Starting next month, the Clairton City School District will require charter school students to take public transportation to school.

"These kids are probably going to have to catch the bus at 7 in the morning or earlier even," parent Lori Petanovich said.

While a walking district, the Clairton City School District provides transportation to charter school students within a 10-mile radius.

"It's rough for most adults to catch the bus out here, and then with the change of bus transportation, losing hours and the way the routes go, I wouldn't like it for the kids," parent Rhonda Parrotte.

"What do you say to people who say Pittsburgh Public School students do it, so these students could do it, too? KDKA's Mamie Bah asked Petanovich.

"We're not Pittsburgh. Those kids are used to living in the city," Petanovich said. "This really isn't the city out here. I would say a lot of these kids are probably not used to riding a city bus."

Impacted parents protested before Monday's school board meeting. District leaders said the protests were the result of cuts to state and federal education funding.

"The district is facing serious funding challenges that come from the state level, not here locally," Clairton City School District Superintendent Tamara Allen-Thomas said during the meeting. "Transportation wasn't the only cut. We've also eliminated administrative positions, reduced contracted employees and put capital projects on hold."

In the end, parents argue that it's the children who suffer.

"There's like a lot of things that affect these kids getting cut due to funding reasons, so I would assume this is going to be one of those other things that make things more complicated; these kids already have a hard enough time in school," Petanovich said. 

Before the Oct. 6 deadline, students can pick up their ConnectCard at the administration building or the middle and high schools.