schooling laws

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I am mostly interested in Texas laws if anyone knows.

History: We live in the wilderness, I sent my son to live with his dad when we moved here, because it would be difficult to get him to school, that did not last long and he now is living with older sisters. It is getting difficult for them, and I see that I need to bring him home to mama.

I called the school today and although we live 30 miles away there are no buses. It is an hour drive one way to town, and we have one vehicle. I was always under the impresion that school districts provided transportation for students a certain number of miles from the school

Am I wrong? I would consider home school, but I know, my son would hate it, he has been in public schools all his life and likes the socialness too.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

3

-- 3 legs (odddog_3@hotmail.com), March 09, 2000

Answers

Go to the school board. Most states have laws saying that they must provide transportation. They will wiggle out of it if they can. My brother has a retarded daughter who had to go to a special school. School insisted that my brother must supply the transportation. Brother took it to the school board and demanded to see the law and for the law to be followed. The result being that a taxi was sent each and every day for my niece with a 70 mile round trip twice a day.

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie123@aol.com), March 09, 2000.


I'm in Texas as well, and there ARE school buses that provide transportation to children outside a 2-mile radius. HOWEVER, I don't know if rural districts have the same policy. In some states, parents are simply provided $8.00/day for transportation expenses when buses don't serve their area. Children with special needs [retardation, etc.] fall under a different category than "normal" kids.

If it normally takes you 1 hour to drive to town, you can bet the ride on a school bus will take much longer. I ran across a somewhat interesting article about kids who suffer through these long daily school bus rides if you're interested.

Long School Bus Rides and Their Affects

-- Anita (notgiving@anymore.thingee), March 09, 2000.


Thanks Taz and Anita,

I live in west texas, and the school today said the only bus provided is for the kids that live at McDonalds Observatory, because they (mcDonald) pays for the bus.

Anyway, although I got a speech inpediment, I will try to take it farther, via the school board. Thank you both for the input, I will get justice some way or another, even though I do not speak well. 3

-- 3 legs (odddog_3@hotmail.com), March 09, 2000.


Move closer to the school, or home school him.

Sitting through an hour drive to and from school, 5 days a week, is too much to expect from a child. ESPECIALLY on a bus.

-- cin (cinlooo@aol.com), March 09, 2000.


cin,

bus or car will still be several hours a day, my problem is I have to foot the bill where as the obsovertory folks have the government foot it. Seems unAmerican to me.

-- 3 legs (odddoog_3@hotmail..com), March 09, 2000.



YOU are the parent. Take resposibility.

-- cin (cinlooo@aol.com), March 09, 2000.

I hesitate to throw my 2cents into the pot again, but your comment regarding "getting justice" threw me a bit. While a free public education is guaranteed for all in the U.S., no one said that transportation was included. The choices were yours both to bear the child and move to an area far from a school that provided transportation. Folks in town pay higher taxes to support school transportation. If school transportation doesn't include your area, chances are you're not being taxed for the expense.

All that aside, there are HUGE differences between riding in mom's car for an hour and riding on a school bus for an hour PLUS. I assume that, living in Texas, you have an air-conditioned car. Try riding over an hour on a bus that has NONE. In mom's car, your son could eat breakfast [saving on time]. He cannot eat or drink on the bus. In mom's car, if he found himself needing the bathroom, you could pull into a gas-station enroute. The bus driver will NOT. In mom's car, you can talk with your son. You can ask him how school's going, discuss the problems he had living with dad or his sisters, or even listen while he reviewed homework from the night before. If YOU drive him, he'll have an opportunity to engage in after-school activities. The school bus doesn't wait for those activities before taking kids home.

If you aren't in a position to move closer to the school, and aren't in a position to home-school, you STILL have the option of providing him time and transportation. The justice you should be looking for is the justice for your son, and the question should be "Am I doing my son justice by this decision?"

-- Anita (notgiving@anymore.thingee), March 09, 2000.


Cin that is really cool saying that when you have 2 legs, I cannot work cause of my speech impediment and, I wantt too believe me. I was lucky enough to get a wonderful husband that over looks my flaws, and I will fight for my son , although I will be considered stupid cause of my speech.

all i want to know is laws here in texas so I will have aleg to stand on.3

Aand thanks for aall the input will check tomorrow, is nite time and bed time here.

-- 3 legs (0dddog_3@hotmail.com), March 09, 2000.


I live in one of the largest school districts in Texas. The kids in this county get on the bus at 5:30am and get home about 5:45pm. Then they wonder why there is so many problems on the buses!

I do not know the laws for transportation, have your husband call the school board or the transportation department. My kid happens to go to a Christian school and there is no such thing as a free ride for that. It is well worth it to spend some time with your child.

-- ****** (had@tocomment.net), March 09, 2000.


"all i want to know is laws here in texas so I will have aleg to stand on."

It seems that each district has the authority now to set its own guidelines regarding transportation eligibility in Texas:

Texas Education Agency Texas Administrative Code, Title 19. Education, Part II Texas Education Agency, Chapter 68 -- Transportation, which outlined the regulations for transportation operations, was repealed in February of 1996 per Senate Bill 1 as referenced in the Texas Register January 23, 1996 (21 TexReg 584). This chapter previously contained the following elements: 1) Operations; 2) Commitment to Providing Student Transportation Services; 3) Student Eligibility for Transportation Service; 4) Types of Transportation; and 5) Transportation Administration.

The Texas Education Code authorizes each school district or county board of trustees to establish and operate an economical public school transportation system and provides for the allotment of state Foundation School Program (FSP) funds for eligible student transportation services. In addition the commissioner of education is authorized to prescribe a uniform system of forms, reports and records to fulfill reporting and recordkeeping requirements necessary for the Texas Education Agency to administer the allotment of FSP funds (Texas Education Agency's Handbook on School Transportation Allotments, revised May 1997). The Texas Education Agency should not be considered a service agency for the purpose of this analysis. ------------------------------------------------------------------- It's now a district or county thing. Of course "handicapped" children are covered by the laws of the federal government.

BTW, the government is NOT paying to bus the MacDonald Observatory kids. The Observatory was started by a philanthropist who gave it $1,000,000. Although astronomers work there from all over the world and many universities have associations with the Observatory, I've seen nothing to indicate that the Observatory receives any government funds.

-- Anita (notgiving@anymore.thingee), March 10, 2000.



I'm going to throw this to the top of the answered threads in the hope that 3 legs will let us know the final decision.

-- Anita (notgiving@anymore.thingee), March 11, 2000.

Suggestion:

Go to the State of Texas website: go to TEA and OAG, use student transportation as beginning keywords for search. Also check out Fed site DoEd. You'll wind up in the Texas Codes as a link. Compile all relevant data. Put your request for transportation IN WRITING and send it REGISTERED MAIL RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED...and cc all involved entities. Be sure to cite your references. If you have the time you can go into Thomas for US Dept of Education cases involving transportation issues, but that's going to be a big bite to take.

-- another government hack (keepwatching_2000@hotmail.com), March 11, 2000.


thank you all for the input on this, am sorry I was just hyped wondering how we would do it. My son is now here with us, he is enrolled in school but until my daughter gets him out up there he can't go here, should have it all figured out in the next day or so.

He will go to school when my husband leaves for work, may have to hang out for 30 or 40 minutes, and the same in the afternoons, we will get some funding from the state but it is after the school year.

I really don't care though, It is so great. to have my kiddo here again

I am sorry if i was obnoxious, but I do get frusterated, his dad threatned our lives if we brought him here, but my daughters took care of him and his dad did not. My daughters are great and my son is fine, we will all be ok. Thanks for the input. Love Ya

-- 3 legs (odddog_3@hotmail.com), March 22, 2000.


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