Transporting children with special needs

Wheelchairs

Students accepted for transportation must be in wheelchairs designed and capable of being transported on standard school buses. Information on transportable wheelchairs can be obtained from the Transportation Department. Wheelchairs must be easily secured within the bus without any modifications required to be made to the bus. The wheelchairs must also adjust to the normal system used to secure wheelchairs in buses. Students in wheelchairs not meeting these requirements may be denied transportation service due to the potential danger to themselves or other students. For further information contact the Transportation Safety Officer, 907-742-1200. Each wheelchair must be equipped with functioning and properly maintained brakes. Motorized wheelchairs must utilize spill proof batteries and must be operated manually while loading and unloading. Head and trunk support may be required to provide for safe transportation. Non-operating chairs will not be transported.

Child Safety Restraint Systems

Testing of seat belts and studies of school bus accidents have indicated that students can sustain head and neck injuries when belted in large school buses with lap type seat belts. For this reason the District uses a four point restraint system (safety vest) for those students who require additional support. All preschool students will be required to wear a safety vest. Information about and requests for safety vests can be obtained by contacting your child’s teacher or the Transportation Department, 907-742-1200. Safety vests are sized by child’s waist size.

Oxygen

Oxygen bottles, if not properly secured, can present a safety hazard on the school bus. If your child requires oxygen during transportation please contact the Transportation Department, 907-742-1200. Arrangements for securing the oxygen bottle and any special training for the driver and attendant will be arranged by the Transportation Department. If your child is semi-dependent on oxygen, please notify the service provider on the days oxygen will be transported so that the driver and attendant will be sure to have the proper securement devices on board the bus.

School Bus Accidents

Although school buses are the safest form of ground transportation, accidents do happen. In the event that your child’s special education bus is involved in an accident, you will be notified as soon as possible following the accident. When an accident is reported to the dispatcher they will make all necessary contacts in the following order: police, paramedics (if required), school principal and ASD transportation office. Parents will be notified as soon as possible after information is available on the nature of the accident.

Special Needs

Other special needs should be communicated to the ASD Transportation Department in writing at the following address:

Anchorage School District
Transportation Department
3580 East Tudor Road
Anchorage, Alaska 99507-1218

Service Difficulties

In the event of a problem with bus service, or if you have any questions regarding your child’s transportation, we ask that the organization responsible for providing the service and the school principal be contacted first. Telephone numbers are listed here. All routing inquiries such as arrival time of a bus or reporting an illness should be directed to the dispatch office of the transportation provider. Routing problems should be referred to the District routing office, 907-742-1200.

In the event that problems persist or you are not satisfied with the service provided, contact the Anchorage School District Transportation Department, 907-742-1200. It is important that you provide as much information as possible regarding a complaint. Information such as dates and times of incidents as well as the names of the persons who have been contacted will assist district personnel in solving problems. After you have followed the above procedure and still feel that a solution has not been reached, you can obtain an Anchorage School District Citizen Complaint Form from any District facility. Submission of a completed form will initiate a formal investigation.