Confidentiality and Mandatory Reporting

School districts share personally identifiable information from an education record only on the condition that the recipient of the information will not disclose the information to any other party without the prior consent of the parent or eligible student.

Transportation departments and school bus companies must make reasonable efforts to protect the student information they receive, whether they use physical means, like keeping the information under lock; or administrative means, through the use of training and policies prohibiting all disclosure other than sharing with another school official who has a legitimate educational interest; or key technological means like providing it on computers only when password-protected.

In order to receive student information which is otherwise confidential, school transporters must receive training -- like all other personnel who receive this information in the course of their job duties.

The U.S. Department of Education stated that the IEP must include more than a “yes” or “no” to the question “Is transportation a related service?” Rather, it must include accommodation, modifications, and supports which must be provided for the child in accordance with his/her unique needs.

Individual Education Program (IEP)

“In all instances, each student’s need for transportation as a related service and the type of transportation to be provided are issues to be discussed and decided during the evaluation process and individualized education program (IEP) meeting, and the transportation arrangements agreed upon should be included in the disabled student’s IEP.”

A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds.

Every year more than 3.6 million referrals are made to child protection agencies involving more than 6.6 million children (a referral can include multiple children)

The United States has one of the worst records among industrialized nations – losing on average between four and seven children every day to child abuse and neglect

Yearly, referrals to state child protective services involve 6.6 million children, and around 3.2 million of those children are subject to an investigated report.