Muscogee County students with disabilities suffer transportation cut

Parents of Muscogee County students with disabilities are sounding the alarm after the school district eliminated an after-school transportation program as a way to reduce the budget. “Muscogee County School District has done a COMPLETE disservice to students with IEPs and the families who rely on SPED transportation. Families are now being told that students can no longer be transported to their ABA centers because the district is ‘trying to save on gas.’ Yet, at the same time, raises have been approved. Help me understand how eliminating a critical service for students with disabilities is considered a cost-saving solution,” wrote Kedra Nicole who has a 7-year-old student with autism.

Muscogee County School Board Chair Pat Hugley-Green confirmed to NowGeorgia.com that the SPED transportation program was eliminated as a budget matter. “I understand that’s hard when you’re a parent. I get it.” She said after school transportation for other students to programs like the Boy’s and Girl’s Club was halted in the past and the agencies or programs then made arrangements for transportation so the school district wouldn’t have to foot the bill. Pay raises angry parents are referring to include an 18% pay raise to Superintendent David Lewis approved in October of 2024.

SPED Transportation was a service provided for students with disabilities that offered specialized transportation to safely transport students to ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) Centers where they can receive therapy after school. Kedra Nicole told NowGeorgia.com that “for many families, ABA therapy is medically and educationally necessary, not simply an after-school activity.”

As a result of the recent transportation changes “many parents may have to leave work early or miss work altogether to pick up their child from school and transport them to therapy themselves. For some families this may make it impossible for their child to consistently attend ABA therapy. For children with autism, consistency and routine are extremely important. Interruptions in therapy can negatively affect their progress in communication, behavior, social development, and other essential life skills,” said Nicole.

Kedra Nicole and other parents affected by the change plan to attend an upcoming Muscogee County School Board meeting August 17, 2026, to voice their concerns. “Our request is for it to go back to how it was and allow the SPED students be dropped off at their ABA facilities. Which, might I add are much closer to the surrounding schools than going back to each student’s home where an adult, parent, or caregiver may or may not be.”

The Muscogee County School District did not respond to multiple requests for comment.