The board of trustees in each school district shall establish an early intervention program for preschool-age handicapped children who are legal residents of the district. Districts may contract with other districts or agencies, public or private, which maintain approved special education programs or provide approved related services in order to facilitate the implementation of this responsibility. Each district shall provide transportation for all children enrolled in early intervention programs who request the transportation, and regulations of the State Board of Education governing the operation of school buses shall apply.