Two weeks into the school year, some students are spending more hours on school buses than they do in some classes. Lindsey Christ, former Insideschools staffer and now NY1 education reporter, reported Monday that a Queens kindergartner commutes for two hours on a bus to get to a school located just 10 minutes from his home.

The Daily News reported on students in the Bronx who have been denied busing because their school, the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation, moved from one district to another. A Department of Education official was quoted saying that buses do not cross district lines, except in cases of children who transfer schools under the No Child Left Behind law.

Special education students are   bused across district lines, if their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) specifies that they need a program that's not offered in their district. And, it is the families of special needs students who most often have busing troubles, especially at the beginning of the school year.

Advocates for Children coordinated an effort to monitor special education placement at enrollment center across the city to identify and track common problems experienced by parents during the first two weeks of schools. Many parents told the monitors about transportation problems, including busing.

"A number of parents we spoke with expressed concerns about busing and transportation – some of them quite egregious," said Maggie Moroff, special education policy coordinator at AFC. "We are working to assure those families have the information they need to advocate for themselves, and helping out wherever possible."<!--more-->

For example, advocates are working with a Queens mother whose son gets on a bus at 6:45 a.m. but does not arrive to school until 9 a.m., an hour after classes begin. She has been unable to resolve the problem with the DOE.

The ARISE coalition, an alliance of parents, advocates, and educators who are pushing for systemic change in special education in New York City, advises families to call the Office of Pupil Transportation, at (718) 784-3313, to report a busing problem immediately. If there is no response, parents may reach out to the OPT borough liaisons. Another option is to call 311 and request to speak to the Special Education Call Center. If you get no action, it might be time to reach out to an advocate outside of the school system. Try calling the AFC helpline at (866) 427-6033, or  contacting the Legal Aid Society, or another member of the ARISE coalition.

General education students who have been denied busing may complain to the OPT at (718) 392-8855. Know that while you are waiting to hear from them, you may be  stuck with the existing bus routes. If a problem is particularly bad, you may want to contact an elected official, such as your City Council member.

For more information about busing, check our Basics on transportation or the Chancellor's Regulation A-801.