Special Services​

It is the mission of the River Road ISD Transportation Department to provide safe, efficient, and professional transportation services for the students of River Road ISD while supporting the district educational mission. It is also our duty to provide appropriate transportation services to meet the needs of students with special needs ensuring their right to access a free and appropriate public education. This page provides the parent/guardian of students requiring special transportation as a related service with information specific to special needs transportation.​

Transportation Information Form
Students requiring special transportation as a related service must be registered with the Transportation Department before special transportation can be arranged. This process begins when the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee meets and determines that special education is needed as a related service. At the time of the ARD meeting, the parent/guardian will complete the Transportation Information Form. It is important that this form is complete and accurate as transportation services will be provided only as indicated on the paperwork. Once the form is complete and signed, Special Programs staff will review the form and forward it to the Transportation Department to schedule the student for transportation services. Once the Transportation Information Form is received in the Transportation Department, there may be a three (3) day turn-around period before services begin. A new Transportation Information Form must be completed for each student annually to ensure that information is accurate and up to date. When the parent/guardian requires a change in the transportation services for their child, a new Transportation Information Form must be completed in the Attendance Office. The office personnel will then forward the new form to the Transportation Department. Once the form is received in the Transportation Department, there may be a three (3) day turn-around period before the change in services can begin.

Transportation Services
Transportation is provided in a “curb-to-curb” fashion for students with special needs. This means that the district will provide transportation services to students with special needs from a point as close as practicable to the student’s home and deliver the student to the assigned campus where the campus staff will receive the student in the bus loading zone. Due to the design of a neighborhood or other safety factors, it may not be possible in ALL locations to pick students up directly in front of their homes. Department employees will not be responsible for approaching or entering the home of any student in order to receive or deliver the student.

Time Schedule
Every effort will be made to adhere to scheduled times; however, when changes occur such as adding or removing students from the route, notification will be made to the parent/guardian of each student concerning the change in time schedule. Please ensure that your child is ready to board the bus five to seven minutes before the anticipated arrival of the bus. If the bus arrives and the student is not ready to load the bus, the driver will wait up to 1 minute and then proceed on the route. Drivers will not honk to alert you of the arrival of the bus.

Student Behavior
Special consideration is taken with students with disabilities who have difficulty maintaining appropriate behavior. Staff training is provided annually to assist drivers and monitors to effectively address inappropriate behavior. However, behavior that jeopardizes the safety of the student or any other student or staff member on the bus will not be tolerated. If the bus arrives to pick-up a student and that student is behaving in a manner that could jeopardize safety, the student will not be transported at that time. The parent/guardian may contact the Transportation Department to transport their child later if the behavior has improved, or the parent/guardian may elect to transport the student.

Change in Personnel
At times, it is necessary to send a substitute driver, substitute monitor, or both driver and monitor on a bus route. When this happens, it is not possible to make notification to the parent/guardian of each student being transported on that bus that there will be a change. When there is a permanent change in personnel on a particular bus route, that information will be communicated to the parent/guardian of each student being transported on that bus.

Authorizing Others to Receive Your Child
There is a section on the Transportation Information Form that allows the parent/guardian to designate others who are permitted to receive their child from the bus in the event that the parent/guardian is unable to receive their child. The individuals listed to receive the child must be prepared to show proof of identification to the driver before the student will be released from the bus. If positive identification is not provided, the student will be returned to school. If a person is present to receive the child and that person is not listed on the Transportation Information Form, the child will be returned to school.

Stop Locations
Students will not be permitted to have “fluctuating schedules.” This means that students will not be permitted to have certain days of the week on which to pick-up or drop-off at one location, and then another location the rest of the week. Fluctuating schedules introduce too much of a risk for safety to the student by the driver delivering the student to the wrong location. The pick-up location may be different from the drop-off location, provided that it is indicated on the Transportation Information Form.

Driver and Monitor Responsibilities
The driver and monitor are responsible for ensuring the safe transportation of students to and from school. The driver and monitor cannot be responsible for conveying verbal or written messages between the teacher and the parent/guardian or for transferring medication between home and school.

Frequently Asked Questions
What if I have an emergency and need to make a temporary change to my child’s transportation arrangements?
Changes may be made in an emergency situation by providing a written authorization to the Transportation Department in person or by fax explaining the necessary change in detail, including who may receive the child from the bus.

What happens if no authorized person is present to receive my child and I have not authorized my child to be left alone?
If an authorized person is not present at the bus stop to receive your child when the bus arrives, the bus will wait up to 1 minute, then continue the route. At the end of the route, the student will be returned to school.

How do I make long-term changes to my child’s transportation arrangements?
Contact the Attendance Office at your child's school to begin the process. A new Transportation Information Form must be completed. The office personnel will then forward the form to the Transportation Department to schedule the changes. Once the form is received in the Transportation Department, there may be a three (3) day turn-around period before services begin.

Who do I contact for information?
River Road ISD Transportation Department
9500 US HWY 287 North, Amarillo, TX 79108
(806) 383-3347
(806) 381-8280 – Fax
Bryan Perryman, Director of Transportation