2043 Bathgate Avenue, Bronx, NY 10457

My experience with P.S. 23 has been extremely disappointing, especially regarding the handling of my child’s IEP, enrollment, and transportation.My child has an IEP that includes busing, yet her enrollment and transportation were not properly coordinated before she started school. Because of these issues, she did not have appropriate transportation in place when she should have, and the problems have continued.My child is regularly arriving approximately an hour late to school because of transportation delays, causing her to miss instructional learning and potentially services included in her IEP. School begins at 8:20 a.m., but there have been repeated days when she does not arrive until much later. In the afternoon, dismissal is at 2:20 p.m., yet she has also been left waiting at school until after 4:00 p.m. for transportation.What has been most upsetting is the lack of urgency, concern, and empathy I have experienced while trying to get this situation corrected. A child with an IEP should not continuously lose instructional time because the adults responsible for implementing her educational plan and transportation have not properly coordinated her services.An IEP is a legally required educational plan, not a suggestion. Parents should not have to fight repeatedly for services and accommodations that have already been approved for their child. I expected the school to advocate for my child, properly coordinate her enrollment and transportation, and take immediate action when it became clear that she was repeatedly missing school time.I hope P.S. 23 takes these concerns seriously and improves its accountability, communication, and follow-through for students with IEPs and their families.