N.J. Bill Wants 15-To-1 Aide Ratio On School Buses With Special Needs Students

A bill that would require a minimum of one aide for every 15 special needs students on a school bus cleared the full New Jersey Senate by a vote of 27-9 on Thursday.

The bill, S-2757, would establish a minimum ratio of school bus aides to special needs students on a school bus. Under the proposed law, a board of education or a contracted service provider that provides pupil transportation services must ensure that a school bus has on board at least one school bus aide for every 15 students with special needs.

In addition, the aide-to-student ratio would have to be maintained at all times when a school bus is transporting students with special needs or a combination of students with special needs and general education students.

According to the bill’s sponsors, Senators M. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex) and Shirley K. Turner (D-Mercer/Hunterdon), current state statutes and state Board of Education regulations do not require a certain aide-to-student ratio for school buses. Transportation must be provided according to the child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), which can include, but is not limited to, special transportation equipment, transportation aides, and special arrangements for other assistance to and from school.

The bill now heads to the State Assembly for a vote and possible ratification from the governor’s desk.

See the full text of the bill here.

The legislation was inspired by a series of assaults that took place on school buses in the Trenton school district, according to its sponsors, Ruiz and Turner said.

“When a parent puts their child on a bus, they should go away with the comfort of knowing their child is safe,” said Ruiz. “One case is too many, and we have heard numerous stories of students who were the victims of attacks on buses and that is just inexcusable, especially when we have a solution to this problem.”

“Bus drivers can’t be expected to deal with discipline problems when they need to pay attention to the traffic on the road,” said Turner. “One bus aide is not enough on a packed school bus that includes children with special needs who may be more vulnerable to attacks and more sensitive to school bus commotion. Some parents don’t have the luxury of choosing to transport their children themselves. We must ensure that every school bus has an appropriate number of adults to help deal with discipline issues and protect students. It’s a matter of protection for every child that rides the bus.”

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