Articles/News - Special Needs Transportation

Displaying 21  -  40  of  390
Bus driver runs red light, crashes into power pole
January 4, 2013
Officials for the Florida Highway Patrol say that Jack Timmel sped through the light and sideswiped a minivan before crashing into a concrete wall and the light pole. The six special-needs students on the bus are uninjured, and Timmel is cited for the violation.
Student dies after medical emergency on bus
January 3, 2013
Officials say that the student’s private-duty nurse, who was with him on the bus, performed CPR, and a special-education assistant and the bus driver also tried to help. The student was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
District reviews special-needs safety following students’ deaths
November 30, 2012
One student with a neuromuscular disorder passed away in January, a day after she began choking on her school bus. The bus driver and aide reportedly tried to have the dispatch operator or transportation supervisor call 911. In the second incident, a student with Down syndrome drowned in a pond behind a middle school in October.
Court supervision for D.C. bus service ends
November 30, 2012
The parties in the Petties v. D.C. case agree in early November to end the federal oversight, but the case will remain active until after a Dec. 19 fairness hearing on the proposed agreement. The agreement comes in the wake of a report that the city is in compliance with performance standards put in place by the court for special-needs pupil transportation services.
School van company suspended for drunken driving incident
November 30, 2012
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles suspends all of Ride-Rite Medi-Van Co.'s school pupil transportation licenses, and the company will be required to pay $100 per suspended registration for each of the vehicles. Michael Tantillo was allegedly drunk when he transported a special-needs student for four hours, and he did not have a school bus driver’s license.
7 more earn special-needs endorsement
November 30, 2012
Pupil transportation professionals from Colorado to Virginia complete the National Association for Pupil Transportation program, which is designed to increase participants’ knowledge about transporting students with disabilities.
Special-needs bus driver hasn’t missed work in a decade
November 2, 2012
A factor that has reportedly influenced Patrick Dufrene’s perfect attendance is his feeling that it’s not just his job, but his responsibility to make sure that the students he transports get an education.
Video shows inside of bus during accident
November 2, 2012
In the footage released by San Antonio Independent School District, a car can be seen colliding with the bus, and the bus begins to crash through an interstate overpass. The video cuts out before the bus hits the access road below.
Evacuating passengers with special needs and equipment
November 2, 2012

Pupil transportation officials must have access to medical information on the students they are transporting, especially when the students are dependent on medical equipment and others for their care. They must also have a well-developed evacuation plan for all students that they transport.

Calif. bill aims to allow more funds for special-needs busing
October 31, 2012
The bill's author, Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, says that it will enable school districts to draw down more federal funds for transporting students with disabilities. The legislation, signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, goes into effect on Jan. 1.
Special-needs transporter named district’s Driver of the Year
October 1, 2012
Pennsylvania’s Pennsbury School District gives Debra Roche the honor for the 2011-12 school year. Roche, chosen out of 135 school bus drivers, has nearly 40 years of experience at the wheel and has transported special-needs students for the past decade.

Driver, monitor fired for leaving student behind on bus
October 1, 2012
The boy, who has special needs, falls asleep on the way to school, and the driver and aide discover him after returning from lunch about 30 minutes later. They are placed on administrative leave and terminated the next day.
District investigates student handcuffing incident
October 1, 2012
Police handcuff the autistic student after responding to a call from his bus driver and aide, who report that they and two students were bitten after the boy became aggressive and escaped his seat harness. The boy’s mother says the situation should have been handled differently.
Ricon launches new wheelchair lifts for school buses
September 18, 2012
Company officials say that the new TITANIUM line of wheelchair lifts is engineered with high-strength steel alloy construction that enables true 1,000-pound capacity.
District collects toys for special-needs students
September 10, 2012
Washington Elementary School District #6 in Phoenix provides the small toys to these passengers to offer them comfort in stressful situations. Transportation Supervisor for Special Education Antonio Mlynek says three Walmart stores in the state donated $250 to assist with the purchases.
Study: Students with disabilities more likely to be bullied
September 10, 2012
The study published in the Journal of School Psychology finds that students who receive special-education services are at increased risk for bullying others, for being bullied and for being sent to the school office for disciplinary problems. Students with observable disabilities, such as language or hearing impairments or mild mental handicaps, report the highest levels of bullying others and being bullied themselves.
Physical therapists are valuable resource for transportation
August 28, 2012

From providing information on disabilities and how they will impact the school bus ride to offering tips for proper wheelchair securement and evacuations, these individuals can greatly assist in safely transporting special-needs students. In the new school year, they should be involved in planning and training sessions.

American Logistics Co. to serve Calif. district
August 14, 2012
The transportation management company has been selected by Carlsbad Unified School District to provide special-needs transportation service under a three-year contract. Officials say the agreement is expected to save the district and taxpayers more than $3 million, and that the company has saved the district 40% annually since 2007.
Industry veteran completes NAPT special-needs program
August 7, 2012
Ted Finlayson-Schueler is the latest pupil transportation official to complete the association’s Special Needs Transportation Training Program. The program has a core curriculum that consists of six special-needs courses in a variety of settings, and it is supplemented by two courses of elective instruction from the NAPT Professional Development Series Program.
Transporting students with autism
August 7, 2012

Autism can affect behavior, speech and language development, sensorimotor skills, visual and auditory processing, and learning skills. Understanding the extent of this condition in your passengers will help in determining how they should be treated during bus rides and evacuations.

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