Specialized Transportation



Introduction

School transportation may include specialized transportation for students with special needs due to mobility restrictions or behavioural issues.  Special needs transportation can be either to a student’s local school or often involves transporting students from diverse locations to centralized program schools.  Special needs transportation may require non-yellow vehicles, longer ride times, and gathering students from a much larger geographical area.


Administrative Procedure

Program Placement and Student Management
A need is identified by a consultant of the Special Education Department.  The type of special needs transportation is determined by the special education consultant, school staff, and Transportation Department staff.

Students with special needs may be eligible for special transportation: 

• Students with physical disabilities which prevent them from accessing the regular school bus.

• Students who are placed in a system-designated class in a school other than their community school.

• Students identified with behavioural disorders, developmental disabilities or autism, whose disabilities are of such severity that, for safety reasons, they are unable to walk to school or access the regular school bus.

• Students in care and/or treatment facilities outside their communities.

• Students attending Provincial and Demonstration schools.

• Students attending summer schools who have physical disabilities which prevent them from accessing the regular school bus.

A “Request for Special Needs Transportation” form is generated by the Special Education Department and forwarded to the Transportation Department for implementation. 

Given the wide dispersion of students, scheduling is a major concern.  A special effort is made to plan schedules which both benefits the child and maximizes transportation efficiencies.

The first consideration for transportation of exceptional pupils is a regular school bus.  Specialized vehicles (i.e. mini-buses, cars/vans, or wheelchair accessible vehicles) are provided when required.  Where feasible, a specialized transportation service may be coordinated and shared with coterminous boards.


Standards of Performance, Specialized Transportation

A document was developed by the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario and coterminous boards for instruction and information for specialized transportation contractors and drivers who operate all vehicles excluding regular yellow buses.  Passenger safety and comfort are the Board’s first priority.  The Board is committed to the safe and efficient transportation of all students.  To be effective, it is important that personnel have an awareness of the unique challenges faced by students with special needs.  Our objective is to support the development of self-esteem, independence, self-discipline and responsibility in a climate of respect and caring.

This document provides guiding principles for the Transportation Department staff, Special Education Department staff, school staff, bus operator, driver, outside agencies, and students and their families.  These guiding principles aid in the delivery of services to students with specific medical, physical, emotional and mental circumstances.  Many of these medical circumstances are outlined in the Standards of Performance, Specialized Transportation document.