Meet Speaker Betsey Helfrich

by | Oct 6, 2021

Betsey practices special education law in Kansas and Missouri. Formerly the special education department lead for law firm Mickes O’Toole, LLC in St. Louis, she now owns her own practice and returns to the TSD Conference keynote stage, where she last spoke before the COVID-19 pandemic. Meet her at TSD Conference on Nov. 19, when […]

Betsey practices special education law in Kansas and Missouri. Formerly the special education department lead for law firm Mickes O’Toole, LLC in St. Louis, she now owns her own practice and returns to the TSD Conference keynote stage, where she last spoke before the COVID-19 pandemic. Meet her at TSD Conference on Nov. 19, when she will be give a keynote presentation on “Legal Lessons Learned: An Overview of the Legal and Lasting Implications of COVID-19 and Recent Case Law on Transporting Students with Disabilities.”

She will discuss compliance with the federal mask mandate for masks on transportation and handling requests for religious and medical exemptions to mask mandates on transportation. Betsey will also explain the impact of school bus driver shortages on FAPE for students with disabilities, as well as “long COVID,” which she blogged about in August for School Transportation News, and recent guidance for when nursing staff is required to ride with students on school buses.

That afternoon, she will cover is the topic “FERPA and the Transportation Department: Your Biggest Questions Answered” during a breakout session, where she will explain what information can and should be shared with the transportation department as well as with private bus companies and drivers.