MTA's vote on student Metrocards has been postponed, causing considerable anxiety for public school students and families waiting to learn whether their free fare cards will stay, go away, or be provided at half-price.  Currently, nearly 600,000 city students receive free Metrocards.

<!--[endif]--> As a student interviewed by NY1 succinctly put it, "President Obama has stated that by the year 2020 he wants the U.S. to have the highest graduation rates in the world. How will we achieve that goal if the largest school district in the country will prevent low income students the opportunity to travel to the schools that give them the best opportunity to graduate?"

<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--><!--[endif]--> The issue has become a political football, or perhaps more akin to a schoolyard game of hot potato, with the transit tuber passed around by MTA, the city and the state. MTA says they have an enormous budget hole and it's now up to the city and the state to maintain this benefit for kids.  Transit workers are backing the students, while Mayor Bloomberg says that if student Metrocards are eliminated, MTA retirees should no longer get free rides for life.

Meanwhile State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada, who has assailed MTA for its failure to make its finances transparent -- which some see as a textbook example of the pot calling the kettle black -- recently called for a $2.00 toll on the East River bridges tied to the maintenance of free Metrocards for students and other vital transit services. Streetsblog.org says trimming bloat in the yellow schoolbus system could save student Metrocards.  Students, including Insideschools.org high school blogger Toni, have been organizing and protesting, despite division over where to place the blame.

How do you feel about the threatened cuts to student Metrocards?  Please take our poll at left -- for this poll, we've opened it up so that you can choose more than one answer if you have mixed feelings -- and share your comments below. <!--[endif]-->