The student's IEP team determines the need for special education transportation.

No, special education students will be transported on regular buses and on regular routes whenever possible. Special education students who are able to attend school in their home attendance center, ride a regular school bus and live within 2.5 miles of their school will pay the transportation fee.

Free transportation for special education students will be provided when a student's physical, emotional or behavioral condition warrants it, or when it is necessary to transport a student to a school other than his or her home attendance center.

Common situations include:

• When a physical challenge requires a special lift bus.
  
  
• When a student is assigned to a program at a school that is not in his or her home school attendance area.
  
  
• When special education students need transportation to work sites.
  
  
• For preschool students with special education IEPs.
  
  
• When a gifted education student needs to be transported to another school for higher level class offerings.
  
  
• For students who are approved by the IEP Team for the Extended School Year Program.
  
  

Blue Valley Schools contracts with a primary service provider for the transportation of special education students. The district may also employ additional providers to transport many of our 18-21 and CDOP students.

​The student’s IEP team will determine and indicate on the IEP if the student qualifies for special education transportation as a related service.  When transportation as a related services is first initiated, the student’s case manager will contact the district’s transportation office and complete a digital transportation request form.  However, for transportation needs that have been established already and continue to be required, each summer families will be asked to complete a transportation request form digitally to include the information required to continue transportation.

Transportation services will be started as quickly as possible. The normal time quoted by the transportation companies is up to 10 days from the receipt of the special education transportation request digital form by the Transportation Office.  For special education transportation that continues into the next school year, the information provided by the parents must be submitted by a specified date in July; any submissions provided after that date may result in a delay in starting transportation services.

The district's contracted transportation service provider will contact the parent to confirm bus route information and pick-up time right before the transportation is to start.