Council spent £72k on taxi fares – for just one pupil

Figure lays bare scale of costs incurred by authority getting SEND children to school

- Phil Corrigan

A COUNCIL spent £72,158 on taxi fares for one special needs pupil in one year, new figures show.

The sum was the single highest annual charge faced by Staffordshire County Council for home to school transport for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).

Janet Higgins, cabinet member for education and SEND at the Reform UK-led authority, published its top 20 SEND transport spends in response to a formal question from fellow Reform councillor Matthew Wallens.

The list shows the second highest annual charge was £46,953, with 19 SEND pupils having transport costs in excess of £30,000 a year.