Individualized Education Plan (IEP) Transportation Services

If the bus is late, never arrives, or if your child won't be riding the bus, please use the Zum family app to communicate or live-track ride status and request ride cancellation. You can also contact the Zum Support Team via phone at 855-743-3986.

School enrollment questions: Special Education Placement Team @ (415-355-6995)

All other transportation support questions : SFUSD Transportation team @ (415-695-5505) or Transportation@sfusd.edu

Designing the route generally takes up to five (5-10) business days during the school year once we receive the Transportation Eligibility Determination Form "TED" from your content specialist. Steps:

• Content specialist submits Transportation Eligibility Determination Form (TED).
• Transportation reviews routes serving the school:
• If a route has physical space and adding doesn’t creates a time-conflict with prior routes, the student is added to existing route
• If there is no space or there are time constraints, a new route is created
• Notify ZUM of the required updates.
• Inform all other families on the impacted routes about the new route details so they can plan appropriately.
• Route changes are effective on Mondays. Notifications go out the previous Friday.

If a student has been designated as needing ‘curb-to-curb’ transportation services, transportation will be provided from the curb of the student’s home to school and return back home.  A PM drop-off location other than the home address must be a related service request noted in the IEP and included in the notes within the transportation section of the Special Education Information System (SEIS). Transportation is a related service and is not provided as a convenience.  Should you have questions regarding your student’s eligibility please contact your student’s teacher/ content specialist. 

*Factors for curb-to-curb transportation:  age, nature of student's disability and unique problems associated with the disability, the distance between home and pick up spot, access to an aide to assist a student from curb to bus stop.

Pick-up and drop-off times are based on each school’s bell schedule. Please note that:

• Drop-off: buses drop off at school 10 minutes before the start time 
• Pick-up: buses pick up from school 5 minutes after the end time.
  • Buses are scheduled to arrive at the school 5 minutes before dismissal and will wait up to 5 minutes after dismissal. If a student fails to arrive for pick-up, drivers will confirm with school staff before departing.

Bus Stops

The Transportation Department sets bus stops following guidelines established by the California Code of Regulations. Unless physically impossible for the bus, the bus stop will be in front of and on the same side of the street as the student's residence.  However, safety always takes precedence over other criteria.  Pick-up or release of a rider will not be made on private property or in an area determined to be unsafe.

Special Education Policies & Procedure Handbook

An adult must be present outside at the schedule noted above unless you have filed a Release of Liability Form (available for students in grades 6-13 only).  Students must be ready to meet the bus at least five minutes prior to the scheduled pick-up time. The bus can only wait (1) one minute past the student's scheduled pick-up/drop-off time for the student to board.

Pick-up and drop-off times are subject to change throughout the year as students add or drop transportation services, or change pick-up or drop-off locations.  Overall route travel and pickup times will vary, depending on potential changes in school schedules and students who get assigned to the route. 

For any student impacted by scheduling changes: Notifications will be sent via the Zum app or via text message listing the new pick-up or drop-off time.

Note: SFUSD Staff - For additional Transportation guidance log in to the SFUSD Employee Website

Family Guide to IEP Transportation