School board cutting bus attendants for students with special needs

The Ottawa Catholic School Board's plan to cut bus attendants for students with special needs starting in September is drawing alarm from families who say the move puts medically fragile children at serious risk.

Parents learned Friday that attendants assisting students with developmental and medical needs during rides to and from school would be eliminated. The cuts will affect about 100 students, primarily at St. Francis of Assisi School in Orléans, where many attend a developmental education program.

Mia, a six-year-old non-verbal student with epilepsy and lung disease who requires nearly around-the-clock care, depends on her bus attendant to load her wheelchair and medical supplies daily. Her parents say without attendant support, they cannot be confident she'll be safe—or that a bus driver alone can manage multiple medically fragile, non-mobile, non-verbal children in rush-hour traffic.

"She can't tell us if something's wrong or if something happened on the bus," said Brian McPhail, Mia's father. "If there's a medical emergency, she can't tell the bus driver."

The board said the decision follows a review of service challenges, including bus cancellations when attendants were unavailable, and feedback indicating families preferred consistent transportation without attendants over cancellations. The board is transitioning to a model where support will be coordinated through health-care professionals, saying the change aligns services with regional standards.