to its Fort Valley, Ga., facility to realize synergies. But they never materialized, ac- cording to company spokespersons. At the same time of Blue Bird’s and
Girardin’s announcement, Starcraft un- veiled plans to enter the Type C market with new partner Hino Trucks. Te pro- totype was expected to be ready in time for this summer’s trade show season.
Charter Schools, School Choice and Homeless Transportation In an economy that continues to result
in shrinking school transportation bud- gets, the industry also dealt with potential increases in service tied to new and ex- panding programs. Te U.S. Department of Education has been a big advocate for
the spread of charter schools nationwide since last summer, and we reported in November that the push is pulling school bus transportation into the mix. A 2009 STN survey found that a dozen states re- quire by law that funding be provided for transportation to and from charter schools. And the conversation includes No Child Left Behind and school choice as well, both of which have the potential for greatly increasing transportation services. Ten there are homeless students, whose numbers have skyrocketed in large part due to the recession. Te McKinney-Vento Act requires schools to have plans in place for transporting students to their school of origin. But the same economy has put a big drain on school budgets, which has made it harder and harder to transport students, despite a tried but failed attempt by the American School Bus Council to solicit the U.S. Department of Transportation’s help in increasing ridership.
Federal Guidance on Special Needs Transportation In January and February, STN contribu-
tor and legal expert Peggy A. Burns wrote on some positive language for special needs school transportation services con- tained in a new online FAQ posted by the Department of Education’s Office of Spe- cial Education and Rehabilitative Services, or OSERS. It referred to school busing as an educational component that is neces- sary for many students with disabilities to realize a Free and Appropriate Public Education under Section 504, or FAPE. Te section also discussed the role of the IEP meeting in describing the type of transpor- tation needed for students with disabilities and how the related service is to be offered. OSERS also cited school busing as a pre- ferred way to offer travel training to this student population, and it gave strategies for transporting students with disabilities, with preference given to first mainstream- ing these children on regular routes, and providing bus stop monitors. n
Care to weigh in on the most newsworthy events or issues of the 2009-2010 school year? Visit our Facebook page at
www.stnonline.com/go/658 or email
ryan@stnonline.com.
80 School Transportation News Magazine July 2010
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