We are pleased to provide quality educational services for your children. Our mission in Special Needs Transportation is to ensure your child arrives at school and returns home safely with care and thought given to his/her individual needs. Our success is a result of our commitment, skill, knowledge, understanding, and ability to communicate. All drivers and assistants participate in frequent in-service training to expand and improve their skills and upgrade their knowledge of children with special needs.

Rider Eligibility
Resident district students with disabilities (as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Act) may be eligible for transportation as a related service, upon recommendation of an Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee at the student’s campus. Once eligibility has been established, transportation services are specified in the student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). A Transportation Information Sheet is generated by the ARD facilitator, and sent to the Transportation Department. The student is assigned a route, and his/her information is given to the driver/aide of that route. Within 3 days, the driver will contact the parent/guardian to:

Introduce him/herself and the assistant; Give contact numbers and a time when he/she is available to receive calls; and Establish times and location for your child's pick-up and drop-off.

As a parent, you can help support our mission by:
1. Attending your child's ARD committee meetings and Annual Reviews.
2. Providing updated information on address or phone number changes. These must be presented to the child’s campus.
3. Ensuring a responsible person is at the bus stop when your child is picked up in the morning and brought home in the afternoon.
4. Having your child ready to board the bus 5 minutes before the scheduled time each morning.
5. Calling 281-229-7300 and making an appointment to speak with the driver rather than delay the bus.
6. Teaching your child to follow the bus rules. (A copy will be provided to you.)
7. Notifying the Transportation Office (281-229-7300) as early as possible when your child will not be attending school
8. Sharing information with the driver and/or assistant regarding changes in schedule, medical status or major personal disruptions that would seriously affect your child's behavior.
9. Being open to information from the driver or assistant regarding their observations and concerns.
http://schools.dickinsonisd.org/page/10. Making sure your child goes to the restroom before boarding the bus.
11. Maintaining consistent day care. (Frequent changes adversely affect bus schedules for all students assigned to the bus.)
12. Remembering that students in wheelchairs must have properly operating lock brakes, foot rests, arm rests, and a safety belt, to ensure safe transporting.
13. Providing a list of suitable persons to receive your child, in the event of your absence, to Transportation.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What happens if I'm not home to receive my child after school?
If no one is home to receive your child when the driver arrives, the driver will inform the Transportation dispatcher of the situation. An attempt will be made to call the parent. If no contact is made, or the parent is not at home, the student will be returned to his/her campus.

2. Why does it take up to three days to begin transportation services for my child?
When a student is added to or dropped from a route, pick-up and drop-off times change for all students on that route.. Parents need to be informed as quickly as possible to adjust to changing pick-up and drop-off times. The driver also needs medical and behavioral information about new students before transporting them. The three day interval between notice and start of transport allows for necessary information processing.

3. Why must my child be on the bus so long?
Curb to curb service requires the drivers to go to multiple locations (as many as 10 - 15) spread out over a large geographic area, and transport students to locations that are often far away from the child's home attendance school. Our goal is for no student to be on the bus for more than one hour each way.

4. Is every student with a disability eligible for special transportation services?
No. Only students recommended by the ARD committee and whose IEP specifies that special transportation services are required to enable the student to obtain a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) will be eligible.

5. What does the ARD committee consider when it is deciding whether or not my child is eligible for special transportation services?
The ARD committee considers a number of factors including; the student’s disability, the location of the student’s special education services, the student’s communication abilities, and the student’s reliance on special equipment.

6. What should I do if the bus does not come in the morning or afternoon at the scheduled time?
If your child’s bus is more than 10 minutes late, please call Transportation (281-229-7300) for information on your child’s route status.

7. What should I do if I have an emergency and cannot be home to receive my child?
Call your student’s campus first, and relay the information. If someone else is going to receive the child, his/her name will be needed, and that person will have to show identification. If there is no one else to receive the child, he/she may have to remain at the campus, and arrangements will need to be made to pick him/her up from there.

8. Can my child be dropped off in the afternoon at a location other than my home?
Yes, as long as the alternate location is within the district, does not take the bus too far off route, and it is a permanent change. One day changes are not permitted. No stops will be made at places of business. A permanent change will be made only after the required 3 day period, and must be made through the student’s campus.

9. Whom do I call when I have questions or concerns?
If you have questions or concerns about transportation services for your child, please call the Transportation Department at 281-229-7300.