The D.C. Council wants to find a cheaper way to transport special-education students, whose busing system costs the city $92 million — or $26,285 per student.

When the public schools lack the services for a student’s special needs, the federal government requires the District to foot the bill of sending the child to another school. That’s currently the case for 3,500 students, served by the Department of Student Transportation’s $92 million budget and 840 buses that run 645 routes.