TIP SHEET

What Families Should Know About School Busing

Specialized busing is a special education related service that goes on your child's Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Proactive Steps

• In late August, you should receive both a letter in the mail and a call with your child's busing information.
• Visit www.optnyc.org/public1 with your child's Office of Student Information Systems (OSIS)/identification number (found on the IEP) to find the bus company, route, sequence, size, and type of bus. If you can't find this information online and do not receive a letter, call the Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT) at (718) 392-8855 with your child's OSIS number.
• Every school has one staff member in charge of busing. Get his or her name and contact information from your school's Parent Coordinator, secretary, or attendance coordinator.
• Call the bus company to confirm the time range for pick up and any accommodations listed on your child's IEP.
• If you would like to request that your child be dropped off from school at a different location than your home address, fill out a change of afterschool drop-off form and submit it to OPT in your borough. You can find the form here.

If you face any of these challenges:

• Bus arrives late or early at home
• Students on the bus have behavior issues
• Documented IEP busing services are not being provided (e.g. no lift or ramp where needed, required para not present, travel time exceeded, etc.)

Here's what you can do:

• Call OPT and file an official complaint that documents your problem(s).
• Have your child's OSIS# and bus route number.
• Call OPT every time this issue occurs, even if it means calling more than once per day.
• Keep a record of the dates, times, complaint numbers, and all people you speak with at OPT.
• Contact your school's busing coordinator every time the issue occurs as well.

For more information, please visit OPT's Website or call the INCLUDEnyc Help Line at (212) 677-4660.

Please download the PDF below. On the last page, you can write your child's bus information and can hang it up on your refrigerator or in a visible spot in your home.