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Parents and educators urge Springfield School Committee to address special‑education transportation and classroom safety
Summary
Parents and several Springfield special‑education teachers told the school committee that recent transportation changes and understaffed low‑incidence classrooms are creating safety risks; speakers urged the district to honor IEP‑linked transportation decisions, improve staffing, training and communication.
Latasha Monroe, a Springfield parent and IEP advocate, told the committee that recent changes to special‑education transportation intended to improve safety have, in practice, put her children at risk.
"Before this change, the same drivers were already safely picking up and dropping off my children in front of my home," Monroe said, adding that after drivers were instructed not to back up her nonverbal 5‑year‑old daughter and her son were taken to unfamiliar locations without timely parent notification. "When that happens, families are left managing confusion and risk that should not be theirs to manage."
Several district educators corroborated concerns about classroom safety and staffing. Jason Perkins, who said he has taught exceptional learners…
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