NJ special education transport reform urged after death on bus: Video
Matthew Rossi’s death has sparked a call for reform to New Jersey’s transportation system for students with disabilities.
- A New Jersey Senate committee unanimously approved the bill this week.
- The measure requires safety features including GPS tracking and training for staff who ride with special education students.
- It was inspired by a trio of recent school bus deaths, including that of 19-year-old Matthew Rossi of East Hanover.
Legislation to improve school bus safety for students with disabilities in New Jersey is making its way through the state Legislature, after picking up bipartisan support in a hearing this week.
The state Senate Education Committee unanimously approved a bill Monday to require video cameras and GPS tracking on school buses and more training for school staff and contractors who deal with medically vulnerable special education students.
The legislation, S-3858, targets safety gaps brought to light through recent tragedies involving disabled students, including the death of East Hanover’s Matthew Rossi, a 19-year-old with muscular dystrophy and autism, who was pronounced dead after a ride home from his Oakland school in 2023.
“Our son, Matthew, was the epitome of courage and perseverance,” said Matthew’s mother, Anabela, who testified at the hearing in Trenton. “His example is our inspiration for the efforts on this bill, which is an important first step in basic, commonsense safeguards, that our most vulnerable students deserve, and establishes accountability by the personnel we entrust their precious lives to.”
Rossi’s parents have sued the bus contractor and the employer of a nurse and school aide who were on the bus, saying they failed to respond when Matthew choked on his own mucus. The nurse, Emilio J. Rivera of Carlstadt, pleaded guilty last month to criminal neglect and endangerment charges and is awaiting sentencing.
It was one of a series of recent incidents involving students with disabilities on Garden State school buses that underscored the urgency for enhanced safety measures. In 2023, 6-year-old Fajr Atiya Williams died on her way to school when she was strangled by her wheelchair harness; in 2022, 16-year-old Landon Goff lost consciousness and choked on his saliva during a bus ride, his family said.
The legislation that advanced this week was sponsored by state Senate Republican leader Anthony Bucco, of Morris County, and Middlesex County Democrat Patrick Diegnan.
Under the proposal, school bus staff members would be required to call 911 in emergencies that threaten the life of a student. Buses carrying children with disabilities also would need to be equipped with video cameras, communication devices and GPS.
The bill also requires additional training for school bus contractors who interact with students with disabilities.
“Ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, especially those with disabilities, is of utmost importance,” Bucco said in a statement. “This legislation is a critical step in making sure that school bus personnel are properly equipped to respond swiftly in life-threatening situations and providing our students and their families with the peace of mind that help will be on the way when it’s needed most.”
How much will it cost?
The only caveat came from Jonathan Pushman, director of governmental relations at the New Jersey School Boards Association, who expressed concerns about the financial implications of the bill. Installing the required equipment on school buses to comply with the bill could cost between $15 million and $52 million, the association estimated.
Though not questioning the need for reform, Pushman urged legislators to find money in the state budget to help local districts afford the new measures.
The bill, approved on a 5-0 vote by the Education Committee, now heads to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. A companion measure is also before the Assembly Education Committee. The legislation must still pass the full Senate and Assembly and be signed by the governor to become law.