Blind veteran denied busing for son

[82Rigger]

Saturday, December 13, 2008

FORT PIERCE — Dana Millar's 6-year-old son, William, on occasion takes a taxi cab to and from Lakewood Park Elementary School.

Figuring out how to get his son to and from school each day is a constant struggle for the single father because he's blind and can't drive. As a courtesy, the school district last year provided bus transportation for William, but cut the service this year because of state budget cuts.

Because William lives within 2 miles of his school, by law, the school district doesn't have to provide transportation.

"They're putting my son's safety behind their budget cuts," Millar said. "I don't think it's asking too much. There are no sidewalks, and there is a lot of traffic."

About 600 students countywide, all within a two-mile radius of their area schools, were affected by the elimination of courtesy pickups, said Don Carter, director of transportation for the St. Lucie County School District.
"The elimination of courtesy stops was probably the most painful from the perspective of the community, because it impacted a lot of families" Carter said.

The move was part of an effort to cut $2.5 million from the district's $24 million transportation budget, Carter said. Eliminating courtesy pickups was a big part of that budget cut. The district ran 400 buses last year. This year they're down to 360, Carter said. It costs about $50,000 annually to operate a bus, he said.

Carter won't make an exception for William because he'd have to provide courtesy pickups for other students who want them, he said.
"It's certainly not that I don't sympathize with their situation," Carter said. "I have to feel for him. It's just that if I opened the door for him, I'd have to open the door for everybody."

State Department of Education officials said they have no authority in the matter.

"We understand the difficult decisions that are being made in districts across the state, and sympathize with their dilemma to cut programs due to budgetary limitations," said Kelsey Lehtomaa, deputy press secretary for the department. "We are hopeful that this economic downturn will be short-lived, so programs such as courtesy busing can continue to help deserving families." Meanwhile, Millar, 48, said he feels helpless. He said he's tried to get help from local school officials, but they're unwilling to listen or return his calls. He also said he's offered to pay the cost for picking up his son.
Millar, who lives in a small duplex in Lakewood Park, is a U.S. Army veteran. He lost his eyes during a military explosion when he was 19 years old, he said. Doctors had to replace his eyes with acrylic eyes. Millar, who walks with a cane, said he tried walking his son to school one time, but because he can't see, he got lost. And it's just too dangerous, he said.

So, he scrambles each day to find friends or acquaintances to pick up his son, even paying some of them.

"That's how desperate I am," he said. "It's never the same person who picks him up."

Millar said the issue has been hard on his son who has already had a difficult life.

After William's mother was incarcerated, and still is, in a California prison, he was placed in foster homes. When Millar, who lived in Boston, Mass., at the time, found out, he flew to California to gain full custody of him.
The father and son moved to Fort Pierce two years ago. He said his son was recently diagnosed with dyslexia. He's hoping that might qualify his son as a special-needs student, so he can ride the bus. State law requires a district to provide transportation for special-needs students.

Carter said Millar is not the only parent with a disability requesting a courtesy pickup.

"I have several on my desk now where the parent is disabled or handicapped," he said. "It's certainly not isolated. But I have to say his situation is certainly the worst."

[reconeil]

Seems to me that Fort Pierce politicians no different than most Political Money Managers.
Such obviously can't tell the difference between what providing: "Courtesy pick-ups for students who WANT them",...and 6 year old tykes whom ACTUALLY NEED same. Such type preferential lunacies much like what what now afflicting Political America, overall.

Besides, isn't expecting a 6 Year Old child of A Blind Veteran to basically daily travel about 2 miles un-escorted (whether by foot or by taxi) a-tad-bit-much,...even by normally absurd political electee or political appointee standards (actually non-standards),...anyway?

I sure-as-hell think so, and that such ignorant boobs have no sense of priorities whatsoever,...
and especially as towards Disabled Veterans & Their Families.
Truly Despicable & National Disgrace,...to say the least.

Neil