By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

ALABASTER—School isn’t just about preparing students for tests, it’s about preparing them for the future. On Jan. 26, members of the Shelby County School System’s Community Transition Team met for the first time to discuss how to better prepare students with special needs for life after graduation.

The Community Transitional Team is made up of a variety of community representatives, from SCS Board of Education members, to school principals, to local business men and women. The team’s goal is to identify ways to strengthen the job readiness of Shelby County Schools graduates with special needs.

“We’re hoping we can get everybody’s input in what our community needs from our special needs students,” Shelby County Job Coach Cindy Vinson said. “We know Shelby County has one of the best special education departments, but we want to build on that… there’s always room for improvement.”

During the inaugural Jan. 26 meeting, the Community Transitional Team discussed obstacles individuals with special needs face in the Shelby County workforce, specifically transportation.

“Transportation will be your worst nightmare…it’s always a struggle,” United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham Adult Services Director Janis Braue said. “Parents don’t like that when their children are sitting somewhere waiting for a bus.”

Public and private transportation services are available in the area, but several team members said these services do not reliably get individuals with special needs to and from work on time.

Hoover City Councilman John Lyda shared recent developments in the transportation landscape with the group.

Many Birmingham-area cities, including Hoover and Helena, have amended their municipal codes to encompass permit ride sharing companies, such as Uber, a move Lyda said could move area transportation “light years forward, very quickly.”

“We now have what I consider to be the ultimate free market model for transportation companies,” Lyda said, noting companies such as Uber can adjust to meet demand in a way traditional taxi companies cannot.

Lyda explained how ride sharing companies work, the process and background checks required to become a driver and the features of the Uber cellphone app.

“It’s not about revenue (for the city), it’s about getting people to where they need to go,” Helena Mayor Mark Hall added.

Lyda suggested the possibility of tailoring ride sharing services to fit the transportation needs of the special needs community, such as providing wheelchair accessible cars.

“I have a passion for taking this transportation model and trying to (tailor it) to the special needs community,” Lyda said.

The Community Transition Team will meet quarterly and continue discussions to identify needs and goals for the Shelby County Schools special education program. Once goals are set, the team will break into subcommittees and begin working to meet those goals.

“First we find out what we need,” Vinson said. “We won’t know what that is until we get everyone’s input.”