Anyone else’s kid being sent to the farthest school... is this normal?

So my special needs son is being sent to a school within our district, but it’s literally the farthest one from our house. There are other schools closer that have special needs units, but for some reason, he’s not placed in one of those. I have to drive him there myself, and it’s an 18-minute drive each way. The bus makes him car sick too, so that’s out of the question. I tried asking why he couldn’t go to the same school he was at last year, but they gave me vague answers. Anyone know how to request a change of schools within the district? I get that his home unit is full, but there are other schools closer with special needs programs. We’re in Ohio btw.

Wow, that sounds really frustrating. I’d recommend reaching out to the superintendent directly. They usually have more power to help you with this kind of issue. Have you tried asking them for more detailed reasons?

I’ve been in a similar situation with my son. What helped me was emailing the school board members too. Sometimes they can push things forward when the district drags their feet.

It’s crazy they didn’t just put him in a closer school. Do you know if the other schools even have space? You could also try visiting the schools in person to make your case stronger.

I totally get how frustrating this must be. Have you considered explaining how the current setup affects your son’s well-being too? Sometimes schools take that into consideration when they know it’s a hardship.

That’s a tough situation. When I had issues with my child’s placement, I went straight to the district’s special needs coordinator. But sounds like you’ve done that. Maybe try again with more urgency?