Dear Friends,
You all know that my ds will be attending a private special school next year. . Like many many other NYC parents, we have never gone through the board of ed. so he doesn’t have an IEP. We have a lawyer working for us who is confident he’ll get us some tuition reimbursement as well as transportation to the school.
Well, we’ve decided to relocate closer to his new school, but to a town nearby, not the town the school is in (. Its unlikely we’ll get any money in that school district b/c they are reluctant to place kids out. But we aren’t making this decision based on whether we get financial help or not.)
Here’s the problem I have:
I can’t apply for board of ed. transportation until I am a resident. I won’t be a resident until July because that’s when the seller of the house we are buying wants to close. But I can’t buy this house unless I know I can get transportation for my son b/c there is no way I can drive him both ways every day and get my daughter to her local elementary school. HELP!
Do you have any words of wisdom. ? I’d hate to have to stay in NYC just because I can guarantee he’ll get a seat on the bus!
Thanks!
Karen
Re: Board of Ed. novice here - help!
Or, find some stay at home parent near your new home and park your daughter there to wait for her school bus while you drive your son; I am the babysitting/bus stop for many kids whose parents leave for work far earlier than the school bus comes.
Re: Board of Ed. novice here - help!
Thanks for the speedy reply. I feel kind of freaked out because I have that kind of support network where we live now but not in the new place. Plus a good part of our decision to move was to make our life and his easier - not harder. And easier doesn’t mean me driving to his school both ways every day. There is definitely BOE transportation to this school _ I’ve spoken with local parents who send their kids to this school. The school is only 6 miles away as the crow flies. I’m contacting the transportation person for the local school district and throwing myself at her feet. : )
Re: Board of Ed. novice here - help!
OK. I used to live in NY state. My neighbors sent their kids to a parochial school and got bus transportation. As I recall, it wasn’t at the most conveient time—7 am but they got it. I don’t think it has anything to do with it being a special ed school. As I recall, there was a form you had to fill out. So just call and ask and be glad you live there. We have to take our one kid to public schools here—no bus unless you live at least two miles away—as well as parochial school (two of my kids).
Beth
Re: Board of Ed. novice here - help!
I think you are right - we can get bussing within 15 miles without an IEP, so it must be for any private school. There’s no bussing for my daughter to her new elementary school however (which is really close) so its just logistics of how to get everyone where they need to go on time. Guess this is life in the suburbs! thx
Re: Board of Ed. novice here - help!
What are New York’s laws on the matter? In my state, all public schools must bus non public students as long as their other school is within a ten mile radius.
Ask the private school about car pools; many private schools organize parent car pools or provide lists of parents who live in nearby locales. Welcome to life in the suburbs where you spend your life driving your children(and many other parent’s children) to and from various schools, clubs, soccer fields, etc. You need to find other parents from the private school and network with them. Don’t move to Mass. because you would never get state reimbursement for transportation to a private placement initiated by parents; in fact many towns here are charging for public school busing.