Special Education Transportation and Sibling Ridership
Our transportation services are carefully tailored to meet each student's unique needs. A student's transportation eligibility and specific level of service are determined directly by the requirements outlined in their Individualized Education Program (IEP).
We understand that coordinating family schedules can be a challenge, and we want to support our families whenever route capacity allows. Siblings of students enrolled in the Special Education Program may be permitted to ride the same bus on a case-by-case basis, depending strictly on available seating.
If you would like a sibling to be considered for bus ridership, please submit a "Transportation Application" directly to your child's school of attendance. Because routing and capacity change annually, parents and guardians must submit a new application at the start of each school year for the sibling to be considered.
Dedicated Magnet
Dedicated Magnet programs are currently at Barnard elementary, CPMA, Longfellow, Language Academy, Muir, and SDCPA
A student is a “Qualified” rider if:
- Student lives outside a 5 mile walkout from school based on transportation’s routing software
- Students that live within 5 miles of the school are not eligible to be scheduled for service
- Students must live within the School District attendance boundaries to qualify for transportation
- Bus routes and stops are established for each magnet school site.
Dedicated Magnet Bus Allotments and Stops
- Students will be scheduled based on home address and prioritized based on distance from established magnet stops.
- Wait lists will be generated and maintained by the site once bus allotment is at capacity
Magnet Program
A student is a “Qualified” rider if:
- Student lives outside a 5 mile walkout from the magnet school based on transportation’s routing software
- And, there are more than 25 passengers in their resident “High School Cluster”
- Students that live within 5 miles of the school will not be scheduled for service
- Students must live within the School District attendance boundaries to qualify for transportation
- A minimum ridership of 25 students in a High School boundary is required for a stop to be placed in that high school boundary
- Wait lists will be generated and maintained by the site once bus allotment is at capacity
- One stop will be placed in each high school attendance boundary
VEEP / Voluntary Enrollment Exchange Program
A “Qualified” rider based on patterns established by Neighborhood Enrollment Options
VEEP Boundary Patterns
- A minimum ridership of 25 students in a High School boundary is required for a stop to be placed in that high school boundary
- Students outside the established pattern are generally not qualified for scheduling
- Students must live within the School District attendance boundaries to qualify for transportation
- Wait lists will be generated and maintained by the site once bus allotment is at capacity
- Stops are created in a central location within the established VEEP pattern
- One stop is authorized to be placed in each high school attendance boundary
- Special Education Stops take priority in scheduling and in some cases replacing previous school year VEEP stops
Late Activity Bus Guidelines
We are pleased to offer Late Activity bus services to support our students participating in after-school programs. Ridership for these late routes is exclusively reserved for qualified VEEP and Magnet students to ensure we have adequate capacity for those specific programs.
To help us maintain a safe and efficient boarding process, all eligible students must possess and swipe a current Z-Pass card each time they ride the Late Activity bus. For your convenience and peace of mind, the assigned drop-off locations for the late routes will be the exact same stops your student uses for their regular daily home-to-school transportation, ensuring a familiar and consistent routine.
Home to School Shuttle Service
San Diego Unified School District’s Home to School Shuttle Services are designed to promote equitable access to education by prioritizing transportation for students with the greatest needs. Key service features include:
- Priority Access: Transportation services are prioritized for low-income students, students with disabilities, homeless and foster youth (as defined under the McKinney-Vento Act), and Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) through 6th grade students.
- Targeted Routing: Shuttle routes are strategically developed to serve neighborhoods identified as having high needs and safety concerns, ensuring students can travel to and from school safely and reliably.
- Expansion Plans: As resources allow, SDUSD aims to expand shuttle services to additional elementary school sites within high-need clusters, including Lincoln, San Diego High, Morse, Hoover, and Crawford.
McKinney-Vento / Foster Youth Transportation Service
In alignment with federal mandates under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, San Diego Unified School District ensures that students experiencing homelessness or in foster care receive uninterrupted access to education through comprehensive support:
- Eligibility: Students qualify under McKinney-Vento if they lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This includes those living in shelters, motels, vehicles, or temporarily with others due to economic hardship.
- Student-Centered Decisions: Arrangements are made based on best interest determinations, considering each student’s academic continuity, emotional well-being, and access to their school of origin.
- Flexible Transportation Options: SDUSD utilizes a variety of transportation methods to meet individual needs, including school buses, district vans, contracted transportation services, public transit passes, and cost-sharing arrangements between districts. Reimbursement programs for families may also be available when appropriate.