when the shelter is outside of school district boundaries. The federal law extended similar protections to foster youth several years ago. The Ameri- can Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 buoyed those efforts by providing $800 million in funding to provide access to education for homeless students but offered little guidance on how those funds could be applied. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), meanwhile,
legislates that Individualized Education Programs (IEP) may require that school districts transport certain students based on their needs. Howev- er, IDEA does not specify that only yellow school buses be used to fulfill those needs. IDEA regulations state only that the vehicle must be allow- able by state law. Grey areas invariably arise. Alleged deficiencies in transporting students with disabilities led to
an investigation last year of Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. Also in 2022, parental complaints resulted in a similar investigation by the Massachu- setts Department of Education into how the Boston Public Schools system transports students with disabilities. Both school districts are developing plans to address those deficiencies.
A National View There were 1,099,221 children experiencing homelessness for the 2020- 2021 school year, according to the most recent figures released by the National Center for Homeless Education at the University of North Caro- lina at Greensboro. Although this number is down from the 1,280,886 in 2018-2019, the last pre-pandemic school year reported, chronic absentee- ism increased to 41.9 percent from 27.3 percent for the same period. This number was impacted by virtual learning, explained Barbara
Duffield, executive director of The SchoolHouse Connection, a nonprof- it based in Washington, D.C., that is dedicated to ending homelessness through education by supporting state-based programs. She also noted that transportation was a recurring topic of discussion at a national con- ference on ending homelessness last summer in Washington, D.C. “[We] definitely heard lots of liaisons talking about increased [homeless]
numbers due to inflation, housing costs and the lingering impact of the pandemic,” Duffield said. “And yes, the crunch on transportation, too.” In a March 2022 document clarifying the “allowable and strategic” uses
of ARP funds, SchoolHouse Connection noted that the funding is specif- ically dedicated to support identifying, enrolling and encouraging school participation of youth who are experiencing homelessness, including through wrap-around services such as transportation. The American Res- cue Plan-Homeless Children and Youth Funds (ARP-HCY) were released in two phases. Among those uses covered in the document to fulfill IDEA and ARP-
HCY requirements is contracting with third-party providers and vehicles other than school buses to transport students, as long as they comply with local education agency (LEA) requirements. This can include rideshare options to school and/or school activities, if allowed by states or local education agencies, “considering such concerns as safety, availability, convenience, and cost,” reads the summary. The ARP-HCY funds can also be used to reimburse parents for using rideshare with their child to school
Along with being the #1 choice for school bus exhaust systems, Auto-jet is also a leading supplier of DPFs, radiators, fuel tanks and more. More than 30,000 parts are in stock for fast shipping.
auto-jet.com 800-247-5391
30K+
REASONS TO CHOOSE AUTO-JET
www.stnonline.com 19
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54
