For many families, the reliability of school transportation is a given. However, in Wake County, some parents of children with special needs face a different reality. Charise Henderson, whose son Andrel has missed over a hundred days of school, is battling a transportation challenge that is impacting her children’s education.
Charise explained her frustration when a school social worker visited to discuss Andrel’s chronic absenteeism. “So I said, ‘Hold on, but never are y’all addressing he didn’t have transportation,'” she recounted. Her sons rely on vans provided by contracted vendors due to their special needs, but these services have been inconsistent.
The cost of alternative transportation is prohibitive for Charise, who does not drive. “If I don’t have the money to take them to school in a cab, they can’t get to school,” she said, adding that cab fares range from $20 to $60 per round trip.
The situation is further complicated by Andrel’s sickle cell disease, which can cause severe pain and swelling, preventing him from walking. Charise noted, “They’re making him lose his education when he is well enough to go to school,” because the van service stops after a few missed days.
Wake County Schools’ Transportation Woes
Charise’s struggle is part of a broader issue within Wake County Schools. Since the fall of 2020, the district has logged over 16,000 complaints about its special transportation services, which include vendor transportation for about 3,200 students with various needs.
Of these complaints, more than 5,000 were related to drivers failing to show up. Other issues included timeliness, accommodation concerns, and safety issues.
Aug 1, 2020 to March 18, 2026
| Category | Number per Category |
|---|---|
| Vendor No Show | 5,393 |
| Vendor Timeliness | 4,372 |
| Accommodation Concerns | 2,975 |
| Failure to Start On-Time | 1,355 |
| Other – Vehicle Concern | 839 |
| Other – Driver Concern | 641 |
| Other – Equipment Concern | 244 |
| Other – Capacity Concern | 136 |
| Other – Safety Asst. Concern | 132 |
| Grand Total | 16,087 |
Other parents report similar frustrations, having to cancel work meetings, arrange for carpooling, or call friends for help multiple times a week due to transportation failures.
Legal Challenges and Systemic Investigations
Charise has sought legal assistance, filing a formal complaint through Disability Rights NC. Her attorney, Cari Carson, filed the complaint asking for a systemic investigation into the district’s special transportation issues. “We would say that this is definitely a systemic issue,” Carson stated.
However, the request for a systemic investigation was denied by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, which found no discriminatory policy affecting all students with disabilities. Despite this, the individual case remains open.
Interestingly, a similar complaint was filed in 2020 by special education advocate Hannah Russell. Although the district was not found in systemic violation, corrective actions were mandated, offering remedies like free tutoring and mileage reimbursement to affected families at the time.
Experiences of Families with Special Needs
Cosette Harol, another parent affected by these issues, expressed surprise at the disparity in service quality between special needs transportation and regular school buses. Her son’s autism requires a consistent schedule, which has been disrupted by unreliable transportation.
Harol has frequently contacted the district to address this issue, only to receive unsatisfactory responses. In a statement, a spokesperson for Wake County Schools acknowledged the challenges, attributing them to driver shortages and efforts to expand capacity.
Harol, who was offered a settlement including tutoring services, declined, seeking systemic improvement instead. She stated, “I want the service to be better for our students.”
The Department of Public Instruction has until April 21 to respond to the ongoing complaint.
