Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Education Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Oak Park board approves two contracted special-education transportation agreements
Summary
The Oak Park School District board approved two contracts to provide door-to-door transportation for students with IEPs and 504 plans, setting rates and identifying reimbursement sources.
The Oak Park School District Board of Education on Jan. 27 approved two contracted transportation agreements to provide door-to-door service for students with individualized education programs (IEPs), 504 plans and other district-requested needs.
The contracts were presented together during the meeting’s action items and approved by voice/roll call after brief questions about service scope and funding. Trustee Presley Clark moved to approve a contract with Internal Transportation of Detroit at a $75 daily round-trip rate per student; Trustee Corcoran seconded the motion, which passed. The board then approved a second contract with Hip Hop Skip Drive of Los Angeles, at an approximately $50 each-way rate per student, also paid from the district’s special-education contracted carrier fund.
Board members asked staff to clarify what the services cover. Jeff (staff) said the services are “door to door services, for center based programs” and that some rides are for students who require individual transportation because of their needs, while another use is transportation for homeless students. He said the district seeks reimbursement through IDEA and sometimes Medicaid, and that the McKinney (McKinney-Vento) funds are used where applicable.
During the public comment period a longtime Oak Park resident who identified herself as a parent of two children on the autism spectrum asked when the district would bring students back from neighboring districts and keep the funding in Oak Park. Board President Alvin directed the resident to discuss that question with Superintendent Abdulhad and his team after the meeting; no formal response was given during the public comment period.
Both motions were recorded as approved by the board. Each contract is to be paid from the district’s special-education contracted carrier fund; staff said reimbursable sources include IDEA and McKinney-Vento funds when applicable.
Board members did not amend the contracts at the meeting and no further deadlines were announced.
