Special Needs Transportation Program
The Department of Transportation Services is committed to finding the best transit solutions for all District students.
When parents or guardians of Special Needs students request transportation or have inquiries, we will assist all school staff in finding help. We tailor our Special Needs transportation solutions for the type of school you are working with.
The Department of Transportation Services works closely with school administrators and The School District of Philadelphia Office of Specialized Services to provide transportation services for Special Needs students. Every Special Needs student will have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The IEP is a plan or program developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives specialized instruction and related services, including transportation.
School Administrators will request transportation for Special Needs based on the student’s IEP in COMPASS via a Transportation Action Request (TAR). For details on how to submit a TAR for a Special Needs student, please visit our COMPASS Training and Support page.
Read on for information on how to submit transportation for Special Needs students for Non-public, Public, Charter, and Approved Private Schools.
For Public School Administrators:
We provide transportation based on the content in a student’s most recent finalized IEP document.
Public schools use a program called EasyIEP to submit their student’s IEP. This program adds information into Infinite Campus (IC), and IC feeds into COMPASS. Public school administrators do not need to attach the IEP in a TAR when requesting transportation for Special Needs students. If you are simply requesting curb-to-curb or corner transportation for a student, and this need is already in the most updated and finalized IEP document, you do not need to attach any documents. If the student is eligible for transportation off a Notice of Recommended Educational Placement (NOREP) form, please attach the NOREP to the TAR.
To request additional support for a student, such as a seat belt, harness, or 1:1, please submit a TAR and attach the IEP or NOREP that documents the need for further support.
(PLEASE VISIT THE COMPASS TRAINING AND SUPPORT PAGE FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ON HOW TO SUBMIT TARs)
For Charter School Administrators:
We provide transportation based on the content in a student’s most recent finalized IEP document.
To request transportation for a student, please submit a Transportation Action Request (TAR) in the COMPASS routing system. Please attach the student’s most recent finalized IEP or Notice of Recommended Educational Placement (NOREP) form that documents the need for specialized transportation.
To request additional support for a student, such as a seat belt, harness, or 1:1, please submit a TAR and attach the IEP or NOREP that documents the need for further support.
(PLEASE VISIT THE COMPASS TRAINING AND SUPPORT PAGE FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ON HOW TO SUBMIT TARs)
For Approved Private Schools (APS):
We provide transportation based on the content in a student’s most recent finalized IEP document.
To request transportation for a student or additional supports, please contact your designated case manager in the Office of Specialized Services.
For Non-Public School Administrators:
We provide transportation based on the content in a student’s most recent finalized IEP document.
To request transportation for a student, please submit a Transportation Action Request (TAR) in the COMPASS routing system. Please attach the student’s most recent finalized IEP or Notice of Recommended Educational Placement (NOREP) form that documents the need for specialized transportation.
To request additional supports for a student, such as a seat belt, harness, or 1:1, please submit a TAR and attach the IEP or NOREP that documents the need for further support.
(PLEASE VISIT THE COMPASS TRAINING AND SUPPORT PAGE FOR DETAILED INFORMATION INFORMATION ON HOW TO SUBMIT TARs)