8600 - TRANSPORTATION

The following guidelines are established to implement School Board policy on transportation.

1. Administrative Responsibilities

   The Director of Transportation is responsible for the planning, operating, and maintenance of all Corporation vehicles. Included within this scope of responsibility are:

   1. establishment of bus routes;

   2. management of dispatching operations;

   3. supervising and analyzing vehicle maintenance programs;

   4. preparing and submitting all State/Federal reports;

   5. bus driver personnel selection, supervision, and training;

   6. transportation budgets;

   7. development of specifications for bids on contracted services;

   8. verification of qualifications of bus drivers.

   Quality transportation services require cooperation and effective communication with the principal who shall be responsible for:

   1. supervision at bus loading and unloading zones;

   2. communication to parents and students concerning student behavior, safety, schedules, and the like;

   3. adjudication of all behavior problems;

   4. enforcement of traffic regulations on the school site;

   5. communication about overcrowding and unsafe conditions or practices to the Director of Transportation.

2. Bus Conduct

   1. Parents are to be informed that school bus transportation is a privilege and not a right and that the bus driver is the sole authority on the bus while students are being transported.

   2. Parents are also to be informed that they are responsible for:

      1. the safety of their child while going to or from the bus stop and while waiting for the school bus;

      2. their child being at the bus stop at least five (5) minutes prior to scheduled pick-up time;

      3. damage by their child to school buses, personal property, or public property.

   3. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a proper manner at bus stops. The Corporation will not enter into disputes involving parents and/or students concerning matters that take place prior to the student boarding the school bus, or after the student has disembarked from the bus on his/her way home.

   4. Students will ride only assigned school buses and will board and depart from the bus at assigned bus stops. Students will not be permitted to ride unassigned buses for any reason other than an emergency, except as approved by the principal.

   5. A change in a student's regular assigned bus stop may be granted for a special need, if a note from a parent is submitted to the building principal stating the reason for the request and the duration of the change and the principal approves.

   6. A permanent transfer to another route or bus stop for morning pick-up and/or afternoon drop-off will only be made upon the approval of the Director of Transportation.

   7. Students shall cross all streets at least ten (10) feet in front of the school bus and after the driver has signaled the student that it is all right to do so.

   8. For the safe operation of the school bus, noise on buses shall be kept at a minimum with students speaking in reasonable conversation voices. Students must be quiet at railroad crossings and other danger zones as designated by the bus driver.

      1. Students are not allowed to play their own radios or tape recorders.

      2. Both the use of a bus radio and the station or programs which students listen to must be approved by the Director of Transportation.

   9. The following cargo is forbidden to be transported on a school bus: pets, alcoholic beverages, drugs, ammunition, explosives, firearms, knives, or any other dangerous materials or objects. If there is a question on the transportation of a particular item, the Director of Transportation should be consulted.

3. Student Surveillance

   In accord with Board policy, the Director of Transportation may install the appropriate equipment for video-taping the interior of the buses while transporting students. S/He should follow the Corporation's purchasing practices (AG 6320) in obtaining such equipment and abide by the following guidelines for the use of such equipment:

   1. Arrange for the installation of a box in a location on each bus that will allow for the camera to record all students.

   2. Develop a plan whereby the camera(s) is installed in the box on a rotating basis and so students are not aware of the installation.

   3. Establish a procedure whereby no one observes a tape without the prior authorization of the appropriate principal/Director of Transportation who shall ensure that any observation is done only by those who are authorized to view student records and is conducted in accord with AG 8330 - Student Records.

   Any disciplinary action resulting from the use of the video tapes shall be determined by the appropriate principal who shall ensure that due process is provided to the students involved, in accordance with Board policy and administrative guidelines relating to discipline. Any use of photographs obtained through the use of video tapes shall be in accordance with Federal and State law.

   The transportation director shall be responsible for reviewing the tapes for the purpose of assuring that bus safety procedures are being followed properly and the buses are being operated in accord with Corporation guidelines and State law.

4. Special Services

   In compliance with Board policy, the transportation services may be provided for field trips, co-curricular trips, and extra-curricular trips, including athletics.

Transportation may be provided on weekends and holidays to Corporation students who are participating in approved School Corporation programs which are under the supervision of professional staff members.

TRANSPORTATION GUIDELINES

1. Transportation is determined by a student’s home address.
2. Students may be picked up and/or dropped off at their childcare address if capacity allows and:  a) the childcare address is within the same boundary as the school zone/home address; and b) the childcare address is within the distance guidelines for transportation service and within the School Zone Boundary. 
3. Students are allowed one pick up location and one drop off location every day. In other words, the morning address and the afternoon address can be different such as home in the morning and daycare in the afternoon. All stops must be within the boundaries of the school the student attends. In the interest of keeping our students safe, we can no longer accommodate complex schedules involving multiple locations. In the event an alternate schedule is needed, approvals through Building Level Administration and Transportation Administration with a seventy-two (72) hour advance notice is required. Students must ride on their assigned bus, to their assigned stop. All stops are assigned by the Director of Transportation and/or designee. Bus drivers are not authorized to assign or change bus stops.
4. Stop locations may change periodically based on the student circumstances and physical conditions of the area served. Persons on the sex offender registry will dictate a stop relocation, placement, and/or deviation from policy.  
5. Students must be at their assigned stop location ten (10) minutes before the scheduled pickup time. A flex window of time is warranted due to unforeseen circumstances. 
6. Non-students, including parents, are not permitted on a school bus without explicit consent from school officials. Entering without permission constitutes criminal trespass, a class D Felony. (I.C. 35-43-2-2).
7. Bus stops shall be within .2 mile of a student’s home for elementary and .3 mile of a student’s home for middle and high school students unless circumstances warrant exceptions.
8. Buses will not enter cul-de-sacs, courts, and circles unless approved as a turn around by the Director of Transportation and/or designee. 
9. Students (including Pre-School) who utilize SPED transportation must have a designated, responsible greeter (designated by parent/guardian) at the stop when the bus arrives to drop off.  If the greeter is not at the stop when the bus arrives, the child may be taken back to the school.  If the greeter is not at the bus stop for three (3) or more days, transportation will be suspended for one week. Parents/Guardians must contact the transportation office at 812-542-4707 in order to set up transportation. 
10. In order to preserve the safety and welfare of student riders, it is imperative that all students obey the rules of the bus, the bus driver, and the school. The bus is considered an extension of the school. All school rules apply. Not following the safety rules below may result in students being denied busing privileges and disciplined by school officials.  Suspension from transportation is for all buses.

WHILE WAITING FOR THE SCHOOL BUS/VEHICLE:

1. Arrive at your stop ten (10) minutes ahead of scheduled pick-up time.
2. Never run alongside the bus. Wait until the bus completely stops to board and the stop arm is extended. Students living on the opposite side of the road should wait on their side until the driver gives them an acceptable signal to cross in front of the bus.
3. Keep the roadway clear of materials, clothing, etc. DO NOT PLAY IN THE ROAD.
4. Students fighting, using profanity, or making obscene gestures to the public are subject to disciplinary action.

WHILE RIDING IN THE SCHOOL BUS/VEHICLE: (Violations are subject to disciplinary action)

1. Please obey the driver. The driver is in complete charge of the vehicle.
2. Please be seated immediately and remain seated while the vehicle is in motion. The driver will assign seats. Seat belts are expected to be worn if available.  DO NOT vandalize the bus. Note: PARENT/GUARDIAN WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPLACEMENT COST(S) FOR ANY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. Similar to vandalism conducted at school sites.
3. Students will ENTER and LEAVE the bus ONLY when it comes to a complete stop and the door has been opened by the driver. STUDENTS WILL NOT LEAVE BY THE EMERGENCY DOOR unless instructed by the driver.
4. For safety reasons, no objects will be placed in the aisle, emergency exits, or doorways. No large objects (including band instruments) that interfere with the seating of others will be taken on the vehicle. Animals, fireworks, cutting instruments, or loud electronic equipment are not allowed on the bus.
5. Loud, boisterous talking, screaming, yelling, and eating will not be allowed on the bus.
6. No weapons or items representing a weapon are allowed on a school bus.
7. Students will not tamper with the emergency exits, fire extinguisher, or other safety equipment in the bus.
8. Students will respect pedestrians and occupants of other vehicles. Students will not shout, make obscene signs, use profanity, or throw objects from the bus windows.
9. Students will not extend any body parts out of the bus.
10. Students will not litter in the bus. Cans, bottles, cartons, etc., can cause falls.
11. Violations will be reported to the Director/Assistant Director of Transportation. Transportation will notify the Principal and/or Designee, who will determine the appropriate disciplinary action and notify parents.
12. Students are required to exit the bus at their regular stop unless the student provides the driver with a Bus Pass signed by the Principal or his/her designee.
13. Electronic monitoring/surveillance equipment is used on all buses.
14. For the safety of everyone, no eating or drinking is permitted on the bus.
15. Students may be disciplined when found to be in violation of any Guidelines, Handbook, School Board Policy or State Statute.