Getting My Child to School

Transportation can quietly become a barrier to education — especially for families without reliable cars, families in transition, and children with disabilities who need more than a standard bus stop. Here’s what Louisiana law actually requires.

The basic rule: more than a mile, free transportation

Under RS 17:158, your local school board must provide free transportation for any student who lives more than one mile from the public school they’re assigned to attend. Boards may also provide transportation for students living closer than a mile if conditions warrant it, but they aren’t required to.

Charter schools and transportation

Statute doesn’t require charter schools to provide transportation as a general matter — but there’s an important exception. All BESE-authorized charter schools must offer free daily transportation to any student who:

1. Lives more than one mile from the school, and
2. Lives within the same parish or local school district where the charter school is physically located

This comes from Bulletin 126 (§2801) and the charter transportation requirements tied to RS 17:3991 and RS 17:3995. If a charter school tells you they “don’t do transportation” without checking whether your family meets these two conditions, ask them to point you to their official Transportation Plan — every BESE-authorized charter is required to file one.

If a charter school requests transportation services from the local school board on a student’s behalf, the charter school reimburses the board for actual cost — but that’s a school-to-school financial arrangement, not something that should affect whether your child gets to school.

Special education transportation: “whatever transportation is necessary”

If your child has an IEP, the law is direct. RS 17:1944(E) requires local education agencies to provide whatever transportation is necessary to implement the IEP — and that transportation must be provided in accordance with what the IEP actually specifies.

This is where “door-to-door” comes in. An IEP can specify curb-to-curb or door-to-door service as a related service, depending on what your child needs. This isn’t a courtesy the school can decide to offer — if it’s written into the IEP, it’s a legal requirement, the same as any other related service.

If your child needs door-to-door transportation because of a mobility issue, a medical condition, or a safety concern tied to their disability, that need belongs in the IEP. Use the IEP Meeting Request template to raise it if it isn’t already addressed.

What “reasonable accommodation” means here

“Reasonable accommodation” isn’t a vague courtesy term — in the transportation context, it means the mode and timing of transportation cannot themselves become a barrier to your child attending school. If a bus route requires a young child to cross a dangerous intersection alone, or a pickup time is incompatible with a documented medical need, that’s not “good enough” — the district has to adjust.

If your family is experiencing homelessness or housing instability

Transportation rights work differently — and more expansively — for children experiencing homelessness under the federal McKinney-Vento Act. See Homelessness & Housing Instability for the full picture, including the right to stay at your child’s school of origin with transportation provided, even after a move.

If transportation isn’t being provided

1. Put the request in writing — note the specific issue (distance, IEP requirement, safety concern)
2. If your child has an IEP, request an IEP meeting to get the transportation need documented as a related service
3. If the school still doesn’t comply, use the Procedural Violation Documentation Letter
4. Escalate to the Louisiana Department of Education if the school continues to refuse

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change — always verify with a licensed attorney for your specific situation.