DET procedure register > Student management and support > SMS-PR-009: School transport assistance programs for students with disabilities >

Exceptional circumstances

Assessors are advised to liaise with their Principal Education Officer, Student Services prior to recommending an exceptional circumstance.

Exceptional circumstances include proposals for school transport assistance that:

involve attendance at a school that is further than the nearest school or the nearest school with a specialised program in the area of the student's disability/disabilities
involve travel to an alternative address
Note: The alternative address must be consistent; cost no more than the trip between home and school; occur in the same vehicle in which the student usually travels; and not increase travel time for other students. The transport operator must agree with this arrangement.
involve split attendance at more than one school for a short period of time when a student is transitioning from one school to another. Transport assistance is not provided between the two schools
involve split attendance for preparatory aged students attending both Prep and an Early Childhood Development program and services. Transport assistance is not provided between the two schools
involve programs that are less than three full days a week for school aged students. For example, attendance patterns such as 10.00am to 2.00pm on five days a week would be an exceptional circumstance.

For contract transport, exceptional circumstances also include proposals for contract transport assistance that:

exceed the cost limits ($300 per week)
exceed the distance limits (25 km radially from school) (relevant to bus travel)
exceed the time limits (1 hour 15 minutes one way journey).

In addition, assessors may consider that the particular circumstances of the student, or the family, warrant consideration of exceptional circumstances. In these cases, eligibility would be consistent with the intent of the program, even though the student would be ineligible under a literal application of the program. It is important that Principal Education Officer, Students Services and Principal Advisors, Education Services exercise their judgment to ensure that a student's eligibility is consistent with the principles of this procedure.

Assessors proposing exceptional circumstances need to provide a rationale with their recommendation for transport assistance - T1 (page 5).

This page is available as a printable pdf version 27k

Related procedure
SMS-PR-009: School transport assistance program for students with disabilities.

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