TRANSPORTATION | Administrative Guideline Manual

8600 - TRANSPORTATION

The following guidelines are established to implement the Board of Education policy on transportation.

Administrative Responsibilities

The Transportation Supervisor is responsible for planning and operating the transportation program and for the maintenance of all District vehicles. Included within this scope of responsibility are:
1. establishing bus routes and time schedules in accordance with State laws and Board policy;
2. monitoring student arrival times to ensure students do not arrive late to school, are dropped off more than thirty (30) minutes before school starts, or picked up more than thirty (30) minutes after school dismisses;
3. coordinating the dispatching operations;
4. supervising and analyzing vehicle maintenance programs;
5. preparing and submitting all State/Federal reports;
6. selecting, training, and supervising bus drivers;
7. preparing transportation budgets;
8. developing specifications for bids on buses, equipment, and/or contracted services;
9. verifying the qualifications of bus drivers;
10. determining whether transportation shall be provided for an eligible resident student in accordance with Board policy;
11. determining which resident students qualify for transportation to and from a State-chartered nonpublic school or an approved community school;
12. collaborating with the Superintendent to determine the reasonableness and practicality of transporting an eligible resident student to and from their school of attendance and developing transportation plans for eligible students;
13. coordinate with the Liaison for Homeless Children to arrange for joint transportation of homeless students when necessary;
14. monitor operations and track possible compliance violations, which include noncompliance with any other transportation requirements pursuant to State law and regulations;
15. communications from the Department of Education and Workforce in reference to noncompliance will be referred to the Superintendent;
16. develop responses and/or corrective action plans in consultation with other District staff for submission to the Department of Education and Workforce.

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

communication to parents and students concerning student behavior, safety, schedules, and the like;
addressing all behavior problems;
managing overcrowding and/or unsafe conditions or practices to the Transportation Supervisor.

Bus Conduct
1. Parents are to be informed that the bus driver is the sole authority on the bus while students are being transported and that students are subject to discipline, up to and including removal from bus transportation for unsafe riding practices.
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, including waiting for a school bus in a location clear of traffic and away from the bus stop;
  2. their child being at the bus stop at least ten (10) 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.
4. Students will ride only assigned school buses and will board and depart from the bus at their 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 and Transportation Supervisor.
5. A change in a student's regular assigned bus stop may be considered for a special need, if a note from a parent is submitted in accordance with District procedures stating the reason for the request and the duration of the change and approved by the Transportation Supervisor.
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 Transportation Supervisor.
7. When necessary to reach the residence side of the road, 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.
  
  Both the use of a bus radio and the station or programs which students listen to must be approved by the bus driver.
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 Both the use of a bus radio and the station or programs which students listen to must be approved by the bus driver. should be consulted.
Student Surveillance

In accordance with Board policy, appropriate equipment for video recording the interior of the buses or alternative vehicles while transporting students may be installed. Follow the District's purchasing practices (AG 6320A) in obtaining such equipment and abide by the following guidelines for the use of such video surveillance/electronic monitoring equipment:
1. Arrange for the installation of the recording device in a location on each bus or alternative vehicle that will allow for the camera to record all students.
2. Install equipment that will embed the date, time, and bus number of each video recording and maintain the recording in a secure location for the retention period required for the type and use of the recording.
3. Establish a procedure where video surveillance is viewed only by school officials with a legitimate educational interest or pursuant to a subpoena. Observation shall be made only by those who are authorized to view student records and in accordance with AG 8330 - Student Records.

Any disciplinary action resulting from the use of surveillance shall be determined by the appropriate District administrator. Due process shall be provided to the students involved in accordance with Ohio law, Board policy and administrative guidelines relating to discipline. Any use of photographs obtained through the use of video surveillance shall be in accordance with Federal and State law.

The Transportation Supervisor shall be responsible for reviewing the video recordings to verify that bus and alternative vehicle safety procedures and the buses and alternative vehicles are being operated in accordance with safety procedures, District guidelines, and State law and regulations.

Eligibility of Nonpublic or Community School Students for Transportation

In accordance with State law, the Transportation Supervisor shall determine the direct travel time to transport a resident student attending a chartered nonpublic school or attending an approved community school who requests transportation. Direct travel time shall be measured as the time that it takes a bus to travel from the school to which the student would have been assigned by the District for that student's attendance area to the student's nonpublic or community school of attendance during the normal route time(s). When directed by the Department of Education and Workforce, the District will conduct an additional timing to determine the official direct travel time. The District is not required to transport students to and from a nonpublic or community school when such transportation would require more than thirty (30) minutes of direct travel time.

The Board is not required to provide transportation for any native student enrolled in a community school if the Board has entered into an agreement with the governing authority of the community school that designates the community school as responsible for providing or arranging the transportation of the District's native students to and from the community school and the agreement is certified by the Department of Education and Workforce as having met certain requirements established by State law. Also, the Board will not be responsible for providing transportation for any native student enrolled in an approved community school if the governing authority of the community school submits a written notification to the Board, by a date prescribed by the Department of Education and Workforce, stating that the governing authority will accept responsibility for providing or arranging for the transportation of the District's native students to and from the community school.

The Board is not required to provide transportation to students enrolled in a chartered nonpublic or community school that has offered to provide transportation in lieu of the District providing it.

The Board is not responsible for providing transportation to students who receive transportation from an educational service center participating in the Pupil Transportation Pilot Program.
Providing Payment-in-Lieu of Transportation

In accordance with State law, upon Board resolution, the Superintendent may determine that the transportation of a resident student, who is otherwise eligible for transportation under State law, Board policy, and these guidelines, is impractical. The determination of the Superintendent will be formalized through a resolution passed by the Board at its next scheduled meeting. In such instances, the Board may, in lieu of providing transportation, pay the parent an amount per student as determined by the Board which is within the range set annually by the Department of Education and Workforce.

The determination for payment-in-lieu will be made at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to the District’s or the nonpublic/community school's first day of student instruction, or no later than fourteen (14) calendar days if a student is enrolled less than thirty (30) days prior to the first day of instruction or after the start of the school year. Parents/guardians of students who are eligible for payment-in-lieu of transportation shall be notified in writing by the Superintendent. The notice will detail the reason(s) why the determination was made based on factors considered in accordance with State law. The nonpublic/community school and the Department of Education and Workforce will receive copies of the notice as well. Parents who accept payment-in-lieu of transportation must return a signed notice of acceptance.

Parents who do not agree with the decision regarding the impracticality of transporting their child(ren) may reject the offer of payment-in-lieu of transportation. Parents may request mediation from the Department of Education and Workforce. The Board shall provide transportation until the matter is resolved.

Parents/guardians may authorize the community or nonpublic school where their student is enrolled to act on their behalf at any time after requesting transportation, including in mediation procedures.
Use of Alternative Vehicles to Transport Nonpublic and Community School Students

The District may use an alternative vehicle designed to carry nine (9) passengers or less, plus a driver, instead of a school bus to transport students to a chartered nonpublic or community school if all of the following apply:
1. the number of students in the vehicle does not exceed nine (9);
2. the District regularly transports students to that chartered nonpublic or community school; and
3. the driver has a valid driver's license, is accustomed to driving the vehicle, and meets statutory and administrative requirements for a bus or motor van driver (with the exception of having a commercial driver's license).

The driver and all passengers are expected to comply with State laws regarding child and occupant restraint devices and safety while in the motor vehicle. The driver will also be instructed that the driver shall not stop on the roadway to load or unload passengers.

The Transportation Supervisor shall ensure that the alternative vehicle drivers conduct a pre-trip inspection prior to each use for student transportation by the driver. A qualified mechanic shall inspect the vehicle not less than two (2) times each year and determine it is safe to transport students.

Non-Routine Trips

In compliance with Board policy, 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 District students who are participating in approved School District programs, which are under the supervision of professional staff members.

The Superintendent may contract to provide transportation service for other organizations in accordance with State law.

Homeless Students

Students meeting the Federal definition of homeless will be transported from their temporary place of residence to their school of assignment or school of origin, at the request of the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied minor, to the same extent as all other students of the District and consistent with Board Policy 8600. If the homeless student's temporary residence is located outside the boundaries of the District, the Liaison for Homeless Children will coordinate with the Director of Transportation to contact the District in which the student temporarily resides to arrange for joint transportation of the student and to seek inter-district agreement on a method for apportioning the cost of such joint transportation. In no event will a homeless student be denied enrollment based on issues related to student transportation.
Transportation for Special Education Students

The Board provides special transportation as a related service to students with disabilities in accordance with State and Federal law, as summarized in the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan. The Transportation Supervisorshall be available for consultation with IEP/504 teams to collaborate about how student needs may be met. Transportation of eligible special education children between their home areas and schools outside the District shall be arranged through the use of Board-owned vehicles, through cooperation with other districts, through commercial carriers, and/or by other means in the most efficient and economical manner.
The governing authority of a community school shall provide or arrange for transportation free of charge for any eligible special education student enrolled in the community school for whom the student's individualized education program specifies transportation.
The District will provide transportation for eligible students who live in the District and attend a nonpublic school, if the School District is provided with supporting documentation that transportation is a related service as part of the child’s individualized education program (“IEP”) or an individual service plan (“ISP”) developed by the County Board of Developmental Disabilities pursuant to R.C. 5126.41 for county residents who receive supported living services.
Use of Buses by Authorized Entities

The Board may enter into a written agreement with a public or private not-for-profit agency, group, or organization, municipal corporation, or other political subdivision to operate its buses to assist the entity in the fulfillment of its legitimate activities and during times of emergency. Transportation pursuant to such agreements shall not be considered commerce as defined under State and Federal law. All Department of Education regulations governing the operation of school buses when transporting students shall apply during such use, including the requirement that drivers hold certificates issued by either the educational service center governing board that has entered into an agreement with the District under R.C. 3313.843 or R.C. 3313.845 or the Superintendent of the School District certifying that the individual satisfies the requirements to drive a bus under R.C. 3327.10. The Board will procure liability and property damage insurance to cover all vehicles used and passengers transported under these agreements. The Board may recover expenses from the contracting entities, which will not exceed the cost of operating the vehicles and the cost of insurance.

Revised 3/27/24