D.C. is planning to spend millions on private transportation as part of a plan to make sure students with disabilities get to school on time this fall, according to court documents.
The plan is tied to a lawsuit accusing the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) of denying students equal access to education. It alleged that buses for students with disabilities couldn’t be tracked reliably and were either late or never showed up.
In an 11-page court filing, OSSE said it plans to spend over $10 million on private transportation. The city also plans to buy a new system that it expects will lead to improved routing, and will get GPS tracking for buses.
The plan comes about two weeks after a judge ruled that the city had to turn over its transportation plan for the fall.
“We’re really happy that new resources have been directed toward transportation, because we clearly believe that that’s necessary,” said Kathy Zeisel, director of special legal projects at Children’s Law Center. “We’re hopeful that the District will make efforts to continue to improve transportation and to do what they’re saying in this plan.”
As part of the filing, the city said it’s planning to open a new terminal, which will enable buses to leave from different parts of D.C. It’s also working to hire more bus drivers and work with schools to improve routing and logistics.
Despite the details laid out in the court filing, Zeisel said the group is “going to be keeping a close eye on whether everything here does enough to fix transportation, because we have concerns about whether this is really enough to fix it.”
In a hearing scheduled for September, Zeisel said the city will provide an update on the impact the changes had throughout the first week of school.
“What this case is about is getting kids to school and getting them to be in their seats and learning on time every day,” Zeisel said.
In March, parents and members of the group The Arc of the United States filed the lawsuit. It accused buses of being late, hard to track, and, in some cases, not having the proper equipment for students with disabilities.
OSSE previously said it doesn’t comment on ongoing litigation.
Some parents involved with the lawsuit said changes to their children’s routines causes unnecessary stress and anxiety, and impacts their demeanor.
At the start of the school year, parents can describe any bus challenges that arise online.
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