The fiscal case

What expansion would cost

SEPTA and the School District do not agree on what expanding the pass to evenings and weekends costs — the range runs from $0 to about $6.0M. Both readings are below, and you can move between them. Figures use the program's observed 64.5% utilization rate.

What expanded hours cost is contested

The School District's position, on the record in December 2024, is that removing the restriction would raise its bill by 20.6% — the discount it receives because the pass cannot be used evenings and weekends — or about $6.0M a year. SEPTA's position is that evening and weekend service is already running, so carrying student riders off-peak costs it little or nothing. The second slider below spans both positions, and the figures move with it.

Utilization rate share of the theoretical maximum cost 64.5%

Observed rate — matches the published projections

Hours premium what SEPTA charges to lift the evening and weekend restriction 0%

SEPTA's position — the service is already running

Set the premium to 20.6% to see the School District's figures.

Every figure below is eligible students × the per-student rate × the utilization rate, with the hours premium applied to the scenarios that lift the restriction. The current program costs 64.5% of its theoretical maximum, because not all eligible students request or actively use a card; it is a cost factor, not a headcount. The baseline moves with the utilization slider, so the incremental column always compares like with like.

Current program, state-funded New city funding required

Reference

Current baselineGrades 7–12, 1.5+ mi from school, school-day hours only · 68,110 eligible

$29.1M total

New city funding —

The menu

Good

Expand the hoursKeep today's eligibility rules; make the pass work evenings and weekends through the school year.

$29.1M total

New city funding $0

SEPTA's reading $0 · School District's reading $6.0M

A contract renegotiation between SEPTA and the School District. No Council action required.

Better

Every student, evenings and weekendsRemove the 1.5-mile rule so all 99,693 students in grades 7–12 qualify, with evening and weekend hours.

$42.6M total

New city funding $13.5M

SEPTA's reading $13.5M · School District's reading $22.3M

Requires a Council appropriation. This is the change that turns the pass into real transit access.

Best

Year-round accessEverything above, plus summer — twelve months of validity instead of ten.

$51.1M total

New city funding $22.0M

SEPTA's reading $22.0M · School District's reading $32.5M

Requires a Council appropriation. Covers summer jobs and programs, when students most need range.

Eligibility without the hoursAll 99,693 students in grades 7–12, but the pass still stops at 8:00 PM · a half measure

$42.6M total

New city funding $13.5M

Worth pricing because it is the obvious half measure, and because of what it shows: at SEPTA's reading of the hours premium this costs exactly what Better costs, and buys less. The evenings and weekends are the cheapest part of the package.

The same figures as a table.
Scenario	Description	Eligible students	Est. new city funding	Est. total program cost
Current Baseline	Grades 7–12, 1.5+ mi from school, school-day hours only	68,110	—	$29.1M
A: Expand Hours Only	Current eligible students + evenings & weekends (school year)	68,110	$0	$29.1M
B: Expand Eligibility Only	All grades 7–12 students (remove 1.5-mi rule), current hours	99,693	$13.5M	$42.6M
C: Eligibility + Hours	All grades 7–12 + evenings & weekends (school year)	99,693	$13.5M	$42.6M
D: Full Year-Round	All grades 7–12 + evenings/weekends + summer (12 months)	99,693	$22.0M	$51.1M

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Theoretical maximum (“ceiling”) figures are available in the methodology section below, as expandable detail rather than a headline column — the ceiling numbers are not the ask.

Key takeaways

Expanding hours costs between $0 and $6.0M, depending on whose reading of the contract holds. Good (Scenario A) currently shows $0. At SEPTA's position it is not an appropriation at all, only a renegotiated contract; at the School District's it is the smallest ask on this page.
Covering every student in grades 7–12, evenings and weekends included, is projected at $13.5 million per year in new city funding. The hours premium is the only thing separating Better from eligibility-without-hours: at SEPTA's reading they cost the same, at the School District's they differ by $8.8M.
Utilization patterns suggest real costs will be well below theoretical maximums. Currently only about 65% of the theoretical maximum is realized.
Summer access (Best, Scenario D) adds about $8.5M over Scenario C: two more months of pass validity, priced by duration. This could be a separate phase, or a pilot for students with summer jobs or in summer programs.
These estimates require city funding beyond the current state-funded program.

Methodology & sources

Student enrollment counts (68,110 eligible; 52,563 assigned; 32,067 active), per-student rates ($662.46/year), discount structure (20.6%), and FY25 total program cost ($29.1M) are from School District of Philadelphia materials, December 2024.

Expansion cost projections are by the authors, applying observed utilization rates to SDP-provided per-student pricing. These figures should be treated as estimates subject to verification by the contracting parties.

Projected costs apply the program's observed 64.5% utilization rate. Actual costs for newly eligible students living within 1.5 miles of school may be lower, as proximity reduces the need for transit commuting. Scenario A requires only a contract renegotiation between SEPTA and SDP; Scenarios B–D require City Council appropriation.

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