SPECIAL REPORT


Thinking Outside the Bus


Creativity can ensure students with disabilities, who are experiencing homelessness, or in foster care get to school despite a crippling national bus driver shortage and a staggering COVID-19 hangover


Written by Art Gissendaner N


ecessity triggers evolution. And necessity is a major catalyst in the evolution of trans- porting children who have disabilities, are experiencing homelessness, or are in foster


care. This evolution was made even more critical by the contributing factors of a national school bus driver shortage and a two-year onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. The crux of the problem is that each of these at-risk student populations is protected by federal and state


18 School Transportation News • JANUARY 2023


laws on transportation safety, vehicle type and driver qualifications. And school districts must comply with those regulations to be eligible for millions of dollars in grants to initiate solutions to transportation issues that will preserve the equal access to free and appropriate public education (FAPE) opportunities by these student populations. Students covered by the McKinney-Vento Homeless


Assistance Act of 1987 receive mandatory transporta- tion from temporary shelters to school and back, even


MARCUS SWAINSTON/JORDAN SCHOOL DISTRICT IN UTAH


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