Zhuang on busing challenges for special needs students
Zhuang shares constituent stories of immigrant families traveling 1.5 hours to Queens for special needs schools, and asks about data on students facing long commutes. Sanchez confirms DOE has District 75 data and is expanding specialized programs closer to home to reduce busing burdens. Zhuang also raises language access barriers for immigrant families.
And in 2024, September, on the hearing, we already said out-of-borrow bus routes for students with disability usually two hours away.
Two hour one way, four hour every day.
When this type of situation happens, city permits bus routes up to two hours each day.
In borough routes without IEP, mandated travel time is one and a half hour.
Is there any way we can fix this issue?
So in terms of the busing issue, and I know you mentioned children with and without IEP, I will just say that as a system, the best way for us to fix that issue is to continue to open
more specialized programs for students with disabilities in their home and local communities.
That's something we've been advocating for.
The chair, Dinowitz, has heard this very often from us, and we know these programs work.
And that is our best way to resolve part of the busing issue is not to put children with disabilities on buses to travel an hour from their home.
If we have all the service in the neighborhoods, then it will be much easier.
If we can have the data, it's easier too.
Thank you.
We will share that District 75 data with you.
Thank you.