Jasper Co. Schools put on notice by SC Department of Education over bus shortages
The S.C. Department of Education has put the Jasper County School District on notice following a department investigation into its transportation practices and allegations that students with disabilities were being denied services.
The department’s Office of Special Education Services (OSES) will perform “general supervision activities” separate from the state’s transportation investigation, OSES interim director Jill Christmus said in a letter sent to the district’s Superintendent Rechel Anderson dated June 3.
“A preliminary review has revealed issues that warrant further analysis that the OSES will conduct as a part of the integrated monitoring process, Christmus said in the letter.
On April 27, the state education department came to the district to investigate transportation issues and allegations that special education students were not getting to school and were not receiving services due them under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a federal law that makes free and appropriate public education with related special education services available to students with disabilities.
At that time, state officials were conducting a ridership count following complaints from parents.
“We know that largely due to transportation issues there have been students that have not received the services,” said Ryan Brown, a spokesperson for the education department. “We’re (OSES) giving them a plan of corrective action and we will be monitoring your school district until you get to compliance.”
This comes after parents have been driving their students to and from school due to a shortage of bus drivers within the school district, something that has cost many of them their jobs, according to previous Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette reporting.
These issues began after a letter was sent from the district in June 2021 as a response to drivers asking for a raise. Instead of more money, drivers were told that their positions would be “eliminated” and replaced with driver paraprofessional jobs. Drivers were also told they could take on more responsibilities within the district such as janitorial work.
The letter that outlined modified responsibilities, school officials said in April, was the district’s way of getting drivers the raise they wanted. Instead, those employees left in droves, according to previous reporting.
Parents allege they were told that the issues with the bus drivers would be resolved within the first weeks of school, though parents were still driving their students as late as last month. On May 3, the district released a statement announcing that it had hired an additional driver and that it was in the process of finalizing the hiring of three more. Further information on the status of the additional drivers was not immediately available Thursday.
In February, the school board passed a year-round calendar in a 5-4 vote. The year-round calendar includes 180 days of schooling with a shorter summer and more frequent breaks throughout the school year. It was originally proposed as a way to help students get ahead after learning losses prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic when school was held mostly online.
Parents and members in the community who were already frustrated with the transportation issues have expressed their displeasure for the vote at several public meetings of the Jasper County United Association, a parent group that was organized largely to deal with these issues. Among their gripes include teacher shortages and a lack of communication, especially among Hispanic parents who have been forced to decipher unintelligible robotic phone calls with important information pertaining to their students.
While the district is under OSES supervision, the office will be looking into the staffing of the district’s special education classrooms, its individualized education program and the implementation of the program as well as its policies and procedures. The OSES will also be monitoring responses to a survey and interview questions from parents and staff.
Travis Washington, a spokesperson for the school district, could not be reached Thursday for comment.
This story was originally published June 16, 2022 at 4:32 PM.
