Schools across the country are scaling back their school bus services as districts face budget constraints, driver shortages, and other local factors. According to a recent Federal Highway Administration survey, 28 percent of students in the U.S. take the bus to school, down from 36 percent in 2017.
While changing transportation habits and increased walking distances mean some students don’t need access to a bus, others, including those with disabilities, can end up getting left behind. Students who cannot walk, bike, or need specialized transportation can end up the most hurt by school bus cuts.
The Individuals with Disabilities Act mandates that school districts provide transportation to students with disabilities. But if a district doesn’t provide transportation to non-disabled children, that rule may not apply to them.
The Department of Education is now investigating DC Public Schools over allegations that the district is failing students with disabilities because of an inconsistent busing program. According to a recent WJLA report, parents in the district claim their children miss critical lessons because buses are late or never show up at all.
In St. Louis, a last-minute bus vendor change ahead of the 2024-2025 school year created chaos for 19,000 students. Parents reportedly scrambled to get their children to school, as the district handed out gas gift cards and alternative shuttle services.
In Louisville, entire days of school were cancelled in 2023 due to what critics describe as a disastrous overhaul of the bus system, which left some kids on buses until 10 p.m.
In New York City, 43 percent of the children reliant on the bus system have disabilities. There are wide reports of delayed and overcrowded buses, fueling chronic absenteeism for students with disabilities in the nation’s largest school district. According to a report by Chalkbeat, an 8-year-old boy who attends a school for the deaf in New York was stuck on a bus for six hours with no food or water in 2023.
School bus shortages can hurt all kinds of children and families, with the most vulnerable populations likely affected the most.
The attorneys at Kennedy Hunt P.C. are experts in education and disability law and champions for students and families. Our attorneys exclusively represent students and have filed many cases against school districts over alleged disability rights violations. Read more about the education law cases we take on here.