Thousands of students with special needs are not getting the services they need, and a new report by the public advocate suggests the city education department may be violating federal law. Our education reporter, Lindsey Christ, has more.

When schools don't have the therapists to serve students with special needs, the city has been giving parents vouchers to get the service outside of school.

But a new report by Public Advocate Letitia James finds many of those vouchers are never used. "Students are basically not receiving their services," the public advocate said at a press conference Wednesday morning.

Services that the city is required by law to provide, including speech, physical, and occupational therapy.

Of the 9,100 vouchers given to parents last year, almost half were not used.

The problem is worse in poor neighborhoods. In the South Bronx school district where James made the announcement, 91 percent of special education vouchers given to parents were never used.

"Not only is it incredibly difficult to find a provider with availability, but parents also have the responsibility to transport their child or children multiple times a week on their own time and on their own dime," James said.

James said her office tried calling nearly 300 of the providers on the list the city gives parents. Her staff couldn't reach more than half of them.

Of those who did answer or return the call, most were not available to help. 

"And out of the hundreds of providers we called, only six — six — were available and willing to travel to the Bronx," James said.

Activists and parents joined the public advocate in criticizing the policy for shifting the burden from schools to parents, when legally it is the schools' responsibility.

"If you want them to have some kind of success, without all the other problems we have in the world, we have to start by educating our children inside the schools," said Gloria Alfinez, who is the parent of a child with special needs.

City education department officials said they have hired 700 more therapists over the past three years, and that 95 percent of students are now getting their required speech, physical, or occupational therapy, up from 84 percent five years ago. 

The city also said it's going to make improvements to make it easier for parents who get vouchers to connect with therapists.