TRANSPORTATION

TRANSPORTATION

po8600Adopted May 1, 2002Revised October 15, 2024

8600 - TRANSPORTATION

  1. It is the policy of the Board to provide transportation for those students whose distance from their school makes this service necessary within the limitations established by State law and the regulations of the State of Florida. Such laws and rules shall govern any question not covered by this policy.
  2. Provisions for reciprocal agreements with contiguous school districts for school bus and other Board-approved vehicle transportation services, inspections, and screening requirements shall be in accordance with Florida statute.
  3. School buses shall be purchased, housed, and maintained by the District for the transportation of resident students between their home areas and the schools of the District to which they are assigned.
  4. Students living more than two (2) miles from their home school will be eligible for District-provided bus transportation. Students who attend school out of their home school zone will not be eligible for District-provided transportation. Students shall board the bus at the nearest designated stop and will not enter or leave the bus at any other designated stop. In the event of an emergency, the principal may approve an exemption to the student’s designated bus stop on a temporary basis.
  5. Students living within two (2) miles of school may be provided District bus transportation under the following conditions:
     
    1. Permanently disabled students, whose Individual Education Plan requires special transportation. 
    2. Temporarily disabled students upon request and verification of disability and length of time of disability. 
    3. Students whose walking routes to school meet the State criteria for hazardous walking conditions. 

      F.S. 1006.23 requires the Board and other governmental entities work cooperatively to identify conditions that are hazardous along student walking routes to school and requires such condition shall be inspected by a representative of the School District and a representative of the State or local governmental entity that has jurisdiction over the perceived hazardous location. If it is determined that the condition meets the criteria established in State law for hazardous walking conditions, the Board shall provide transportation to students who would be subjected to such conditions. State law further requires State or local governmental entities having jurisdiction to correct such hazardous conditions within a reasonable period of time. The Board and Superintendent shall follow State law with respect to correcting hazardous walking conditions.
    4. 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.
  6. Students eligible for transportation who are beyond the accessibility of school bus transportation shall be provided isolated transportation by payment to the parent/legal guardian of an amount established by the Board. Payment of the amount established will be based upon the date of the application or the date the service began whichever occurred first during the current attendance reporting period.
  7. Parents/Legal guardians of students who become or are determined to be non-eligible for school bus transportation shall be notified in writing. The student will be allowed to ride the bus for a minimum of three (3) additional school days depending on the circumstances of the non-eligibility. Length of time allowed to continue riding the bus will be at the discretion of the Director of Transportation. If the student was riding the school bus illegally, removal from the bus may be immediate.
  8. Bus routes shall be established so that one authorized bus stop is available within 1.5 miles walking distance of the home of every resident student entitled to transportation services. The Board shall approve the bus routes annually. The Superintendent is authorized to make any necessary changes in the approved route.
  9. The Board authorizes the installation and use of video recording devices in the school buses to assist the drivers in providing for the safety and well-being of the students while on a bus.
  10. Duties and Responsibilities of the Director of Transportation 
     
    1. Counsel with school bus operators regarding safety and efficiency of service to schools and to make recommendations to them for improvement in service. 
    2. Recommend to the Superintendent the initial or continued employment of bus operators, and other transportation personnel. 
    3. Instruct school bus operators in procedures to be followed in conducting school bus emergency evacuation drills and confer with each Principal regarding scheduling, conducting, and documenting school bus evacuation drills. These procedures shall include a requirement that all operators of school buses transporting students, teachers, or chaperones on field and activity trips instruct all passengers in the locations and proper use of school bus emergency exits prior to each such trip. 
    4. Counsel with bus operators regarding operator responsibility and authority, as well as job performance. 

The Director of Transportation shall consider the knowledge, skills, and abilities related to student management techniques, as well as the characteristics of students with disabilities, when selecting or assigning operators and attendants for routes serving ESE students. 

  1. Duties and Responsibilities of the Principal 
     
    1. Assume responsibility under the direction of the Superintendent for all student disciplinary cases that arise in connection with transportation in accordance with Florida statutes, Florida State Board Rule, and the Student Code of Conduct. 
    2. Instruct students as a part of their safety program on the rules pertaining to student transportation, walking to and from school, bicycle, and other vehicle operations. 
    3. Develop at the school a parking policy for the safety of students, visitors, and staff while operating or parking personal vehicles on campus. 
    4. Conduct, at a minimum, during the first six (6) weeks of each semester, school bus evacuation drills, and maintain documentation for these drills. 
    5. Develop a plan for the supervision of transported students who arrive early or remain late. 
    6. Designate places for students to get on and off school buses at the school site and supervise the loading/unloading zone. 
    7. Provide instruction for all transported students in safe practices on and off the bus during the first six (6) weeks of the first semester of the school year. 
    8. Request authority in writing for transportation of students on field trips and activity trips, or other special trips, and to plan such trips in accordance with policies approved by the Board. 
  2. Duties and Responsibilities of the Bus Operator 
     
    1. Pass all required physical examinations and meet such requirements as may be prescribed by State law, State Board rules, or Board policy. 
    2. Be clean and neat in appearance and refrain from wearing shoes not securely held on the foot. 
    3. Refrain from use of tobacco while operating the bus, as well as the use of profane language in the presence of the students. Operators shall not use or be under the influence of alcohol, illicit drugs, or any substance that may impair the operator’s alertness or performance while on duty. Operators shall not carry firearms while on school board property. 
    4. Prescribe, in cooperation with the principal, the seating arrangements of students. 
    5. Report needed changes in school bus transportation to the Director of Transportation including bus loads, bus deficiencies, road hazards, routes, and schedules. 
    6. Study and observe all laws, rules of the State Board, and policies of the Board relating to transportation. 
    7. Attend and participate in conferences and training classes for school bus operators and be prepared at any time to pass successfully a reasonable examination concerning traffic laws, State, and local transportation rules, and driving skills. 
    8. Require that transported students observe all rules prescribed by law, State Board rule, and the policies of the Board. 
    9. Maintain order and discipline, under the direction of the principal, on the part of every passenger. 
    10. Permit students to leave the bus only at their assigned stop, except upon written authorization of the principal. 
    11. Observe all procedures incorporated in the Florida Department of Education Basic School Bus Operator’s Curriculum. 
    12. Instruct transported students in safe riding practices. 
    13. Require all passengers to remain seated and to keep aisles and exits clear. 
    14. Participate in emergency evacuation drills at least once each school semester under the principal's direction. 
    15. Use the bus, if it is publicly owned, only to transport students to and from school, except upon specific direction of the Superintendent or the Principal upon written authorization by the Superintendent. 
    16. Prepare immediately after every accident involving the bus or a school bus passenger an accident report to be filed with the Director of Transportation. 
    17. Ascertain and ensure that all persons are off the bus before filling the fuel tank. 
    18. Drive always at a safe speed and never more than the legally posted speed limit in business or residential districts, or fifty-five (55) miles per hour outside business or residential districts. 
    19. Cooperate with duly authorized school officials, mechanics, and other personnel in the mechanical maintenance and repair of the bus, and in overcoming hazards that threaten the safety or efficiency of service. 
    20. Inspect the bus daily prior to the beginning of the first daily trip, prior to the beginning of the first trip each morning and the first trip each afternoon, and report any defect affecting safety or economy of operation immediately to authorized service personnel. The inspection shall include all items identified in the procedures related to the mandatory daily inspection in the Basic School Bus Operator Curriculum. 
    21. Always keep the bus clean and neat and do not affix any stickers or other unauthorized items to the interior or exterior of buses. 
    22. Prepare reports, keep all records required, and otherwise assist school officials in mapping bus routes, planning schedules and in obtaining information for a continuous study of all phases of transportation service. 
    23. Always wear a seat belt when the bus is in operation. 
    24. Use roof-mounted white flashing strobe lights, if the bus is so equipped, whenever headlights are required to be used due to reduced visibility conditions pursuant to F.S. 316.217(1)(b), except that insufficient light due only to the time of day or night shall not require use of the strobe light. 
    25. Report the following immediately to the Director of Transportation, Principal, or other designated officials: misconduct on the part of any student while on the bus or under the operator’s immediate supervision; complaints requiring attention of school authorities; any hazards arising that would offer either an actual or a potential threat to the safety of students in the operator’s care; causes for failure to maintain school bus time schedule; and overloaded conditions on the bus that exceed the rated capacity of the bus. 
    26. Perform a complete interior inspection of each bus after each run and trip to ensure no students are left on board. 
    27. Maintain as far as practicable by patient and considerate treatment of parent's/legal guardian's feeling of security in the safety of students transported. 

The Superintendent shall require that bus operators, and attendants if used, are instructed as to their responsibilities for students who are transported at public expense as follows: 

  1. The operator or attendant of a bus transporting students shall remain with the bus so that students aboard will be always under supervision, except to call for assistance in case of an emergency or accident involving the students or bus. 
  2. In cases where a student with physical disabilities is unable to leave the area of a student stop without assistance, the school bus operator shall not assume responsibility for such assistance except in an emergency that threatens the safety of such student or students. 
  3. The operator and attendant (if used) shall be provided certified cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid training related to and along with other required pre-service training prior to transporting students, and shall receive CPR and first aid refresher in-service training at least biennially; however, the operator and attendant (if used) shall not give medicine and shall limit his/her their assistance to that which may normally be expected of a reasonable, prudent person or as specified in the student’s Individual Educational Plan or Individualized Seizure Action Plan. 
  4. School bus operators and attendants (if used) shall receive information regarding each affected student's Individualized Seizure Action Plan and appropriate training regarding how to provide recommended care if the student shows symptoms of the epilepsy or seizure disorder, in accordance with F.S. 1006.062. The student's parent/legal guardian and emergency contact information will also be provided to bus operators and attendants. 
  1. The Superintendent shall also require that bus operators and attendants be provided instructions, in writing, as to any special conditions or non-medical care which a student may need while on the bus. 
  2. Duties and Responsibilities of Parent/Legal Guardian

    Parents, guardians, and students shall be informed at least annually in writing of their responsibilities for the following:
     
    1. to ensure the safe travel of their students during the portions of each trip to and from school and home when the students are not under the custody and control of the District, including during each trip to and from home and the assigned bus stop when the District provides bus transportation;
    2. to ensure that students ride only on their assigned school buses and get off only at assigned bus stops, except when the District has approved, upon the request of the parent or guardian, alternative buses, or arrangements;
    3. to ensure students are aware of and follow the district’s adopted Code of Student Conduct while the students are at school bus stops and provide necessary supervision during times when the bus is not present; and
    4. to ensure that, when the physical disability of the student renders the student unable to get on and off the bus without assistance, the parent or guardian provides the necessary assistance to help the student get on and off at the bus stop, as required by District policy or the student’s individual educational plan.
  3. School Bus Infraction Detection Systems
     
    1. Consistent with F.S. 316.173 and based solely on the need to increase public safety, the Board operates a school bus infraction detection system on all school buses in the District for the purpose of enforcing F.S. 316.172(1)(a) and (b).
    2. A school bus equipped with a school bus infraction system must meet the following specifications as set forth in F.A.C. 6A-3.003:
       
      1. the system shall be comprised of two (2) or more cameras affixed to a school bus that meets all of the following requirements:
         
        1. Is synchronized to automatically record video or one or more sequenced photographs of a vehicle failing to stop for a school bus in violation of F.S. 316.172;
        2. Is capable of capturing images of:
           
          1. The left and right side of the school bus documenting a vehicle illegally passing the stopped school bus from either direction beginning when the vehicle is no less than 200 feet from the school bus; and,
          2. The license plate on the rear of the vehicle.
        3. Is capable of capturing a record of the following:
           
          1. The date, time and GPS location of the violation;
          2. The status of the school bus eight (8)-way student warning light system at the time of the violation; and,
          3. The date stamp documenting the latest system self-test conducted on the School Bus Infraction Detection System.
      2. The school bus infraction detection systems must perform a self-test no less than once every thirty (30) days and be tested by a licensed technician at least once a year.
      3. Images and data recorded by the system will not identify or depict any student unless the student is the operator of a vehicle failing to stop for a school bus in violation of F.S. 316.172.
    3. No individual is permitted to receive a commission from any revenue collected from violations detected through the use of the District's system. In the event the District contracts with a vendor or manufacturer to install a school bus infraction detection system on any school bus or operate and maintain the system, such vendor or manufacturer is not permitted to receive a fee or renumeration based upon the number of violations detected through the use of a school bus infraction detection system. This paragraph does not prohibit a private vendor or manufacturer from receiving a fixed amount of collected proceeds for service rendered in relation to the installation, operation, or maintenance of the District's school bus infraction detection system.
    4. The Board shall enter into an interlocal agreement with one or more law enforcement agencies authorized to enforce violations of F.S. 316.172(1)(a) and (b) within the District which jointly establishes the responsibilities of enforcement and the reimbursement of costs associated with school bus infraction detection systems consistent with F.S. 316.173.
    5. All school bus infraction detection systems shall meet specifications established by the State Board of Education and will be tested at regular intervals according to specifications prescribed by State Board rule.
  4. Signage on School Buses
     
    1. Any school bus with an operational infraction detection system will include signage on the rear of the bus. The signage must be in the form of one or more signs or stickers and must contain the following elements in substantially the following form:
       
      1. the words “STOP WHEN RED LIGHTS FLASH” or “DO NOT PASS WHEN RED LIGHTS FLASH”;
      2. the words “CAMERA ENFORCED”; and,
      3. a graphic depiction of a camera.
    2. The signage must occupy at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the available space that does not contain signs or insignia that are required by other applicable law or by the State Board of Education.
  5. Notice to the Public
     
    1. The District will make a public announcement and conduct a public awareness campaign of the proposed use of school bus infraction detection systems at least 30 days before commencing enforcement under the school bus infraction detection system program and notify the public of the specific date on which the program will commence. During the thirty (30) day public awareness campaign, only a warning may be issued to the registered owner of a motor vehicle for a violation F.S. 316.172(1)(a) or (b) enforced by a school bus infraction detection system, and a civil penalty may not be imposed F.S. Chapter 318.
  6. Violations
     
    1. Within thirty (30) days after an alleged violation of F.S. 316.172(1)(a) or (b) is recorded by a school bus infraction detection system, the District or its private vendor or manufacturer must submit the following information to a law enforcement agency that has entered into an interlocal agreement with the District pursuant to this policy and has traffic infraction enforcement jurisdiction at the location where the alleged violation occurred:
       
      1. a copy of the recorded video and images showing the motor vehicle allegedly violating F.S. 316.172(1)(a) or (b);
      2. the motor vehicle’s license plate number and the state of issuance of the motor vehicle’s license plate; and,
      3. the date, time, and location of the alleged violation.
  7. Videos and Images of Alleged Infractions
     
    1. The school bus infraction detection system may not be used for remote surveillance. The collection of evidence by the school bus infraction detection system to enforce violations of F.S. 316.172 does not constitute remote surveillance. Video and images recorded as part of the school bus infraction detection system may only be used for traffic enforcement and for purposes of determining criminal or civil liability for incidents captured by the school bus infraction detection system incidental to the permissible use of the system. To the extent practicable, a school bus infraction detection system will utilize necessary technology so that personal identifying information contained in the video or still images recorded by the system which is not relevant to the alleged violation, including, but not limited to, the identity of the driver and any passenger of a motor vehicle, the interior or contents of a motor vehicle, the identity of an uninvolved person, a number identifying the address of a private residence, and the contents or interior of a private residence, is sufficiently obscured so as not to reveal such personal identifying information.
    2. Any recorded video or still image obtained through the use of a school bus infraction detection system must be destroyed within ninety (90) days after the final disposition of the recorded event. The vendor of the school bus infraction detection system must provide the District with written notice by December 31st of each year that such records have been destroyed in accordance with F.S. 316.173.
  8. Quarterly Reporting to the Florida Department of Education
     
    1. By October 1, 2023, and quarterly thereafter, the District, will submit, in consultation with the law enforcement agencies with which it has interlocal agreements pursuant to this policy, a report to the Florida Department of Education which details the results of the school bus infraction detection systems in the District in the preceding quarter. The report will contain the information required in F.S. 316.173. The District will maintain its respective data for reporting purposes for at least two (2) years after such data is reported to the Florida Department of Education.

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