Under No Child Left Behind, families have the opportunity to transfer a child from a low-performing school to a school in good standing, pending the availability of space. Children with disabilities have the same opportunity to transfer children without disabilities. If a child is transferred to a better performing public school, including a public charter school within the district, the district must provide transportation. This includes the use of Title I funds if necessary.

Each year, school districts are confronted with the opposing pressures of increased transportation expenses and static or reduced transportation budgets. Increases in expenses are driven by many factors including inflationary pressures and the demand for more general and special needs transportation services in urban, suburban and rural districts. It is no secret that transportation for students with disabilities has been reported to cost as much as 40 percent more than for children without disabilities. Students with more complicated medical conditions and challenging behaviors require costly transportation services with no increased funding revenues. Faced with these pressures, school districts must continually seek ways to reduce transportation costs.

When looking for potential cost savings in the area of special needs transportation, it is essential not to reduce service delivery options mandated in the individualized education program (IEP), safety and specialized equipment obligations or appropriate training for drivers and bus aides. Any potential saving strategies should be well thought out in light of potential risks to students and should be discussed with risk managers prior to initiation.

The following are recommended cautions:

• Do not alter IEP transportation services outside of IEP meetings. For example, if a student has curb-to-curb pick-up on their IEP do not change the pick-up location because the driver believes this child can be picked up at a neighborhood designated stop. However, you can bring this matter to an IEP team to discuss, including the parent and see if the IEP team is in agreement with the driver's suggestion.
• Do not allow for the absence of a bus aide to go without the provision of a substitute bus aide as a cost-saving provision. In addition, make sure that all substitute bus aides are knowledge about the individual needs of the children that they are required to supervise.
• Be sure that all specialized equipment is utilized in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications and has not been recalled. Child Safety Restraint Systems are not required to be purchased by parents for the school bus ride to and from school. Extreme caution should be used before any specialized equipment is utilized on the school bus without the approval of qualified individuals. The equipment and installation of equipment should be in accordance with industry standards and best practice. If a piece of equipment is in questionable condition and safety is an issue, alternative transportation should be sought or cancellation of transportation services for that day should be considered. The area of concern should be addressed immediately.
• It is tempting to cut back on pre-service training and inservice training in times of restricted budget; however, the results of such action may result in endangering the lives of students being transported and is not defensible. Don't put yourself or your school district in the position of being challenged regarding foreseeable endangerment.

In dealing with inevitable budget cuts or freezes, it is essential for special education and transportation to work collaboratively. Some recommended cost saving strategies include careful planning of the location of special education classrooms and special schools, acceptable and allowable routing and bell time modifications, student travel training curriculum to facilitate independence in getting safely to and from neighborhood bus stops, and a qualified and well trained staff of drivers and aides to reduce staff turnover. It is essential that members of the IEP team work closely with transportation to explore the dos and don'ts when it comes to service delivery recommendations. There may be less costly alternatives to provide appropriate services.

In summary, today's transportation services for students with special needs may range from a student riding the regular bus with no required intervention to transporting students with specialized equipment and highly trained personnel. Planning ahead and knowing the population well in advance of the required bus ride is a first step in providing a safe and cost efficient transportation system.

Linda F. Bluth, Ed.D. is Branch Chief and Steven Sorin, Section Chief Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services, Community and Interagency Services Branch Bluth is a nationally recognized expert in special needs transportation. can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .