WWYD? DD going to be riding school bus...

lovinwaves · Apr 6, 2009

DD is starting Summer School Pre-Kindy June 1st through our public school. It will be Monday-Friday 7:30-3:30. The bus will be transporting her. I obviously, though, have the option to take her, but her riding the bus would be safer.....or maybe not....

She will be turning five a few days before school starts. She is roughly 32-33lbs right now, and I don't expect her to gain much by then.

The NHTSA guidelines say that a child of "pre-school" age(defined as under 50lbs) should be properly restrained in CSRS on a bus.

How should I approach the school about this? I admit, I am nervous even considering asking them to provide a school bus with the integrated harnesses(They have several, btw), a bus with a lapbelt so I can install her a carseat, or allowing me to attach a safety vest.

skylinphoto · Apr 6, 2009

My son is starting preschool (for therapy purposes) real soon. He's 3 years old and will be riding the bus. (I don't have the ability to take him as dh needs the car for work most days).
They will be providing a car seat ...but, I'm trying to figure out how to ask them if it's safe..when it was made..will it be adjusted right for him everytime..will he be buckled up properly everytime...stuff like that.

So, a little different concern..but, similar.
I have a conference meeting tomorrow to discuss the amount of therapy he will need (thus ..how many days he will be in preschool a week)...and I'm going to bring it up with them then. I dont' know though.

Wish me luck and I'll wish you some!

lovinwaves · Apr 6, 2009

Jessica, I just went through this with my 3 year old son back in October. The reason I am questioning my daughter's safety is that the school district has said they ONLY harness children under 5 year old, which would be their early-education school passengers (like your son and mine.)

Your meeting tomorrow is probably to discuss his IEP, right? If you want to make a seperate thread, there are alot of members here who have gone though this.

Here were my previous threads about it...They may be of help to you.

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=59133

http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=59857

And good luck with your meeting tomorrow

Kat_Momof3 · Apr 7, 2009

I would not only contact the school, but I would have it written in his IEP that he has to be transported in an integrated harness of some kind (vest/seat) until he is 50lbs or too big to fit the harness safely.

lovinwaves · Apr 7, 2009

Kat_Momof3 said:
I would not only contact the school, but I would have it written in his IEP that he has to be transported in an integrated harness of some kind (vest/seat) until he is 50lbs or too big to fit the harness safely.

It's my daughter

So you are saying you can have an IEP written just for her to be transported to school?

R&J'sMom · Apr 7, 2009

lovinwaves said:
It's my daughter

So you are saying you can have an IEP written just for her to be transported to school?

I don't think she can have an IEP if she is a typical child.

On another note, when your DS turns 5, as long as it's in his IEP that he must be harnessed while on the bus, the school will have to harness him.

skylinphoto · Apr 7, 2009

Thanks the replies about my son....
And so sorry to the op for stealing your thread ...

I didn't mean to!

lovinwaves · Apr 7, 2009

No problem Jessica

I just think you might get more replies if you have your own thread, since this one is so specifically about bus riding with a 5 year old.

Today while voting the lady helping me sign in noticed my addie, and asked if I had the little boy that rode the "short bus"

p). Come to find out, she is going to be the bus driver for DD when Summer School starts. She said there shouldn't be any issue with her riding in a harness, and in fact her particular bus has 2-4 integrated harnessed seats (The same ones DS rides in.) :thumbsup:

I have a call in to the school, and am waiting to hear back

Kat_Momof3 · Apr 8, 2009

lovinwaves said:
It's my daughter

So you are saying you can have an IEP written just for her to be transported to school?

I thought he already had an active IEP... it can be written into an existing or new IEP that is being done up for other reasons, but no, you wouldn't have an IEP just for that.

lovinwaves · Apr 8, 2009

Kat_Momof3 said:
I thought he already had an active IEP... it can be written into an existing or new IEP that is being done up for other reasons, but no, you wouldn't have an IEP just for that.

I have a son and a daughter. My son is in early education school through the school district and currently rides in a harness on a school bus everyday. He is 3 years old. My daughter is 4, and has never ridden a bus, nor had an IEP. This thread is about her going to Summer School, where they typically do not harness the children.

Victorious4 · Apr 8, 2009

I would visit the bus garage & speak to someone in charge there. Where I live, the school district & the bus garage are separate entitities so the school does not have a say in what goes on in the bus (other than passing parental notes on to drivers & helping bus drivers to teach kids basic bus safety behavior)

WWYD? DD going to be riding school bus...

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