Innisfil family relieved school transportation for special needs child is reinstated
The family of an Innisfil boy living with special needs, whose school transportation was taken away earlier this year by the school board, says he's getting his ride back.
On Monday, Brendan Drodge told CTV News his 11-year-old boy Wyatt will continue riding in his school van until at least the end of the school year.
According to Drodge, the decision was made last week following a controversial Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) decision to review and remove transportation for students with special needs who live within the board's designated walking distance from schools.
The walking zone is 1.6 kilometres for elementary school students and 3.2 for high schoolers.
RELATED
- Barrie family wins 4-month battle for son's school bus service to be reinstated
- Parents of students with special needs upset over SCDSB bus changes
Drodge said the school board had granted Wyatt an additional six weeks of transportation before it was taken away, pending an appeal.
The board says the initial decision was part of an annual review of transportation for students within walking zones of schools to promote student independence in the community.
Drodge and several other local families were shocked to hear the news around Christmas their children were no longer eligible for school van transportation.
"It's going to mean that he can't go to school," Drodge said in an interview with CTV News in February, explaining his son was unable to board a school bus packed with children and instead required a van.
"Frankly, the disruption he's had already is unacceptable," said Drodge.
The school board insisted the decision to review school transportation did not target students with special needs, as many parents had claimed, and while the board has a $2 million transportation deficit, chairperson Jodi Lloyd said the decision was not based on money.
"If we have special education students who require specialized transportation, most certainly we provide that for those students," said Lloyd in a February interview.
"Our goal and objective for all of our students, and especially our special education students are to create independence and self-sufficiency so that when they leave the board, they can operate and be self-sufficient within their community," she said.
Drodge said an offer by the board to extend van transportation for six weeks was scheduled to end soon, but he's not been promised transportation for Wyatt will continue until the end of June.
"Decisions like this that impact the children and their family so much, at the very least, should have parental input," argued Drodge.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6944496.1719545086!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
A halting Biden tries to confront Trump at debate but stirs Democratic anxiety about his candidacy
A raspy, sometimes halting U.S. President Joe Biden repeatedly sought to confront Donald Trump in their first debate ahead of the November election, as his Republican rival countered Biden’s criticism by leaning into falsehoods about the economy, illegal immigration and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
Analysis of the CNN Presidential Debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump
U.S. President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump went head-to-head in the first of two planned presidential debates.
FACT FOCUS: Here's a look at some of the false claims made during Biden and Trump's first debate
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump traded barbs and a variety of false and misleading information as they faced off in their first debate of the 2024 election.
Fines related to neighbour's 443 noise complaints at centre of B.C. dispute
A B.C. condo owner who was fined tens of thousands of dollars over hundreds of noise complaints made by his downstairs neighbour was partially successful in having the penalties overturned.
EXCLUSIVE Canadian lawyers play key role in money laundering, says financial intelligence report
A report by Canada's financial watchdog obtained by the Investigative Journalism Foundation working in collaboration with CTV News looked at Canadian lawyers' potential role in money laundering schemes, including those by organized crime groups like biker gangs and drug cartels.
Legal action coming to recover COVID benefit overpayments
The Canada Revenue Agency says it is ramping up efforts to recover overpayments of pandemic-related benefits.
'Hanging on for her life': Sask. family desperate to bring home sick niece from Philippines
For half a decade, a Saskatoon family has been trying to bring their orphaned niece to Canada, they say now it’s a matter of life or death.
'No additional flights will be cancelled': WestJet avoids strike as feds order binding arbitration
The federal government ordered binding arbitration in the labour dispute between WestJet and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) on Thursday.
Ottawa police warn residents to avoid Facebook Marketplace when looking for a place to rent
Ottawa police are going as far as to tell people to stay away from Facebook Marketplace altogether when looking for a place to rent because of the prevalence of scams.