Students in foster care do not fall under


the McKinney-Vento Act, as they are in a separate classification covered by the Fostering Connections Act of 2008. Tis legislation requires child welfare agencies to place foster children in settings close to their schools of origin, if possible. Tis could include family foster homes or group homes. A portion of the funding that child welfare


agencies receive may be used to provide transportation for the student if necessary, but most foster children ride regular bus routes because of their placements. Conversely, Duffield says only 19 percent


of McKinney-Vento students are in homeless shelters. “Te rest are bouncing from couch to couch and between motels, cars and trailers.” School districts employ various to


arrangements transport homeless


students, including private contractors, city bus passes, reimbursements for parents and, in some cases, taxicabs. Te Peoria (Ariz.) School District has


a fleet of six white passenger vans to transport homeless students. Te district receives no McKinney-Vento funding but instead uses a portion of a separate federal grant that covers a variety of expenses for homeless students including backpacks, food, housing and transportation. “Te current system we utilize has proven


to be cost-effective, efficient and appears to best meet the unique needs of many of the unhoused students we transport,” says Sean Schubert, the district’s homeless education liaison. “Our passenger vans can transport up to six students at a time and are able to move safely into areas that are not always accessible to the much larger yellow school buses. Many shelters do not have large pick-up and drop-off areas by virtue of their locations.” Minnesota is one of the few states to


pass legislation that requires reimbursing school districts for transporting homeless students.


Becky Hicks, homeless education supervisor for St. Paul Schools,


says state aid helps the district cope with the 27-percent increase in homeless students from the prior school year. “We’re very fortunate, but even with


(state aid), it can get really tough,” Hicks says. “Tings can change so quickly with homeless students because their shelter policy might change. We route students continuously.” ALC’s Carey said changing a bus route


for one student could impact 40 others. “We have some students travelling up


to 60 miles one way to get to school,” she says. “I’ve talked with districts that have kids on the bus for two and a half hours.” Duffield says assigning homeless students


to shelters located near their original schools would be the first step in addressing a problem with no easy solutions. “Tis is a community issue, so


communities should come together to address this problem by attempting to refer students to shelters close to their home school.” n


7 North Street


Outsourcing Pupil Transportation Makes Sense for School Districts Setting the Standard for Safety


SAFETY


W H Y A T L A N T I C E X P R E S S ? SAVINGS


Staten Island, NY 10302 www.atlanticexpress.com


email: busdev@atlanticexpress.com 1-800-336-3886 ext. 8073


Pupil Transportation is a complex business that includes many aspects such as routing, vehicle maintenance, school bell time management, capital investment, operator training and many other specialties. But when you get right down to it, the two most important reasons school districts and private school systems outsource their student transportation are safety and savings. By far, according to independent research, the safest way for children to get to and from school is on yellow school buses. It’s safer than walking, riding a bike, public transportation, taxis and even being dropped off and picked up by a parent. Independent research also tells us that outsourcing can save school districts 10% or more in their transportation costs.


EXPERIENCE


Our fleets have access to and can be equipped with GreenRoadTM


, a


high tech personalized electronic driving coach system combined with GPS that provides feedback to help measure, improve and sustain safe and fuel-efficient driving decisions. Drivers and management are provided web-based performance reports and analysis that empower drivers to reduce crashes, improve fuel economy and reduce costs.


By analyzing your current routes, bus times and capacities, mainte- nance schedules and other important operational aspects, Atlantic Express can create efficient systems and transportation solutions that will save your school district money. By paying a fixed annual price for your student transportation needs, there are never any budget short- falls or unexpected costs.


Atlantic Express is one of the largest providers of school bus transporta- tion in North America with over 40 years of experience. Our reputation for unmatched standards in safety, quality and reliability make Atlantic Express the transportation provider of choice for some of the nation’s largest and most complex school districts, as well as small school dis- tricts and private schools.


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