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Councilors order hearing after Boston Public Schools announces opt‑out bus policy; special education concerns raised
Summary
Councilors requested a hearing with Boston Public Schools on a new procedure pausing transportation service after 10 consecutive no‑shows; members and advocates said students with disabilities and families with limited digital access could be harmed if communications and safeguards are not clarified.
Councilors filed a hearing order asking Boston Public Schools (BPS) officials to explain a new bus ridership procedure that pauses transportation assignments for students who do not use their assigned bus for 10 consecutive school days without prior notice.
Councilor Ed Flynn, who filed the order, described the policy as an effort to improve the “reliability, safety, and efficiency” of yellow bus service but said implementation raised outstanding questions, including how BPS will communicate with and protect students with disabilities. Councilor Flynn asked for clarification about how BPS will work with families who lack reliable phone access and whether special education transportation required by Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) could be disrupted.
Councilor Murphy, co‑sponsor of the hearing order, said the policy would allow families three business days to respond to a notification before service is paused and that students can request reinstatement, but she warned that navigating the process could be difficult for families who are not regularly using the BPS communication app. “While I do believe the goal of improving transportation efficiency is commendable,” Murphy said, “it is imperative that we scrutinize the potential implications of this policy to ensure it does not inadvertently disadvantage any students.”
Both councilors requested a hearing with BPS and transportation leadership to review how the policy affects the roughly 1,000 students for whom transportation remains unresolved, including about 400 students with disabilities who still require service arrangements. Councilors said they want written explanations of how families will be notified, how BPS will verify eligibility for students with IEPs, and what manual safeguards exist to prevent inadvertent loss of required services.
Action: Docket 0971 was referred to the Committee on Education for a hearing. Councilors asked BPS to appear and provide details on the notification process, the reassignment and reinstatement mechanism, and how the district will maintain services for special education students.
