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Special Services Transportation Guidelines
BUS SCHEDULES/ BUS ROUTES
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The Student Transportation Services Department will communicate to parents the exact date service will begin with a predesignated place or location and the estimated time for pickup and delivery. The schedule may vary slightly from day to day.
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We are unable to approve parental requests for preferred pickup and delivery times, except as required to provide free appropriate public education.
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The special services routes are not published.
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All times provided for bus stops are approximate as there are several variables which may contribute to arrival times such as weather, traffic and other unexpected factors. We strongly encourage our parents to download the My Stop App which will provide parents / guardians with GPS and approximate arrival time information for the bus in route.
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Bus routes mainly consist of one address for pick-up and one address for drop-off, five days a week. Divorced parents or guardians sharing custody must choose which address will be used to get their student to and from the school within the program zone of the attending school.
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All buses will wait at a student’s stop for 3 minutes before continuing to their next stop. All students will need to be out and ready for the bus 5 minutes prior to the bus arriving unless:
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The weather is too cold to wait outside.
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If you live in an apartment, you may want to wait at the bus stop in your vehicle.
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Your student uses a wheelchair.
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PICKUP AND DELIVERY
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Under normal circumstances, students will not be picked up or delivered outside the boundaries of the Dallas Independent School District.
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Driver and bus attendants are not be permitted to carry students on and off the bus.
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Students that cannot walk up the stairs to board, but can walk to their seat once on board, may be offered a transport chair to use on the lift only, then transfer to a bus seat.
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Students must be able to walk on/off or use a lift with a secure and approved wheelchair. This includes: a securement safety belt, good brakes, appropriate head rest (if needed).
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Scooters and stroller-type wheel chairs are not compliant with Federal Safety Standards and will not be permitted during transport.
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At drop off, if no adult is present to receive the student, the driver will alert dispatch and continue on the route. The driver will attempt to return at the end of the route to drop the student off. If no adult is present to receive the student at this time, School Police will be called.
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Bus drivers are not authorized to change pickup and/or delivery addresses.
WHEELCHAIRS: All wheelchairs must be compliant with Federal & State Standards.
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All wheelchairs must be secured with 4 securements and a shoulder lap belt. All students also must be secured within the wheelchair itself.
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Brakes and head and/or foot supports must always be tight and secure.
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If any of the above items are not working properly, it may result in transportation delays.
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Parents are responsible to make sure the wheelchair is safe and compliant for transport.
LIFTS: Only DISD employees may operate bus lifts.
E - Link
Please use the Tyler's Versatrans e-Link System to find your child's route information.
For information on how to access the Tyler's Versatrans e-Link System please click here
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TRANSPORTATION AS A RELATED SERVICE
The IEP Team is responsible for determining if transportation is required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education and
related services, and how the transportation services should be implemented. T 34 CFR §§300.107 and 300.117.The IDEA does not require LEAs to transport children with disabilities in separate vehicles, isolated from their peers. In fact, many children with disabilities can receive the same transportation provided to non disabled children, consistent with the least restrictive environment requirements in 34 CFR §§300.114 through 300.120.
If a student’s ARD committee determines and documents in the IEP that the student requires transportation in order to receive FAPE, the LEA must provide it.
Under IDEA, transportation is considered a “related service.” Related services are provided to children with disabilities to assist them in benefiting from special education services.
Not all students with disabilities require special transportation. Some students with disabilities are able to ride the “regular” bus without any support, or with the support of a sibling or a neighborhood friend. It may be beneficial for your child to at least attempt this option with natural supports before automatically determining that special transportation is required.
All students with an IEP are not entitled to transportation. If transportation is requested for reasons not related to the child's disability, it is not a required related service under IDEA.
Least Restrictive Environment does apply to transportation considerations. A student should only be removed from a regular education transportation environment (i.e. the typical school bus) if required because of a disability. Some students need a specially equipped vehicle to provide safety, but the issue of considering LRE should always come into play when considering special transportation.
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SPECIAL SERVICES STUDENTS DEFINED
A special-program student is a student with a disability who requires specialized transportation to access his or her academic program and certain other related services and who either:
meets all three of these requirements:
- the student is eligible under the TEC 29.003 and Part B (Public Law 101-476) and Part H (Public Law 102-119) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 and subsequent amendments;
- the student would be unable to attend school and benefit from his or her special education program of instruction (including extended school year programs and community-based transitional life skills training) or developmental, corrective, and other supplementary supportive services without being provided special transportation as necessary related service, as determined on an individual (case-by-case) basis; and
- the student has the requirement for special transportation properly documented by a duly authorized admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee in the student's individualized education program (IEP) as required related service to be provided by the district;
OR
meets all three of these requirements:
- the student is eligible under Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and subsequent amendments:
- the student would be unable to attend school and benefit from his or her academic program of instruction without being provided special transportation as a necessary related service, as determined on an individual (case-by-case) basis; and
- the student has the requirement for special transportation properly documented by the district in the student's Section 504 accommodation plan.
Students who receive special education or have Section 504 plans but do not require specialized transportation to participate in their education programs are considered regular-program students for transportation purposes
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FIELD TRIPS
Students who receive special education services must also receive free transportation to participate in class field trips.
Buses equipped with a lift are available for field trips.
The individual requesting transportation for a field trip must include the need for a bus with a lift if one is needed.
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SPECIAL SERVICES ROUTING AND PLANNING TEAM
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions and Answers on Serving Children with Disabilities Eligible for Transportation
How long will the routing process take? It generally takes up to five (5) business days during the school year. Making sure the school has all the correct information on the Student Information System can streamline this process.
When will my child’s transportation begin? Your student's bus driver will contact you with all times for pick-up and drop-off and to confirm all information in the Transportation system is correct.Who do I notify when my student is not riding? Contact the Transportation Call Center at 972-925-4287 or submit a Let's Talk Ticket.- Please let us know if your student will be out of school for more than three (3) days.
Who do I call if bus is late for pick-up or drop-off? Contact the Transportation Call Center at 972-925-4287 or submit a Let's Talk Ticket.
Reasons why the bus would not arrive to pick-up your student?- Student is a no-call/no-show for the morning pick-up for three (3) consecutive school days. To resume service a call from the parent is needed. Call the Transportation Call Center at 972-925-4287, requesting bus service to resume for your student for the next business day.