Although vacation is in full effect, students enrolled in summer programs still require school transportation. When temperatures in New York City pass 85°F on a regular basis, riding on a school bus seems unbearable – especially for students with disabilities. While NYC law requires AC for special education facilities, enforcement remains inconsistent even now, with systemic issues throughout this sweltering summer. Here’s a more detailed view:
Legal Requirements vs. Actuality
City regulations require all transportation vehicles carrying children with disabilities to be air-conditioned when the temperature exceeds 70°F. Failing to fix any malfunctions within three business days may result in a fine of up to $400. This excludes Pre-K buses, which are fined $85. These requirements were written almost two decades ago, in 2006, and over time, New York City’s weather has changed. The NYC Department of Education (DOE) claims to transport all students who have Individual Education Plans (IEPs) in air-conditioned buses, specifically the new electric Type A/B vehicles, which maintain climate control. However, not all Type C buses, which are generally larger, have air-conditioning. Although the city intends to place all IEP-mandated students on buses, some without specific IEP accommodations may have to ride the non-airconditioned ones, or Type C.
Continued Risks in Excessive Heat Damage
According to an NYC Public Schools Transportation Overview, school buses only cool 15–20 °F below the outside temperature. For instance, if the temperature is 98°F, public school buses would only cool down to about 78°F - which does not meet the requirement of keeping them under 70°F. Parents report their children are coming home dripping wet with sweat, and have been asking officials what to do in such situations. However, some parents are not sure where to seek help:
“A lot of parents don’t know their rights. They don’t know these channels of communication, and really, it should be prevented. It shouldn’t really have to be such a struggle.” Sara Catalinotto, founder of Parents to Improve School Transportation. - Julian Shen-Berro, “Some NYC School Bus Temperatures Rose to Over 100 Degrees Amid Heat Wave, Parents Say,” Chalkbeat, November 17, 2023
Learn how to file a complaint.
During summer 2023, multiple complaints were filed through the DOE’s Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT), but action was taken when children had already been exposed to the heat.
“To me, that’s like saying, you need to have access to a water fountain on your IEP,” Anjeanette Stokes, parent of an 8-year-old daughter diagnosed with down-syndrome.
Structural Barriers and Uneven Adherence
Earlier, the City Council passed Local Law 556 in 2022, which requires AC buses only for students with an AC-mandated IEP, effective September 1, 2035. Due to this ten-year timeframe, DOE officials have warned that students without direct IEP mandates may be seated on non-air conditioned buses, resulting in unequal access. To request further accommodations, parents and guardians must go through a lengthy process. To seek air-conditioning, they are required to provide schools with medical documents, as well as involving their child’s doctor to consult with the Office of School Health (OSH). This procedure can take up to 30 days, stripping time and energy from IEP families.
Adding to the long list of constraints, special-education mandated buses experience incredibly long delays. Just this past school year, 74% of all DOE buses faced delays, with 94% of delays taking over an hour, all occurring on routes serving students with disabilities. Therefore, comfortable and speedy transportation remains difficult to find.
Wider Educational Environment
As if students don’t suffer enough from excessive heat on school buses, the issue unfortunately mirrors NYC Public School buildings. While former Mayor Bill de Blasio launched the AC for ALL initiative in 2017 to install air conditioners in “every single classroom,” larger spaces such as gymnasiums and cafeterias were not included. As of April 2025, approximately 18% of classrooms remain on the warmer side. If students are unluckily placed on Type C buses, many of them may not find relief leaving the bus as well, due to the lack of functional classroom AC units. Even though newly electrified vehicles and buses are being built, many students — especially those with disabilities — are set to suffer for at least the next decade.
Recommendations for Improvement
While students with disabilities have sued the city regarding this issue before, little to no action has been taken for almost a decade. To ensure the safety of all students, especially those with disabilities:
- Require AC on all School Buses: not just Types A/B, when many IEP students are placed on Type C as well.
- Immediately install AC on existing electric and diesel bus fleets through updated DOE contracts, rather than waiting to take action for over a decade.
- Expand AC for ALL: De Blasio launched a plan to install AC units in “every classroom,” but that did not include gymnasiums, cafeterias, etc.
- Monitor and mandate live bus temperature updates, fining the DOE for non-compliance regarding technical/mechanical issues
- Inform parents/guardians and schools: Educate the public on their rights as guardians, providing them with any knowledge they need on the safety of their children.
Conclusion
New York City students have the right to accessible, safe, and reliable transportation. Depending on a student’s IEP accommodations in order to determine temperature access creates a selective system — leaving many with less-prioritized IEPs significantly disadvantaged. Additionally, air-conditioned buses should be available for all students, as non-IEP children can also suffer from panic attacks, asthma attacks, or be exposed to harmful insects if the windows are open. Air-conditioning on all DOE buses during heat waves, and with consistency, is not just a priority, but an obligation.
By Lupe Hernandez, Community Organizer, Education & Opportunity, and Syeda Muntaha, Summer Intern 2025, Education & Opportunity
Photos by: By Lupe Hernandez, Community Organizer, Education & Opportunity
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Sources
- NYC Admin. Code § 19-605. https://nycadmincode.readthedocs.io/t19/c06/#:~:text=Section%2019%2D605.,-%C2%B6&.
- Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District, A Report Regarding the Transportation of Students with Special Needs Aboard Dangerously Hot School Buses, December 2019, accessed July 21, 2025, https://nycsci.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/Reports/12-19-Hot-School-Buses-Report.pdf.
- “Air Conditioning Requirements for Buses Transporting Students With Disabilities | Committee on Education | New York City Council | September 30, 2024 | citymeetings.nyc,” September 30, 2024, https://citymeetings.nyc/meetings/new-york-city-council/2024-09-30-1000-am-committee-on-education/chapter/air-conditioning-requirements-for-buses-transporting-students-with-disabilities/.
- Julian Shen-Berro, “Some NYC School Bus Temperatures Rose to Over 100 Degrees Amid Heat Wave, Parents Say,” Chalkbeat, November 17, 2023, https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2023/8/3/23818044/nyc-school-bus-heat-wave-air-conditioning-iep-disabilities/.
- Pist Nyc, “What Has Been Done About Hot School Buses? — PIST NYC - Parents to Improve School Transportation,” PIST NYC - Parents to Improve School Transportation, August 4, 2023, https://www.pistnyc.org/resources/hot-school-buses#:~:
- Pist Nyc, “How to Add or Enhance Busing on the IEP — PIST NYC - Parents to Improve School Transportation,” PIST NYC - Parents to Improve School Transportation, November 9, 2024, https://www.pistnyc.org/resources/howtogetiepbusing.
- Joe Hong, “Stuck on a School Bus for Over an Hour? NYC Students See 35% Increase in Extreme Delays.,” Gothamist, May 29, 2025, https://gothamist.com/news/stuck-on-a-school-bus-for-over-an-hour-nyc-students-see-35-increase-in-extreme-delays
- Pooja Salhotra, “Parents Steamed up Over New York City Schools Lacking Air Conditioners,” Chalkbeat, October 31, 2023, https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2021/6/15/22535410/nyc-schools-air-conditioning-masks/.
- Alex Zimmerman, “Officials Promised All NYC Classrooms Would Get Air Conditioning. 1 in 5 Still Lack It,” Chalkbeat, April 17, 2025, https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025/04/17/nyc-schools-still-lack-ac-for-all-ibo-report/?
- Jessica Gould, “Some Students With Disabilities Are Sweating Out the Summer on Buses With Broken AC,” Gothamist, August 5, 2025, https://gothamist.com/news/some-students-with-disabilities-are-sweating-out-the-summer-on-buses-with-broken-ac.