CMSD is Reimbursing Parents up to $600 to Provide Transportation to Their Kids in Non-District Schools
Source:https://www.news5cleveland.com/
The Cleveland Metropolitan Schools District is offering up to $600 to parents of students attending non-public schools for transporting their children. While some parents have the option to pick up their kids, others do not. State law mandates that public schools provide transportation for district students and those at charter and private schools, but in Cleveland, parents can receive compensation for transporting their children to non-district schools.
David Carney, a Case Western Law Professor, noted that Ohio law mandates school districts to provide transportation for children living more than two miles from their assigned schools, including those at parochial, voucher, and charter schools. However, there is an exception if the district lacks the capacity to do so. The Cleveland Metropolitan Schools District (CMSD) has cited this exception, stating that transporting approximately 1,700 non-district students is impractical.
David Carney noted that the rise in charter and voucher school enrollments complicates bus route planning. School board documents reveal that the cost of reimbursing parents for transporting their children to private schools has increased from $600,000 in 2015 for 2,400 students to $1.1 million this year for fewer students.
To qualify for the reimbursement, parents must put in an application and meet a list of guidelines, which include the following:
1. The time and distance to school.
2. The number of pupils.
3. The cost of providing transportation.
4. Whether similar and equivalent service is provided to other pupils eligible for transportation.
5. Whether and to what extent the additional service unavoidably disrupts current transportation schedules.
6. Whether other reimbursable types of transportation are available.
Many parents are unaware of the reimbursement option for transporting their children to school. Tricia Bruno, a parent who has been reimbursed for three years for driving her children to the Urban Community School, values this support for covering expenses like gas and maintenance. However, reimbursement is not available for those living within a mile of the school or more than 30 minutes away.
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