Reply to Chronic absenteeism and truancy in DC

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What about school buses for ES kids? At least they’d have a reliable way to get to school.[/quote]

I assume you are sitting in your house in the suburbs with such a dumb suggestion. The majority of DCPS kids walk to school. Are you suggesting that absentee parents who can walk their kids to school on their own schedule are MORE likely to get their kids to a bus stop on time? Isn't there a Fairfax meeting you can go attend?[/quote]

Have you ever seen a kindergartner walking themselves and their preK sibling to school for 3/4 of a mile so they can have something to eat? I have. But sometimes they can’t make it alone and stay home. A bus isn’t perfect but it would help a lot of kids get to school safely.

But thanks for your input.

[/quote]

There actually are buses in DCPS. [b]Most often used for unhoused kids (coming from shelters or other temp housing)[/b] but can also be used for kids in other at risk categories IF the school district can figure out a way to do it. But for kids in bad situations their housing and home life may simply not be consistent enough for a bus to be the solution. It doesn't work if you are sleeping in a different home every week. It doesn't work if the issue is your parent/guardian is high every day and doesn't even think about getting you up and ready for school. And so on.

But in any case DCPS already does this for a lot of kids especially at the elementary level.

If you spend any time at all working with this population you understand that you're dealing with endemic poverty and crime issues. DCPS already does a ton and it absolutely helps kids on the margins where there may be issues but maybe they have a grandparent who can step in and help, or kids who are just wards of the state or living in shelters or foster care. But there are still tons of kids in DC who technically have custodial parents (or other family) but there's just so much dysfunction that school isn't a priority.[/quote]

I thought you had to have an IEP (or 504) to get bussing. They bus kids from shelters? Never heard of that in DC specifically, but certainly have in the MD counties.[/quote]

You only get bussing if there is a special program (self-contained) that your child needs and is not offered at their home school[/quote]

Not true. Even if you are largely in gen ed, if you have an IEP or 504, you can get transportation if there is a disability-related reason that walking/public transportation is inappropriate. For example, I had a client with not well controlled diabetes who qualified for transportation because of her need for constant adult supervision to watch for highs and lows.[/quote]

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