8610.01 - SCHOOL DISTRICT FEE BASED TRANSPORTATION SERVICE

1. Fee-Based Transportation Program
   
   Students residing within two (2) miles of an established bus stop of the school they are currently attending may be provided bus transportation upon payment of a fee established by the Board. This transportation will only be provided if seats are available on existing buses serving the school. The transportation fee must be paid in advance per semester before a student is allowed to ride on a school bus in accordance with the provisions of the administrative procedure.
2. Fee-Based Student Selection Process
    
   1. Parents/Guardians requesting fee-based transportation privileges shall submit an application form (provided) to the school. 
   2. Schools will confirm with transportation the number of seats available on the school bus to accommodate fee-based transportation. 
   3. The siblings of a student whose Individual Education Plan (IEP) places the student at a District assigned school may apply for and be given courtesy fee-based transportation under the following provisions:
       
      1. The student with the IEP must have transportation provided as a related service to the District assigned school.
      2. The siblings must be accepted by the school in order to apply for courtesy fee-based transportation service.
      3. Courtesy fee-based transportation shall cease for the siblings at the end of the existing semester if the IEP student no longer requires or terminates transportation to that school.
      4. All other provisions of the fee-based policy apply.
   4. Students requesting fee-based transportation must reapply each semester and each request must be approved by transportation. 
3. School Bus Capacity
   
   Students eligible for transportation in accordance with State Board of Education Rule registered to ride the school bus will be considered a student rider regardless of whether the student rides each school day. Transportation will maintain a two (2) seat buffer on each school bus to accommodate new students before determining the space-available status of a bus for fee-based transportation. 
4. Cost of Fee-Based Student Transportation
   
   The cost of fee-based transportation will be $2.00 per school day. This will equate to a maximum of $180 for the first semester and $180 for the second semester. No cost to a family will exceed $360 for the first semester or $360 for the second semester. The fee-based cost must be paid in full at the beginning of each semester or when the student is accepted as a fee-based student.
   
   The fee-based cost will be prorated if the student is accepted during the semester. Students withdrawing from the fee-based transportation service shall have all remaining money returned from the day the fee-based service was last used. The fee-based refunds will be given to students moving or transferring to a different school. No refunds will be granted due to student sickness or a temporary suspension from riding the school bus. The school shall be responsible for collecting all fee-based money not paid online.
   
   Students identified as free and reduced lunch students shall be offered fee-based school bus transportation at a rate of $1.00 a day. All other provisions of the fee-based system shall apply to the free and reduced lunch students. 
   
   Principals may not waive the fee-based cost for a student for any reason. 
5. Fee-Based Student Identification and Tracking
   
   Students requesting fee-based transportation service shall submit an application form to the school. The school will ensure the fee-based registration form is completed in its entirety.  
   
   Transportation will enter the student in the automated school bus routing system as a fee-based student. This information will also be entered into the District Student Information System. Fee-based students will not be counted as eligible riders in state reports. Transportation will maintain files on fee-based ridership. 
6. Fee-Based Student Responsibility
   
   Students riding a school bus under the fee-based process shall conform to all bus rules and regulations pertaining to school bus transportation as listed in the students’ Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. Students will be disciplined for misconduct and may be removed from fee-based transportation at the discretion of the principal for misbehavior on the school bus or at the school bus stop. 
7. Reasons for Removing Fee-Based Students from the School Bus
    
   1. Any student misbehavior/misconduct may result in the immediate removal of a student from fee-based transportation. The principal will make this determination. 
   2. When bus capacity increases due to the addition of transportation eligible students, fee-based students will be removed. Parents/Guardians will be given a minimum of five (5) days notice before the fee-based student is removed from the school bus. The order of removal for fee-based students will be "last on – first off." 
   3. Fee-based student transportation can also be removed due to the deletion of a school bus route or for any other valid reason associated determined by the Director of Transportation. 

Revised 1/21/09
Revised 5/26/23
Revised 12/12/23

© Brevard County Public Schools 2023