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Average number of Students in Temporary Housing (STH) utilizing yellow school bus service
Provide essential, non-academic services to all eligible New York City students in public, charter, and non-public schools. — Ensure safe and reliable transportation to and from school.
The number of students in temporary housing using yellow school buses tracks the size of the citywide shelter population, which grew rapidly starting in spring 2022 amid a surge of migrant and asylum-seeking families arriving in New York City and entering shelters — a surge DOE says it supported through its Project Open Arms school-enrollment effort. Shelter numbers later declined sharply as arrivals slowed to a trickle and the city closed dozens of emergency shelters starting in mid-2024, roughly halving the shelter population by late 2025.
Researched July 16, 2026 — NYC Public Schools, Fiscal 2024 Mayor's Management Report, NYC Comptroller, Asylum Seeker Census
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual |
|---|---|
| FY22 | 2,798 students |
| FY23 | 3,869 students |
| FY24 | 5,561 students |
| FY25 | 5,492 students |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available |
Why this is tracked
New York State and City policy has long required certain support services, most notably pupil transportation, to be extended to eligible students at charter and non-public (private and religious) schools as well as traditional public schools -- reflecting the principle that some student services are about child safety and welfare regardless of where a child is enrolled. DOE administers busing under Chancellor's Regulation A-801 and separately provides food service to many charter and non-public schools that request it. That's why this service is defined to cover "all eligible" students across school types rather than public-school students alone.
NYC Public Schools - Transportation Overview, NYSED - Transportation for Students Enrolled in Nonpublic Schools
Source: Office of Student Transportation — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported annually.
Definition: The average number of Students in Temporary Housing (STH) utilizing yellow school bus service.