Transportation: Making Appropriate Decisions

1. Transportation: Making Appropriate Decisions Jason Gallagher, Assistant Director of Special Education Boston Public Schools

2. Problem Statement • In 2008, the Boston Public Schools spent $72 Million on Transportation costs • $26 Million was spent on transportation for students with disabilities—1/3 of the total cost. • Students with disabilities represent approximately 20% of the district enrollment.

3. Problem Summary • Care: The issue of transportation costs is important to the entire district and the media has made it important to the entire city. • Relate: Students, families—district, taxpayers • Examine: BPS is spending $26 million on transportation for students with disabilities. We have a history of providing door to door transportation to students who do not need the service, significantly increasing the cost. • Acquire: Professional development was needed for BPS staff to address transportation as a service and not a right. ETFs, teachers, and school principals need to be trained on best practices for discussing transportation at team meetings.

4. Try: What was your intervention strategy? • Our first step in solving the problem was to reduce the number of students placed in schools outside of their home zone . • The second step was to create a document for ETFs to use in team meetings to determine if a student should be found eligible for door to door transportation. • The third step was to train ETFs to appropriately use the new document at each team meeting to facilitate discussion about transportation.

5. Evaluation/Results: What happened? (Show us your data.) • Step 1: Cross-Zone transportation reduced by 398 students—resulting in a savings of approximately $875,000 • Step 2 and 3: Transportation form created and Professional Development held over 3 days in September for all ETFs on how to appropriately use the form to help facilitate discussions about transportation in team meetings.

6. Extend and Renew: What will you do to keep things going? • ETF professional development continues for 3 days in December where transportation remains on the agenda. • Cross Functional team will meet in late January to review updated data regarding transportation.

7. Lessons Learned • It is difficult to change the culture of a large, urban district where busing is a long time political issue that has divided neighborhoods and schools. • Change has to be a district wide priority supported by all stakeholders. • Difficult financial times and negative media coverage can have an affect on how quickly new policy can be put into place.