5732 - Transportation for Students in Foster Care
| Policy: Transportation for Students in Foster Care | Policy Number: 5732 |
| Date of Original Policy: 06/20/2018 | Date Revision Adopted: 06/20/2018 |
| Reviewed by Policy Committee: 06/20/2018 | Date of Next Review: 06/20/2021 |
| Replacement of Policy Number: |
The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) requires school districts to work with child welfare agencies to ensure the educational stability of children in foster care. In New York State, the child welfare agency is the local department of social services (LDSS) or, at the state level, the Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS).
The Jordan-Elbridge Central School District promotes the educational stability of students in foster care by working with students, their designated caregivers, and local departments of social services (LDSS) to determine the educational placement that is in the best interest of the student, and by providing transportation and other services consistent with applicable laws and regulations.
Transportation Plans:
1. The Jordan-Elbridge Central School District will coordinate and collaborate with the LDSS to make an appropriate transportation plan that supports the student's school stability plan and is fair to the District's taxpayers, consistent with the Jordan-Elbridge Central School District's obligations under the federal Fostering Connections Act.
2. The Jordan-Elbridge Central School District recognizes that the LDSS may have access to federal funds to support the student's school stability plan, including transportation costs. Therefore, when there are additional costs incurred by the Jordan-Elbridge Central School District to provide transportation to the school of origin, the Jordan-Elbridge Central School District will first seek to have the LDSS agree to provide that through a separate contract or by reimbursing the Jordan-Elbridge Central School District. The Jordan-Elbridge Central School District will also consider sharing the additional cost with the LDSS or absorbing the full amount of the additional cost.