SPECIAL REPORT
teacher and administrator at the Lansing School District, to an owner of the alternative transportation business that bears his family name. “Driving a school bus doesn’t stop at obtaining a com-
mercial drivers license. It’s about preparing the drivers and attendants, who have just as much impact on students as teachers,” said Patrick Dean, vice president of business development and Kellie’s son. “Individuals who work with special needs students often have longevity in the industry, because they understand the impact they can make.” Through a traditional con- tracting model, the company currently serves nearly 125 districts (many are in lower Michigan) and transports ap- proximately 80,000 students daily using 1,500 buses. About 65 percent of its business focuses on special needs transportation, and the remainder focuses on general student populations through yellow bus routes. With all of its growth, the
company retains more of a “small company” feel, as expressed by stakeholders within communi- ties, school districts and families. “The quality of this company starts right at the top with Kellie Dean, who is devoted to the needs of children,” said Coni Sullivan, assistant superintendent of human resources and legal services at the Kent Intermediate School District in Grand Rapids, which has contracted with Dean Transportation since 2000. “You can see this dedication in the people who are hired and the standards set.” Dean Transportation often replenishes its fleet of school buses with specialized equipment and wheelchair lifts. Tending to special needs students from ages three to the mid-20s, employees are trained extensively on all physical aspects of driving and caring for onboard passengers. That includes CPR, medical protocols and tracheostomy suction. Autism now affects one in 59 children, and school transportation providers are increasingly required to properly interact with nonverbal students, using alterna- tive means of communication. Dean Transportation was the first transportation company to seek out Michigan
26 School Transportation News • MARCH 2019
Autism Safety Training, which was developed in 2011 by the nonprofit organization Autism Alliance of Michigan. The face-to-face training that is delivered at the com- pany’s local operations throughout Michigan last year, included nearly 2,000 drivers, attendants, monitors and its behind-the-scenes support staff. “Bus drivers are some of the most familiar adults in a
young child’s life, who may be associated with difficult transitions, and separation from a familiar place,” said Tammy Morris, chief program officer at Autism Alliance of Michigan. “For anxious students and parents, this means that students with autism could board a school bus and know that the com- pany, driver and dispatcher, all have familiarity with the types of challenges that might occur on the bus.”
Bus drivers are some of the most familiar adults in a young child’s life, who may be associated with difficult transitions, and separation from a familiar place.” —Tammy Morris, Autism Alliance of Michigan
Alternate Solutions in Fast-Growing Areas A growing number of school districts are turning to niche contractors that don’t own or operate special vehicles to transport special needs students. Instead, these alternative companies serve districts and students by subcontracting drivers in their personal vehicles, and interacting with them through logistics and ride- sharing platforms. Littleton Public Schools
quickly turned to two fairly new companies operating in Colorado—American Logistics Company (ALC)
and HopSkipDrive—to transport special needs students around the congested streets that are south of down- town Denver. As the city has attracted more residents in recent years, the district has become strained by road construction, limited funds for new buses, and a change in bell times at the middle and high schools. Both companies fill the needs for transporting students
with special needs (IEP & Section 504 plans) or special sit- uations (homeless and foster care mandates under ESSA and McKinney-Vento), as well as students who move out- of-district, but who want to stay in the same schools. They just do it very differently than traditional contractors.
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