Parent urges Ames schools to provide transportation to ChildServe for students with IEPs

Shelby Root, a parent of a kindergartner at Fellows Elementary School, told the Ames Community School District board during the public forum that the district is not providing transportation to ChildServe — a provider of specialized student services — for her child despite other nearby districts doing so.

"Per your own board policy 711.1 on student school transportation eligibility, when an IEP team determines that unique transportation arrangements are required and specified in an IEP, the school district must provide one or more of the following arrangements," Root said. She told the board that nowhere in that policy does it require that the receiving center be inside the Ames district.

Root said Ballard, Nevada and Gilbert districts have transported students to ChildServe at distances she cited as 12.4 miles, 8.5 miles and 8.9 miles respectively, while her child's placement would be about 3.3 miles. She said district staff have discouraged parents from listing transportation in IEPs or told them ChildServe transport is "not an option." Root disputed cost objections and said existing bus routes already travel near the needed stop.

She described the personal costs of providing transport: missing classes for a college program, lost paid time (she tallied about five hours missed in the first five weeks, estimating $125 in lost time), and mileage reimbursement she said would qualify at 30¢ per mile under an access-to-care policy (she calculated roughly $23.76 so far). Root also said the family has considered moving, homeschooling or open enrollment because of the transportation issue.

Root asked whether the district would reimburse parents who provide transport or find a better solution; the meeting transcript does not record a staff response, board direction or a formal motion on the issue during the meeting.