Students with special needs will be provided with transportation in accordance with NJSA 18A: 39-1 et seq. in accordance with the students’ Individualized Education Program (IEP). In partnership with the Office of Special Education, the Office of Pupil Transportation will provide students who meet criteria with efficient transportation assistance.
Once transportation eligibility is determined, the Office of Special Education provides the Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT) with the student’s transportation request.
- Allow for a period of 72 hours for the student’s request to be fully processed and for a bus to be assigned to the student by OPT.
- If after 72 hours a bus has not been assigned, please contact the respective route manager to obtain feedback on the application status.
Frequently Asked Questions regarding Special Education Transportation:
- All changes to a student’s record must be done directly with the student’s assigned case manager at the school the student attends or with the Office of Special Education.
- The name and contact information for the bus company will be mailed to you by the OPT if it’s a Newark Public school and the Essex Regional Educational Services Commission if it’s an Out of District School, or by calling the Commission at Essex County Regional Commission office 973-405-6262 extensions: x200, x223, x272, x281 or a Pupil Transportation team member at 973-733-7290.
- A request to terminate services must be submitted by the child study team in the respective school the student attends.
- A student’s bus company / route will not be changed unless there is a substantiated circumstance. There is no guarantee that a change is possible therefore it would be reviewed on a case by case basis.
- If a student misses the bus during AM pick up or PM drop off, the parent/guardian is responsible for transportation.
- You would need to contact the bus company directly and advise them that your child is present in school and requires transportation back home in the afternoon.
- The bus company will call you and provide your estimated pick up/drop off times. Please note that there is a 15-minute window before and after the estimated pick up/drop off time. Parent/Guardians must be present during pick up and drop off.
- OPT along with its partners cannot honor specific time requests. Pick up and Drop off times cannot be altered as doing so will affect the on-time performance of the route.