The guidance reiterates that once transportation is determined to be a related service in a child’s IEP, the school district must treat a bus suspension as a disciplinary suspension, and count it as a day of suspension for determining whether it has resulted in a change of placement, and must afford the child and the parents/guardians/other education rights holders of all pertinent procedural and substantive safeguards.[1]
The Department further clarifies that in a situation that a child subject to a disciplinary action is placed in an interim alternative educational setting (IAES), the school district must provide transportation to the child “if transportation is required for the child to access the services provided in the IAES”. The Department reminds school districts that parents/guardians/other education rights holders must be included in the team that decides on an IAES for the provision of special education and related services.[2]