Thursday, August 21, 2014

MDUSD Transportation Information by Denise Lambert, CAC Vice Chair

MDUSD Transportation Information for Special Education Students (see full doc HERE)

Here are some special education transportation updates per my meeting with Jeff McDaniel  (Executive Director, Operations) Tom Bishop (Transportation Service Coordinator) and Wendy Aghily (Director of Special Education) on August 19, 2014:

Staff has been working all summer and has implemented changes during ESY to make transportation for the students run efficiently.

 If you have not heard from your student’s driver by Friday, August 22, please contact the transportation department at 925-682-9733 x3710.  Make sure that your transportation information was received by the department at least 2 weeks ago.

If your student’s information was not submitted to transportation, it will take 2 weeks for the information to be processed and for your student to receive transportation services.

There are enough drivers to start the school year.  There are 3 driver instructors who will teach classes every 6 weeks.  2 instructors will be available substitutes for drivers who are absent.   Training will be occurring to staff permanent substitute drivers who will perform other duties in the department when they are not driving.  These drivers will know all the routes and be able to jump in when a driver is absent.

All routes should remain the same, but the drivers may change because of the contract with the union and the drivers’ bidding process.  Any changes will go in effect on Monday, September 29, 2014.  Please prepare your students for that possible change.  Please contact your program specialist if you need information to help with that transition.


The transportation department is requesting the following:
Please have your student ready on time.  If your student is late, it affects the schedule of all the other students on that route.

Be aware that there is road construction in many areas – particularly in Pleasant Hill near College Park.  The routes are scheduled by GPS to be the most efficient.  They are scheduled to arrive at the schools 20 minutes before school starts to insure that the student gets there in time and a time buffer has been added.  They cannot account for delays caused by traffic or accidents.  If your student has not arrived between an hour and an hour and a half after school, please call transportation immediately.

There is only one drop off and one pick up location per student.

For non-emergency calls, please contact the transportation department between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

For all calls, please have your route number, if possible.  This should be on the outside of the bus.  The driver’s name is useful, too.

If you student is having a behavior problem on the bus, please contact your program specialist.


If there will be a change of address, please contact the transportation department as soon as possible.  It takes 2 weeks for changes to be made.

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