Special Transportation

Special Education Transportation

Special transportation needs are considered at every annual IEP meeting. If a student’s needs change, transportation can also be reconsidered at any time through an IEP amendment or by reconvening the full IEP team.

It is important to note that special transportation refers to accommodations and supports—not necessarily the type of bus or bus route. If accommodations cannot be provided on a regular education bus, then the student may be routed on a specialized bus route.

Most general transportation questions can be answered on the District Transportation website. Families are encouraged to start there for information about bus routes, safety, and transportation policies.

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IEP Team Decision & Process

• Once the IEP team determines that bus accommodations are necessary, the case manager submits an internal form to the Special Services Office.
• The Special Services Office communicates documented accommodation needs to the bus company.
• Requests received by Wednesday at noon will be routed by the following Tuesday, although there may an exception at the beginning of the school year due to the volume of requests and need for consistency for new routes.

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Temporary Parent Transportation & Reimbursement

While busing is being set up, families may transport their student to and from school.

• District reimbursement is available during this time at the current district mileage reimbursement rate.
• Reimbursement is available only for mileage from the student’s home to school and from school to home when the student is in the car.
• To obtain reimbursement, parents must contact the Special Services Office @ 573-214-3459.

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Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Principle

Transportation should follow the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) principle:

• Regular Route First: Students will be routed on a regular education bus unless accommodations require a special route.
• Specialized Routes are typically needed only if:
  • The student is on a modified school day and a regular route is not available.
  • The student is attending a non-home school due to an IEP team decision.
  • The student has a documented need for “fewer peers” due to behavioral or sensory regulation needs (e.g., extreme anxiety, aggression triggered by noise).  Typically, these students are unable to be in crowded areas of the school such as passing time, lunch, assemblies, etc. 

Before requesting fewer peers on a route, IEP teams should first consider:

• Front-of-bus seating
• Noise-canceling headphones
• Other environmental supports on a regular education route