Nashoba to offer state-rate reimbursements for families who provide special-education transport during summer pilot

The Nashoba Regional School District told members of the school committee on Feb. 26 that it will publicly offer a state-rate reimbursement option to families who choose to transport their children who receive specialized transportation as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) related service.

“Some of our families do opt to not place their children onto vans or buses for whatever reasons they have,” Director of Student Services Roanne Dimanche said. For families who opt out of district-provided special-education transportation, Dimanche said the district will inform parents that they may submit monthly reimbursement claims at the state rate and the district will process those payments.

The program will be piloted during summer-school routing and reimbursements will be made on a monthly basis if parents choose to participate. Dimanche described the change as an effort to be “more transparent and public about” an existing regulatory option, and said the district will track how the approach affects routes and costs.

Committee members asked about accessibility for families whose schedules make driving impractical. Dimanche reiterated that if families cannot provide their own transportation because of work or scheduling constraints, the district will continue to operate specialized routes.

Ending: The district will offer the reimbursement option this summer as a pilot and evaluate whether broader use of the reimbursement reduces route costs; specific participation numbers were not specified.