Advocates push for $2M travel-training expansion and $3M interim foster-student transportation

Multiple witnesses described how travel training—one-on-one instruction that teaches students with disabilities to use public transit—can expand independence, open internships and work opportunities, and reduce long-term transportation costs. Advocates asked the Council to invest $2 million to expand capacity.

AJ Botsaris, a recent Townsend Harris graduate and participant in Transitional Alliance work, said travel training should be widely available so students do not have to rely on unreliable alternatives such as Access-A-Ride. ‘‘Travel training is an invaluable skill for students with disabilities that will improve their experiences in DOE schools and empower them to achieve their goals,’’ he testified.

Separately, Benjamin Tucker of Graham Windham and Dr. Brenda Triplett of Children’s Aid urged $3 million for interim transportation for students in foster care who are awaiting DOE bus assignments. They said some foster students can wait weeks or months for DOE transportation, forcing foster parents or agency staff to provide daily rides or rely on costly, impractical alternatives.

Witnesses offered options for interim support including contracting vetted private providers, using agency vehicles with escorts, hiring chaperones or reimbursing parents and staff. The panel framed interim transportation as an equity and continuity-of-education issue: students placed in foster care should be able to stay at their home school and not miss instructional time while awaiting permanent bus service.

Council members did not vote; advocates submitted written proposals and asked Council staff to weigh the operational models during budget negotiations.