As Chicago Public Schools (CPS) opened their doors to the academic year, a transportation debacle unfolded for students with disabilities. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, over 1,900 - nearly 18% of students with disabilities registered for transportation - started school without a bus ride due to a persistent driver shortage and a surge in requests for the bus service.
Despite assurances from the district that more routes had been scheduled than the previous year, with around 8,800 students with disabilities assigned to buses, there was a 33% leap from last year in transportation requests causing a strain on the system. This disruption left families, who were told by caseworkers practices that could be deemed illegal, reeling with uncertainty about how to get their children to class.
As detailed by the Chicago Sun-Times, Margaret Joseph’s daughter, a CPS student is blind and wheelchair-bound. Joseph was dismayed to receive communication from CPS announcing that no transportation would be provided for her daughter, thrusting their family into hardship, having to juggle work and caregiving responsibilities on school days.
While CPS endeavored to lessen the crisis by offering a $500 monthly stipend to families it couldn't route, this aid was capped for students living beyond a five-mile radius of their school, as mentioned in the same Sun-Times piece. Further compounding the crisis was the report from Block Club Chicago where parents detailed issues ranging from no-show buses to travel times exceeding previously promised durations by the district.
Pedro Martinez, CPS CEO, remarked on the ongoing national driver shortage while stating that the school district had filled more positions, However, there was still a gap with 430 vacancies, as per Block Club Chicago. In reaction to these difficulties, CPS upped its transportation response team and expanded the variety of transportation modes used, including the addition of vans and taxicabs.
