STILLWATER, Minn. — A student who suffers life-threatening seizures rode a school bus alone for months despite having an individualized education program (IEP) that stated that staff would monitor her, KSTP reports.

In November 2014, Stillwater Area Public Schools agreed that Emily Quandt, 7, would not ride the bus alone because she suffers grand mal seizures, which can last for up to one hour and often result in trips to the emergency room, according to the news source. District administrators stated in the IEP that Quandt needed a trained person to ride the bus with her every day because of the risk of life-threatening seizures "and the need for immediate administration of emergency medication," KSTP reports.

However, Quandt was aboard the bus alone for months, according to the news source. Quandt’s mother continued to have her daughter take the five-minute bus ride because she had not had a seizure in more than a year, but continued to press the district to comply with the IEP. Then, when Quandt’s seizure symptoms returned last spring, her mother stopped having her ride the bus.

A district spokesperson stated that when services are added to a student’s IEP, the district immediately takes steps to staff the position, and until it is able to fill it, it works with families on interim plans for providing the service, KSTP reports. In May, Quandt’s mother was informed that an aide would be on the bus in the afternoon but not in the morning because the district did not have the staff available. The district did comply with the IEP over the summer, and Quandt will not ride the school bus alone this school year, according to the news source.

Quandt’s parents reached a settlement in which the district also agreed to train staff on IEP procedures and hired a part-time clerk to ensure compliance, KSTP reports.

To read the full story, go here.