Michael Mileto, an eighth grader with a speech-language disability who lives in Brighton Beach, rides a school bus to a private school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side at the city’s expense. The trip routinely takes two and a half to three hours, often making him late for the 8:15 a.m. first bell.

Michael boards at 6:20 a.m.; on one occasion, he did not arrive until 10 a.m. His route now also serves students attending another Manhattan school, extending the trip; last year, a pickup around 6:45 a.m. got him to school on time.

Michael and his mother, Annie Mileto, say the delays cause him to miss core lessons, including math and literacy, and then rush to catch up. He also says the long rides leave him exhausted, with one trip home keeping him out until 6 p.m.

Randi Levine of Advocates for Children said families have reported missing service as well as crowded, delayed buses, including routes that appear to combine students from separate schools, though nearby schools have shared buses in the past.

The case comes amid broader school-busing problems: at the start of the school year, about 2,000 children across 300 routes lacked a driver. The city responded with prepaid rideshare options, new buses and efforts to recruit more drivers.

The city’s public schools department said it is reviewing Michael’s route, GPS data and delays at stops to determine what happened and whether the route can be improved.