WUSA9: ‘The communication is still just an issue,’ | Parents say buses are still late this new school year for students with disabilities

Alexis Wainwright reports on the ongoing OSSE transportation class action lawsuit and speaks to parents represented in the suit about current challenges they are facing in the first week of the school year.

Concerned parents in DC are pushing for more communication from The Office of The State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). Parents say they still cannot rely on transportation provided for kids with disabilities.

WUSA9 has been talking with this parent since March when she and several other parents filed a lawsuit against OSSE – in hopes of some improvements with the buses but after this first week of school – they say not much has changed.

“The communication is still just an issue,” Parent, Elizabeth Daggett said. Daggett says the bus for her son is almost never on time.

“I wish I could say I’m hopeful,” Daggett said.

She said she thought things would be different after she and five other families worked together to file a federal complaint, saying buses aren’t safe or reliable. To make thing more challenging, it’s tough for Daggett to monitor her son with disabilities during his routes, but said the schedule is never accurate with what’s going on. 

She said sometimes they don’t even have the proper tools like a safety anchor to help with her son’s harness so they couldn’t transport him.

“We had two different times to start the school, one was at 6:40 am and one was at 8. So, trying to figure out which time the bus will actually come…it’s really that unknowing that anxiety.” Daggett said.

The Arc of the United States, Children’s Law Center, Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, and Urban Affairs, and McDermott Will & Emery have filed a federal complaint on behalf of six families who say they have issues with transportation.

Photo Credit: WUSA9