Transportation services for students who qualify in specific programs throughout participating districts in southwest Washington.
Our Services
Our Services
ESD 112 specializes in transporting students who qualify under the McKinney-Vento Act, students with an IEP that require out of district transportation, ESD’s ECEAP program, as well as students at The Washington School for the Deaf and Washington School for the Blind. The ESD currently provides transportation services to twenty school districts in southwest Washington in addition to the two state special needs schools located in Vancouver, WA.
Scope of Operations
ESD 112 Specialized Transportation Cooperative transports an average of 650 students daily, utilizing a fleet of 78 specially equipped buses and offers access to all educational facilities in the ESD-service area that are State of Washington approved. Services are also provided to pre-approved State of Oregon learning facilities.
The Cooperative has specific criteria for offering services that include Special needs students with an IEP requiring transportation as a related service, Homeless Students as identified in the McKinney-Vento Act, access to Early Intervention programs and the Washington State School for the Deaf and the Washington State School for the Blind.
ESD 112 Specialized Transportation Cooperative is designed to accommodate the ”high-cost/low incident” situations often accompanying special needs students. Each participating school district enters into an annual contractual agreement with the ESD that defines the responsibilities of both parties. The cost to the local district is determined by their student enrollment and the number of students transported.
How We Operate
Specialized Student Transportation Operations
Given the area served by the ESD, it is not practicable to house all the buses in one location. Therefore, the service model includes a “park out” component that helps minimize student travel time as well as “dead head” mileage. This offers a unique opportunity for communication between management staff and drivers. A Nextel system of phones/radios assist with the communication and management staff hold monthly face-to-face Driver Council meetings. Minutes from these meetings are provided to all drivers/attendants. Scheduling driver meetings can be particularly problematic given the ESDs need to accommodate all of the different school calendars. Added communication with drivers is afforded via e-mail and interdepartmental mail delivery.
The Transportation Cooperative currently employees 65 Regular Drivers and 8 Substitute Drivers. Program oversight is provided by an Advisory Committee that includes local district superintendents from participating school districts.
Program Contacts
Who to Contact
Grace Elligott
Specialized Transportation Director
Phone: 360-750-7510
Email: grace.elligott@esd112.org
Upcoming Classes
School Bus Drivers Wanted
Paid CDL training. Apply below or call 360-750-7510.
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