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Parent urges DeKalb school board to reinstate Westside Children’s Therapy as bus drop-off for special‑needs students
Summary
A parent told the DeKalb CUSD 428 board that recent busing changes removed Westside Children’s Therapy as an approved drop-off, disrupting routines for students with developmental delays and requests the district reinstate the site, improve parent notice of changes, and review the bus contractor’s performance.
Jeffrey Olajar, a parent of an autistic student at Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School, told the DeKalb CUSD 428 Board of Education that recent busing changes have harmed students with special needs and asked the board to act.
Olajar said the district removed Westside Children’s Therapy from the list of approved bus drop-off locations “without notifying parents, effective at the end of the school year,” and that his son’s individualized education program calls for curb-to-curb bus service. “Abrupt changes are difficult for autistic children,” he said, adding the removal has forced families to “scramble for safe and appropriate care.”
The parent also reported chronic operational problems with the contracted bus service: inconsistent arrival times, unreliable GPS updates and frequent lateness that upsets students who rely on routine. “The bus’s arrival time is also inconsistent,” Olajar said.
In response, board staff asked for a follow-up. A district staff member asked Director of Student and Family Services Kyle Curtis to speak with Olajar and provide answers; the board requested staff follow up after the meeting.
Why it matters: The removal of a therapy provider used by medically or developmentally fragile students can impose safety and caregiving burdens on families and may conflict with transport provisions in students’ IEPs. Board members did not take a formal vote during the public comment period, but a staff follow-up was assigned.
The board later discussed broader transparency and policy-notice practices during the meeting; several trustees said they want improved advance notice to families when operational practices change.
Direction: District staff were directed to follow up with the parent and to review the bus company’s performance and the communication process for changes to approved drop‑off locations.
No formal policy or rule change was approved at the meeting.
