TRANSPORTATION
DIRECTORS REFRESHER COURSE
P R E S E N T E D B Y:
S T E V E B E A C H U M , CO N S U LTA N T
T R A N S P O RTAT I O N S E RV I C E S
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
SITUATIONS
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
SITUATIONS
T R A N S P O RTAT I O N
FOR HOMELESS
STUDENTS IN TRANSITION
MCKINNY VENTO ACT
HOMELESS TRANSPORTATION
McKinney –Vento
School of Origin
Inter-district collaboration and coordination
School of Origin obligation
Includes preschool and students With disabilities
FUNDING
Challenges & Barriers
Best practices
MAIN PROVISIONS OF THE ACT
School stability - remain in school of origin despite residential moves
If in student’s best interest, based on individualized assessment
While homeless, and until end of academic year once permanently housed
Transportation provided to and from school of origin when requested
Immediate enrollment – includes full participation in all school activities
Access to services including transportation
Decision making is child-centered and in the child’s best interest
Local liaison in every school district
ELIGIBILITY FOR SERVICES
Children or youth who lack a fixed, regular, and
adequate nighttime residence, including:
 Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic
hardship, or similar reason (doubled up)
 Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping grounds Living
in emergency or transitional shelters
 Awaiting foster care placement
 Living in a public or private place like cars, parks, abandoned
buildings, substandard housing, or bus or train stations
 Migrant and unaccompanied students living in the above
circumstances
BARRIERS
• Lack of funding
• Timely arrangements implemented
• Coordination across district and/or state lines
• Students with special needs
TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENTS
•
Eliminate barriers to the school enrollment and retention
of homeless students, including transportation barriers
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Provide transportation to and from the school of origin at
a parent or guardian’s request (or at the liaison’s request
for unaccompanied youth)
District determines the mode of transportation
•
Provide homeless students with transportation services
comparable to those of other students
REQUIREMENTS CONTINUED
• When crossing LEA lines, districts agree on how to share
the responsibility and cost, or they must share equally
• Title I, Part A, funds may not be used to provide
transportation to the school of origin, but may be used for
other (excess) cost transportation needs including):
 after school activities
 summer school
 once a student becomes housed
BEST PRACTICES
•
Add route near school of origin using bus drivers who live near
student’s temporary address
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Use special education buses with more flexible schedules
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Database helps troubleshoot when a student misses the bus or
when a bus is late
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Contract with individuals and organizations
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Reimburse parents or students to transport themselves to and
from school
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Ask parent or student for ideas
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Meet with your homeless liaison to discuss strategies, challenges,
cases and costs
HOMELESS
QUESTIONS ?
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
SITUATIONS
CONTINGENCY
•REGIONAL SCHOOL
•EARLY COLLEGE
•EQUIPMENT (Small County Systems)
•BIO-DIESEL
•FUEL
•OTHER SPECIAL PROJECTS & LEGISLATIVE
REQUIPMENT
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
SITUATIONS
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REGIONAL SCHOOLS CONTINGENCY
Beaufort County
Bertie County
Martin County
Pitt County
Tyrrell County
Washington County
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
SITUATIONS
EARLY COLLEGE CONTINGENCY
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February & April
Budget rating
Documentation
Driver time
Eligible mileage
TIMS data/Route information
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
SITUATIONS
EQUIPMENT CONTINGENCY
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Small county/ 50 buses limitation
Major equipment failure
April
Budget rating
Documentation
Special consideration
Cost limitations
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
SITUATIONS
FUEL CONTINGENCY
• Legislative appropriated
• Reductions
• Available funds
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
SITUATIONS
BIO-DIESEL CONTINGENCY
• Governor Highway Safety Program
• Available funds
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
SITUATIONS
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OTHER SPECIAL PROJECTS &
LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS
CONTINGENCY
Legislative appropriated
Equipment
Stop –Arm Cameras
Stop arms retrofits
Available funds
SPECIAL NEEDS TRANSPORTATION
LAWS AND POLICIES
 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
• Individual Education Plan (IEP)
• Extended School Year (ESY)
 Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
 Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973)
IDEA
A child with a disability includes…
Autism
Orthopedic impairment
Deaf-Blind
Other health impairment
Deafness
Specific learning disabilities
Emotional disturbance
Speech or language impairment
Hearing impairing
Traumatic brain injury
Mental retardation
Visual impairment including blindness
Multiple disabilities
IDEA - RELATED SERVICES
Transportation and such development, corrective, and
other supportive services as are required to assist
a child with a disability to benefit from special
education
IDEA – Transportation defined
 Travel to and from school and between schools
 Travel in and around school buildings
 Specialized equipment, such as special or adapted
buses, lifts and ramps, if required to provide a special
education for a student with a disability
IDEA – Individual Education Program
 IEP Impact on Transportation
 Parent/Guardian Roles
 Related Service participation
 Related Service Participation
 “Stay Put”
IDEA – Related Service Participation
 Who should attend & when
 Annual reviews
 Change of placement
 Grade change
504 – Things to Consider
 Will include students with an IEP
 Duration of disability or medical condition
 504 Coordinator
 School accommodations / transportaation request
Operating
 Least Restrictive Environment
 General Education Bus / Special Education Bus
 Bus Stop Location
Operating
 Equipment – Lifts, safety seats, & vests, etc
 Can student be left unattended
 Bus assistants
 Multiple stop locations/attendance boundaries
 School of choice
Operating
 No one home to receive
 Length of ride
 Extended school year (ESY)
 Athletics /field trips/ after school activities
Operating - Attendants
 IEP Requirement
 District procedures
 Medical /Disabilities of students
 Number of students assigned
 Training
 Safety
Operating - Training
 Medical needs (oxygen, seizures, etc)
 Equipment (lifts, safety, seats & vests, etc)
 Sensitivity
 DNR (state law/ parent request)
 Behavior management
 Bullying – sexual, physical and mental intimidation
Operating - Training
 Communication
 Confidentiality
Right to Know – Who need to know?
 District Policies
 Legal Requirements
Evacuations/Emergencies
 Driver/bus attendants –plan
 Belt cutters
 Seat assignments
 Identify students who can assist
 Location of emergency response agencies
Behavior Management
 10 Day Rule
 Manifestation of determinations
behavior related to disability
 Immediate removal for weapons, drugs or inflect
serious bodily injury
Behavior Management
 Manifestation determination
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Is transportation a related service?
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Is student attending schools
TRANSPORTING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
TRANSPORTING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
idea
IDEA
IDEA
504
EC
Laws
IEP
Parents
OCR/DPI
Charter Schools
News Media
Reporting
Insurance options
Lawyers
Drivers
Funding
Contract Transportation
Buses
HELP!!!!!!
Training
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
Who Pays For Transportation?
Q1. Who pays for transportation required by disabled children?
A1. The school district. IDEA directs that all special education
and related services must be provided at no cost to the parents
of disabled children. Transportation is usually a related
service.
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
Q2. Are there circumstances under which parents of a child
with disabilities can be required to provide transportation?
A2. No. If the disabled child requires transportation
benefit from the special education program chosen by the
school district, the transportation must be provided by the
school district.
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
Transportation And Disruptive Students
Q3. Can disabled students be suspended from
transportation services for disciplinary purposes?
A3. Disabled students, are subject to disciplinary
action. However, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a
disabled student cannot be suspended from special
education, or denied a related service, for more than 10 days
unless the parents agree or the IEP is redrafted.
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
Q4. Can disabled students be denied transportation
services permanently.?
A4. Although no court has ruled directly on this
question, the answer is "probably not." A disabled student
can be suspended from (temporarily denied) transportation
services, but best practice indicates that such a student
cannot be denied transportation on a permanent basis. The
reason is that such a denial could effectively terminate the
student's right to special education guaranteed by IDEA.
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
Summer School/ Extended School Year
Q5. Are disabled students entitled to transportation services
to attend a summer school program or an extend school year
program?
A5. Yes, when it enables a disabled student to benefit
from special education and included in the IEP, it must be
provided at no cost.
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
Length of Vehicle Ride
Q6. What does IDEA say about the length of the vehicle ride?
A6. IDEA does not directly discuss the length of the
vehicle ride. Disabled students should not be routinely
subjected to longer transportation times than non-disabled
students. School district should have written procedures
available for IEP committees regarding length of ride.
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
In-Service Training
Q7. Are transportation personnel required to receive in-service training
regarding disabled students
A7. Yes. Each education agency, is required to provide inservice training for personnel serving disabled students. In addition to
regular transportation Instruction, in-service training should include:
• Instruction about IDEA and §504;
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Information about disabling conditions;
Disciplinary and suspension procedures;
knowledge of assistive device management;
Emergency and evacuation management;
Behavior management techniques; and
Familiarity with needs of medically fragile children.
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
Evacuation Drills
Q8. Should disabled students practice evacuation drills?
A8. This is a decision to be made by each school district.
It is recommended that evacuation procedures be well known
and rehearsed by transporters. A written evacuation plan should
be printed and available in each transportation vehicle. Students
with physical, emotional, and mental disabilities should practice
evacuation procedures to their maximum capacity.
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
Disagreements About Transportation
Q9. What can parents or guardians do if there is a disagreement
regarding transportation services?
A9. Under IDEA, parents and guardians are entitled to all
of the procedural safeguards regarding special education and
related services. Initially, disagreements concerning
transportation, should be discussed and resolved at the IEP
meeting. If disagreements cannot be resolved, the parents or
guardians have the right to a due process hearing and can
appeal hearing decisions to state or federal court.
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION
Q10. Who decides if a child needs special transportation
services?
A10. The IEP committee determines a child's need
for special transportation.
THE LAW!
LEGAL BASIS FOR REQUIRING
TRANSPORTATION
SECTION 504 & IDEA
IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act –P.L. 94-142) assure a
“free appropriate public education” (FAPE) to
children with disabilities in the same
educational settings in which non-disabled
children was educated.
SECTION 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973) is a civil right
law – the purpose is to protect people from
discrimination because of disabilities –
provides access and removes obstacles.
SECTION 504
WHEN IS A TEMPORARY DISABILITY A SECTION
504 DISABILITY?
CONSIDER:
Does the disability substantially impair a major
life activity?
How severe is it?
What is its expected duration?
What is the degree of limitation?
TWO EXAMPLES:
Right-handed student
Broke his left arm
Expected to heal
normally, without
complications.
Not a disability!
TWO EXAMPLES, CONTINUED:
Student breaks both
legs
Recovery is delayed by
complications and
surgeries
Disability expected to
last for several months
It is a disability!
SO, HOW WILL WE KNOW?
Schools must evaluate
these conditions on a case
by case basis
It is the school’s decision
as to whether the disability
“substantially limits”
MAJOR LIFE ACTIVITIES
“Major life activities” include functions such
as caring for one’s self, performing manual
tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking,
breathing, learning, and working.
When an impairment does not substantially
limit a major life activity, the individual
does not qualify for protection under
Section 504.
CURRENT ISSUES IN TRANSPORTING
CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
CURRENT ISSUES IN TRANSPORTING
CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
 Disability issues affecting transportation?
(1) the cost of services
(2) range and severity of disability conditions.
(3) expansion in the number of locations for serving
with disabilities
children
(4) the requirement to transport specialized equipment
(5) requirement to transport with a variety of instructional schedules
CURRENT ISSUES IN TRANSPORTING
CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
 Disability issues affecting transportation?
(6) implementation of transportation in the least restrictive environment
(LRE).
(7) transportation for transition students – jobs and prevocational
programs
(8) travel training for students to facilitate age appropriate independent
skills development.
(9) transportation to interim alternative education programs (ILES).
(10) Transportation under the provision of NCLB.
IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR PERSONNEL TRANSPORTING
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES TO:
• Be knowledgeable about the mandates that assure the
right to transportation
• Understand characteristics of the disabled population
they are serving
• Be aware of special considerations that affect
services, and
• Develop training programs that aid decision making on
a day to day basis.
HOW TO DECIDE ON SPECIAL STUDENT
TRANSPORTATION NEEDS
• Can the student utilize regular, yellow-bus
transportation services?
• If not, can regular transportation be utilized
appropriately with supplementary aids and services
• If, not how can special transportation appropriately
accommodate the students needs?
TRANSPORTATION & THE IEP
Transportation is a related service provision under IDEA.
When required for students with disabilities, it should be
specified on the students' individualized education
program (IEP).
TRANSPORTATION & THE IEP
The IEP is a written commitment and management tool for the
school district. The IEP defines resources and services to
be provided to the student at no cost, and it states when
and for how long these services will be provided. As such,
the IEP becomes the tool to monitor compliance.
TRANSPORTATION & THE IEP GUIDELINES
The following guidelines suggest when a school district
should have transportation personnel in attendance
at "IEP" (Individual Education Plan) meetings:
• A student with disabilities who rides the same school bus as nondisabled students to and from school needs to have
transportation addressed on the IEP because of the existence of
one of the following special circumstances: behavioral problems,
special equipment needs, or a special schedule.
TRANSPORTATION & THE IEP GUIDELINES
A student with disabilities who rides a different vehicle
from their non-disabled peers and requires
specialized equipment, an assistant, or a special
behavior management program.
TRANSPORTATION & THE IEP
GUIDELINES
Specialized school bus equipment is required to provide
transportation services.
A student with disabilities has severe behavioral
problems and transportation is an integral part of the
school-based behavioral management program.
Student with disabilities is medically fragile and requires
special handling.
A student has an infectious disease which requires
special precautions.
A student with a disability is provided with a private-duty
non-IEP nurse.
PERSONNEL TRAINING
Behavior management
Characteristics of disabilities
Disciplinary, suspension and expulsion procedures
District procedures
Emergency situations
Child Safety Restraint System (CSRS)
Medication Transport
Confidentiality
Loading and Unloading Procedures
Field Trip participation
Service Animals
Seating
Sexual Harassment
PERSONNEL TRAINING
IEP implementation
IFSP implementation
Legal mandates
Special considerations
State and local laws
Oxygen Transport
Special Equipment Handling
First Aid Training
Emergency Information
TRANSPORTING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
STATE REPORTING
TD-1 Annual Transportation Report Due Aug. 1
TD-2 Student Passenger Count Due Oct. 15
TD-2R Driver Salary & Route Report Due Oct 15
TD-24A Contract Transportation Report Due Oct 15
TD-1 Annual Transportation Report
Due AUGUST 1
Provides official statistics for days, miles and buses
operated
Provides account of local funds expended for
transportation
Provides account of number of transportation personnel
Provides physical inventory for repair parts, tires and fuel
Provides policy data on your transportation operations
TD-2 Student Passenger Count
Due October 15
• Provides official K-12 ridership count
• Provides count of Pre-K transported
• Performed last full week in September
• Integral part of funding formula
TD-2R Driver Salary & Route Report
Due October 15
• Provides detailed salary data
• Provides detailed leave data
• Provides route miles and hours
• Provides employee status (full/part time)
• Used to determine future state appropriation
TD-24A Contract Transportation Report
Due October 15
• Provides details of various contracts
• Provides number of students contracted
• Number of contracted students shown on TD-2
• Provides contract miles and trips
• Mandatory to support local funded contracts
SPECIAL TRANSPORTATION SITUATIONS…….
STATE REPORTING
QUESTIONS?