Collaborative School Districts for Specialized Student Transportation: The Benefits of Working Together

Christopher Vazquez Director of Business Development, Coordinated Transportation Solutions

As a vital resource for the health and well-being of our communities, having access to transportation for the most vulnerable students is an important social driver of health and an important responsibility for districts across the state.

When it comes to students with specialized needs (for example, students in foster care, students experiencing homelessness, and students with learning or physical disabilities), they are entitled to transportation to and from their places of learning. Because of its complex and individualized nature, transporting students with specialized needs to and from school is often challenging and expensive. This financial strain on public school systems’ budgets is a reality throughout Connecticut and across the country.

A report by the National Conference of State Legislatures notes that the average cost of special education transportation rose from $905 per pupil in school year 2005-2006 to $1,177 per pupil in 2015-2016, an increase of 30 percent.

Many superintendents are turning to collaborative transportation programs to combat these rising education costs, which allow multiple public school districts to consolidate their specialized student transportation needs. These partnerships can lower expenses and improve efficiency while providing safe and reliable transportation services.

According to a report by the National School Transportation Association, by participating in collaborative transportation programs, school districts can save up to 40 percent on transportation costs for their students with specialized needs, utilize more efficient routes, and reduce the amount of time students spend on the bus, thereby increasing the amount of time students spend in the classroom.

This may sound obvious, but collaborative transportation programs do not happen independently or in a vacuum – they require local knowledge and expertise to help organize and execute. To successfully implement an effective program, school districts need to partner with specialized transportation companies. This collaboration results in the creation of fully customized routes and schedules tailored to the specific needs of each student that are efficient and reduce the overall cost of transportation for participating school districts.

In addition to actual cost savings and increased efficiency, collaborative transportation programs can also improve safety and enhance communication. Having a qualified, full-service transportation provider as a single point of contact to manage all communications and confidential student information means fewer mistakes, greater efficiency, and reduced administrative staff hours that can be reallocated to other essential duties.

Furthermore, experienced transportation providers can offer additional services such as vehicle maintenance and essential training for drivers on important topics like cultural sensitivity and confidentiality. Monitors, real-time GPS, and cameras, along with other possible safety features, could also be provided. Additionally, working with these providers on a collaborative transportation program may further reduce costs by allowing insurance fees to be divided among the participating public schools.

In addition to gaining real-world savings and efficiencies, equity in education is also strengthened by collaborative transportation programs. Students with specialized needs have the right to access the same educational opportunities as their peers, and transportation is a critical component of that access. By pooling resources, school districts can ensure that all students can access reliable and safe transportation to and from school, regardless of the district’s size. In addition, cost savings from pooling resources can be used to fund other initiatives such as classroom supplies, technology, and extracurricular activities.

Collaborative transportation programs can have environmental benefits as well. By consolidating routes and reducing emissions, schools can decrease their carbon footprint, contribute to collective efforts to lower air pollution and promote more sustainable practices. This has become an essential consideration in recent years many schools and districts seek to reduce their negative environmental impact.

In conclusion, a collaborative approach to specialized student trans- portation provides an excellent solution to this population’s challenges. Schools can benefit from cost savings, increased efficiency, and enhanced safety, ensuring that reliable and safe transportation to and from school is a reality for all students, including those with specialized needs. Ultimately, effective collaboration offers a promising approach that will allow parents

Protected Classes

(continued from page 8) to a person’s “familial responsibilities” (with certain exceptions, see Section 46a-60). The point is that this can be a complicated topic!

For public school districts, employment protections contain one of the most important groups of protected classes for one simple reason: school districts employ a lot of staff.

These are the protected classes in employment: race, color, religious creed, age, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, present or past history of mental disability, intellectual disability, learning disability, physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness, status as a veteran or status as a victim of domestic violence (Section 46a-60). Depending on how the groups are counted, that is currently about fifteen protected classes.

The List of Protected Classes

Continually Grows (and a Conclusion)

What is considered a protected class in Connecticut law is constantly being modified. Here is a brief summary of recent changes to protected classes relevant to school districts:

• status as a victim of domestic violence was added throughout the and school districts to feel confident and secure in their children’s efficient delivery while improving access to education for all students. human rights statutes (2022)

Coordinated Transportation Solutions (CTS), a non-profit, based in Trumbull, Connecticut, is a CABE Scholar Level Business Affiliate. For information contact Christopher Vazquez.

• race was defined to include ethnic traits associated with race (hair texture and protective hairstyles, but not limited to those), with a further definition for protective hairstyles, and these definitions apply to both the human rights statutes and educational opportunities in Section 10-15c (2021)

• status as a veteran was added throughout the human rights statutes (2017)

• gender identity or expression was added throughout the human rights statutes and to educational opportunities (2011)

Understanding protected classes may be a bit daunting, but it is important work as education leaders make our public schools safer and more equitable. Also, please note that this article only discussed state law! There was no discussion of important federal laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Title VII, or Title IX, as some examples. And while it may not be easy reading to understand protected classes, not many people seek to be an education leader for some light responsibility, but rather because the responsibilities are so important.