View FileAugust 22, 2003 to National School Transportation Association Regulatory Liaison Robin L. Leeds and National Association for Pupil Transportation Executive Director Michael J. Martin (MS Word)
Dated August 22, 2003Ms. Robin L. LeedsRegulatory LiaisonNational School Transportation Association625 Slaters Lane, Suit 205Alexandria, VA 22314Dear Ms. Leeds:This is in reply to your letter regarding concerns expressed by your Association that transportation providers, including contractors, bus drivers, and aides, are often not included in school district plans or training related to transporting children with disabilities under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Part B) and its implementing regulations. I am sending an identical response to Michael Martin, Executive Director of the National Association for Pupil Transportation. We appreciate the concerns identified in your letter and share your interest in ensuring that children with disabilities are appropriately and effectively transported by informed and well-trained transportation providers. In your letter, you indicated that (1) transportation providers are rarely consulted by members of the individualized education program (IEP) teams for children with disabilities who require transportation as a related service and are not provided with the opportunity to express their opinions regarding appropriate supports and potential problem areas during the development of those students' IEPs; and (2) transportation providers are rarely included in special education training programs and do not receive child-specific training from the education personnel who are familiar with the students' needs. You stated that the problems facing transportation providers as outlined above seem to be the result of a failure to appropriately implement and comply with the Part B regulations at the state and local levels, rather than a deficiency in the regulations themselves. You have asked the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to remind the SStephanie Smith LeeDirectorOffice of Special Education ProgramsPage PAGE 2 - Mr. Michael J. Martin
