A Westerville City Schools bus driver helps a special needs student transfer to a different bus. The exchange takes place each day at Westerville South High School.
There are some bright, new faces on school buses in Westerville this year, thanks to a program devised by Becky Nitz, Assistant Manager of Transportation Services. The Westerville City School District is helping special needs students learn important life skills by transporting them to and from school each day on regular school buses, instead of via taxi cabs or in private cars provided by the Tristar Transportation Company. Pupils are learning how to ride a bus and how to transfer from one bus to another – skills which could be useful in their adult lives. As an added bonus, they are also interacting with other children and new friendships are being formed.
Currently, four dedicated buses transport special needs students throughout the district to the Best of Both Worlds, a transition program at Otterbein University. They also transport to all four middle schools and seven elementaries – Cherrington, Huber Ridge, McVay, Mark Twain, Robert Frost, Wilder and Whittier. The program began in August 2012.
Team members from the Pupil Services and Logistics departments brainstormed ways to mainstream students onto buses while, at the same time, being fiscally responsible and reducing costs. There were some concerns, initially. For many years, Tristar has been the primary mode of transportation for special needs students in the Westerville City School District. It was difficult at first for parents, aides, teachers and principals to feel comfortable with this change. Many wondered if these pupils could handle the school bus environment, and if they would be able to understand how to shuttle from bus to bus so they could be taken to their appropriate schools of attendance. Fortunately, school bus drivers, teachers, aides, and even the students themselves have made this transition successful. Most pupils have adapted to riding school buses, seem to be enjoying a little independence, and can shuttle with no problem.
During the 2012-2013 school year, 62 special needs students were transported on regular school buses. This year, because of last year’s success, the district is currently transporting 90 special needs pupils on regular buses. To transport 90 students by private car or taxi, the district would have to pay $6,000 each, or $540,000. To transport 90 students on four regular school buses, the cost to Westerville Schools is $232,000. The net savings annually, or cost avoidance of transporting special needs students on regular school buses vs. private transport, is $308,000.
Not every special needs student is a good candidate for this program. The school staff, who works with these children on a daily basis, recommended those they felt who could succeed. Tri-Star still transports 158 Westerville pupils.
Nitz says there have been many positive outcomes from this program. Parents report that their children look forward to getting up in the morning to ride the bus. Drivers have enjoyed getting to know the new students and their families, and have bonded through teachable moments that occur each and every day. Most important, many of the kids on the bus seem to be interacting favorably and looking out for one another. Transportation mainstreaming has been a success story for Westerville City Schools.