safety", pointed out the lawyer. "Furthermore, indirect routes requiring long walks generate physical fatigue and logistical barriers, while failures to recharge cards directly increase absenteeism rates and the risk of school dropout," he concluded. The provision of chartered school transport occurred through an agreement between Piracicaba City Hall and the Government of the State of São Paulo Claudia Assencio/g1 To try to reverse the damage, the most effective way, according to the specialist, is to present a complaint or collective representation directly to the Public Ministry, through the Children and Youth Prosecutor's Office. "The MP has the legitimacy to file a Public Civil Action and demand that the State reestablish specific transport", he indicated. Will the tutor have a free pass? According to the city hall, there is no automatic free tuition for an adult responsible for a student under 18 years of age. "The granting of the School Pass is intended exclusively for the student", informed the administration. Impacts predicted by mother of students The social worker, Andreza Goes Soares, has children who study at the “Augusto Melega” State School, in the Campestre region of Piracicaba (SP). She is also part of the unit's Mothers group and fights for the continuation of transportation provided by the chartered bus. Group of mothers from the 'Augusto Melega' State School fight for the continuation of chartered school transport in Piracicaba Edijan Del Santo/EPTV/Arquivo Andreza described the main expected impacts if the change comes into force. Her children's school is about 2.5 kilometers from the house where they live. "It has a huge impact because, today, there is school transport, to which children are picked up at a specific point. In my case, they stop in front of my condominium and get off at the school. [...] The school is in a restricted area that is difficult to access. When it rains, [the vehicle] gets stuck. There is a lot of mud. The school bus itself has gotten stuck several times. They made a small improvement to the road. But, there is a nearby subdivision that has also been paved," he said. "There is no bus stop in front of the school, there is no crosswalk. There is no sidewalk. As it is a rural road, there is no place for children to wait for the bus. So, it is very complicated", he commented. The representative of the mothers' group also mentioned the risk of dropping out of school. "It's also a school that has a lot of dropouts, especially from high school. Without school transport, it will be very damaging. This dropout rate will increase further. And another thing, there aren't enough buses in the neighborhood to meet the school's schedule. The bus passes before the children leave. And, with school transport, there is a monitor, who guides the child, the people. [...] It's more security", he added. Building of the State Secretariat of Education, in Praça da República, Center of São Paulo. Divulgação/Seduc-SP What does the Government of São Paulo say? The Secretariat of Education of the State of São Paulo (Seduc-SP) informs in a note to g1 that, in Piracicaba, the transition was planned by the Regional Education Unit (URE) "based on technical studies on the coverage and routes of urban public transport and will be implemented from the beginning of the second academic semester of 2026." "The change will only cover students whose travel can be carried out by regular bus lines." "Seduc clarifies that Resolution SE No. 27, in force since 2011, establishes the use of the School Pass for students over 12 years of age. The measure only adapts the type of service, without prejudice to eligible students. No student will no longer have access to school transport, and the change does not apply to special school transport", he added. "School units are holding meetings with families to provide guidance on the transition, clarify doubts and provide the necessary support during the implementation of the measure", he concluded. 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