Villa Maria St Paul’s College runs three buses to its Kew campus each school day. The service caters for 16 of the school’s 46 students at a cost of $200,000 a year.

The not-for-profit school caters for children aged five to 18 years with high-need intellectual, physical and sensory disabilities.

St Paul’s College principal Cheril Dewhirst said the cost of running the bus service was a massive drain on the school’s resources.

‘‘If we were able to increase the bus service, this would relieve pressure on parents who have the additional stress of transporting or providing taxis to take their child to school.’’

Nunawading residents Janet and Craig Coulson send their daughter Tayla, 16, to St Pauls because it is able to cater for her high needs. Tayla is blind, wheelchair-bound and fed through a tube.

The Coulsons’ other daughter, Claudia, has Down syndrome and attends a low-needs state government special school in Burwood.

The couple, who live on carers pensions, expect to pay about $1000 this year for Tayla to use the bus service but are not required to pay for Claudia. The state government funds bus transport for disabled children who attend state government schools, but not independent schools.

Mr Coulson called on the state government to fund school transport for all disabled children. ‘‘It would be nice to be millionaires, but we’re not,’’ he said. ‘‘We’re parents of disabled children who need help.’’

The Education Department did not respond to questions.