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Board approves residency policy revisions after debate over IEP transportation language
Summary
The board approved revisions to Policy 9000 clarifying that reassignment requests do not guarantee district‑provided transportation, prompting debate over whether the change could unintentionally affect students with IEP‑related transportation. Legal and operational staff said federal IEP law still supersedes policy and cited unsustainable operational costs tied to past interpretations.
The Howard County Board of Education voted June 25 to approve revisions to Policy 9000 (student residency eligibility, enrollment and assignment) after an extensive discussion about how reassignment and transportation intersect with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The motion carried 7‑1.
Board member Mosley pressed staff to restore or clarify language to ensure families of students with IEPs understand that IEP teams retain decision‑making authority for transportation. Mosley and other board members said the prior policy language explicitly referenced IEP determinations and worried that removing such language could be read to deny transportation to students whose IEPs require it.
Policy manager Antoine Perry and General Counsel Jay Stephen Coles explained the change was intended to clarify that typical parent‑initiated reassignment requests do not guarantee transportation, while affirming that federal special education law (IEP processes) continues to supersede district policy. Operations staff said prior practice—where reassignment wording sometimes resulted in the system providing extra buses for parent‑initiated moves—added recurring costs (staff cited examples of adding singular vehicles costing roughly $140,000–$180,000 per year) and that the revision aligns the reassignment process with operational realities.
Board members sought clearer public wording (for example, specifying that the reassignment office does not determine IEP transportation) and asked staff to harmonize related policy language across documents. Legal counsel said they would work to include clarifying language that preserves IEP authority in the policy or implementation guidance. The motion to approve the revised policy passed 7‑1.
