In the Carmel Clay School System, there are over 30 special needs buses. Most of the time, the driver cannot manage all the responsibilities that come with having kids with special needs riding their bus while driving at the same time.

This is where the bus aides provide their help. Bus aides are helpers hired by the transportation department to monitor kids with special needs while they are on buses. The 40 aides can either help on buses that are solely for kids with special needs, while others help kids that have special needs but are still able to ride the normal buses.

“The aides have to be able to do a lot of different things. It can be anything from just sitting with the kid to lowering the ramp so they can get onto the bus,” Ron Farrand, director of facilities and transportation, said.

The transportation department doesn’t take the aides’ responsibility lightly. Although a new aide does not have to have any specific qualifications or licensing, they must take a training program that lasts two days.

Also, once a year, all members of the transportation department are required to participate in a special needs training program to help further educate them about the children they are transporting.

“I remember having an aide on our bus in elementary school,” sophomore Heather Van Asten said. “I think what they are doing is really cool.” By Charlie Browning <[email protected]>