§ 16-21.1-7 - Statewide transportation of students with special needs. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 16-21.1-7

   § 16-21.1-7  Statewide transportation ofstudents with special needs. – Notwithstanding the regional structure created in this chapter, and pursuant tothe obligation of school committees to transport children with special needs toand from school either within the school district or in another school districtof the state created by § 16-24-4, the department of elementary andsecondary education, in collaboration with the office of statewide planning ofthe department of administration, and the Rhode Island public transit authorityshall develop a plan for the creation and implementation of a statewide systemof transportation of students with special needs to and from school. Thestatewide school transportation system for children with special needs shall beprovided through a competitive request for proposals to which vendors oftransportation services may respond. Effective upon the implementation of thisstatewide system of transportation for students with special needs, each schoolcommittee shall purchase the transportation services for their own residentstudents with special needs by accessing this integrated statewide system oftransportation for children with special needs on a fee-for-service basis foreach child; provided, however, that any school committee that fulfills itstransportation obligations primarily through the use of district-owned buses ordistrict employees may continue to do so. The goals of the statewide system oftransportation for students with special needs shall be the reduction ofduplication of cost and routes in transporting children from the various citiesand towns to the same special education program providers using different busesfrom each city and town, the improvement of services to children through thedevelopment of shorter ride times and more efficient routes of travel, and thereduction of cost to local school committees through achieving efficiency ineliminating the need for each school district to contract for and provide thesespecialized transportation services separately. The department of elementaryand secondary education shall submit a report of their findings and plans tothe general assembly by March 30, 2008.