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Parents say special-education students were left waiting after vendor cut minibus routes amid federal CDL ruling
Summary
Parents and district officials told the board that a federal change to CDL rules and route consolidations by the district contractor, We Transport (Beacon), led to late and missed pickups for many special-education students; the board pressed the contractor and administration for a clearer, proactive parent-notification process.
Bridal Chamberlain, vice president of operations for Beacon in Long Island and a We Transport representative, told the Sachem Central School District board that a federal Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rule change in October and a final ruling on March 16 curtailed nondomiciled drivers’ ability to renew commercial driver licenses, immediately shrinking the vendor’s candidate pool.
"We lost 20% of our trainees overnight," Chamberlain said, describing how the company proposed consolidating routes — from about 125 vans to roughly 105 — to maintain service while recruiting replacements. She said the vendor ran dry runs and would pilot a free GPS app so parents could track vehicles.
Board members and parents at the meeting challenged the communication timeline. "If you knew on Feb. 13…
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