Administrative Guideline - 8600A Student Transportation Guidelines

Administrative Guideline - 8600a Student Transportation Guidelines

STUDENT ELIGIBILITY

A. ELIGIBILITY

1. Generally, all students are eligible for transportation by approved means of transportation.

2. Certain circumstances may exclude a student from being eligible for transportation by the school corporation such as, but not necessarily limited to, residing outside of the school district or the student’s home school attendance area.

B. ALTERNATE ADDRESS PICK-UP AND DROP-OFF

1. A student’s daycare/babysitter location may be considered as their residence for the purpose of transportation; however, the daycare/babysitter must be located in the same school attendance area as the student is attending. Transportation will be provided from a student’s home or daycare.Transportation will only be provided to or from up to two places of student residence or before or after school care.

2. Daycare information should be submitted to the Transportation Office each year prior to June 1st.

C. SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS

1. Transportation is provided to students with special needs in accordance with Federal, State and Board of Education laws, rules, and regulations for service. The Transportation Department shall be included in a student’s IEP process to help in the evaluation of transportation services needed and offer advice on options available based on the School District’s existing bus fleet and resources.

2. The Transportation Department will endeavor to provide transportation services for special needs students on the regularly assigned neighborhood bus.

BUS ASSIGNMENTS

A. DAILY ROUTES

1. Eligible students will be assigned to a bus annually.

a. Students are not required to ride the bus. Students who choose not to accept bus service are encouraged to contact the Transportation department if they are declining bus service.

2. Students will be assigned to one bus route at the beginning of the school year.

3. Students are to board and disembark from the bus at their assigned stop only.

4. Bus drivers will not permit students to ride buses to which they are not assigned.

a. In certain cases, students can request to ride home on a bus other than their assigned bus, provided they have written permission from their parents/guardian.

b. The request must be approved in advance by the Principal or the Director of Facilities and Transportation.

c. Approval is contingent on seat availability

d. Students will not be transported out of the school attendance boundary, except as stated below in TRANSPORTATION TO NON-DESIGNATED STOP, number two.

B. TRANSPORTATION TO NON-DESIGNATED STOP

1. Students will not be transported to or from places of employment, tutoring, lessons, or other non-residential or non-approved before or after school care.

2. Students may be transported to other school locations provided there is available seating and the alternate location is on a route normally traveled by a bus originating from the student’s home school. Transportation service is at the discretion of the school district and may be revoked at any time circumstances make it necessary to do so.

a. Permission must be requested in writing by the student’s parents/guardian to the home school principal who will forward the request to the Transportation Department with his/her recommendation.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

A. RIDE TIME

1. Other than exceptional circumstances and students transported out of the school district for specialized services, no student will spend more than 45 minutes on the bus, one way.

2. The ride time limit shall only apply to the student’s time on their assigned daily route.

B. DISTANCE TO BUS STOPS

1. The walk distance to a bus stop may be up to ½ mile.

C. STOP SEQUENCE

1. Routes configured in a more or less linear configuration will be run in reverse order for the school to home run; i.e., last student on in a.m. will be first student off in p.m., in an effort to avoid transporting students past their neighborhoods. This is also a safety consideration as it is best not to have students on buses any longer than necessary.

2. Routes configured primarily in a loop may, where practical, be run in the same order for the a.m. and p.m. runs; i.e. the first student on in the a.m. will be the first student off in the p.m. This is done to equalize the ride time for students where the direction of travel does not appreciably affect how quickly a bus is unloaded.

D. STOP TIMES

1. Students must be at their assigned stop location five (5) minutes before the scheduled pickup time.

2. Buses will stop at all stops on a route that have riders assigned unless riders at an assigned stop do not routinely ride the bus. Eligible riders who do not routinely ride shall be required to notify the Transportation Department no later than 6:00 a.m. of any day they will be riding.

3. If students who routinely ride the bus are not at the stop when the bus arrives, the bus will make a brief stop to check for late arrivals, but the bus will not be required to wait if no students are present or visible. Special needs students shall be expected to adhere to this parameter, and drivers will not be required to wait longer than the time normally required for loading of the special needs student.

4. Transportation will not make calls to a household to determine if a student is riding.

5. Students required to have a parent or guardian receive them at their assigned bus stop will be returned to the student’s school if the parent or guardian is not present at the scheduled stop time to receive the student.Drivers will wait up to one (1) minute for parent or guardian after which the bus will proceed.Parents or guardians must submit a written request to the Transportation department in advance if they require their child to have a parent or guardian present to receive their student.

BUS CAPACITIES/LOADS

1. Bus load capacities as stated by the manufacturer are based on 3 (three) students per seat at 12” seat width per student.

2. Bus load capacities for middle school and high school students will generally be limited to two (2) students per seat. Three students to a seat may be permitted if the remaining distance to the school is ten (10) minutes or less and all students are properly seated.

3. Bus load capacities for elementary school students will be allowed at three (3) students per seat for primary students (grades K-3), and providing all students are properly seated. Upper elementary students will be assigned at two (2) students per seat but may be assigned at three students to a seat if the remaining distance to the school is ten (10) minutes or less and all students are properly seated.

4. Route capacities for high school buses will be calculated at up to 170% of capacity based on grade levels of assigned students. Experience indicates older students, 11th and 12th grades, tend to rely on other means of transportation to and from school.

5. Actual rider loads will not exceed capacity as stated by the manufacturer.

BUS STOP CRITERIA

A. GENERAL

1. The number of bus stops in the school district impacts the length of time students are on the bus and the number of buses required to provide acceptable service. Whenever possible, bus stops will be located at corners or intersections. Stopping at corners or intersections is generally safer due to the expectations of traffic. When a bus stops mid-block it can confuse motorists, whereas traffic anticipates the bus will stop or yield at the intersection.

2. Stop locations may change every year based on the student population and demographics.

3.The designated bus stops for loading and unloading are examined periodically for safety, efficiency, and economy. Sometimes unsafe conditions may develop creating hazards at locations previously considered safe stops. Therefore, changes can occur as a result of the recommendations from bus drivers, parents and school administrators.

4.Bus stops which have students assigned to them but are determined after a continuous 30 days period to have no students choosing to ride the bus will be eliminated to ensure accurate and efficient bus routes. Parents are encouraged to report to the Transportation department if their student(s) will not be riding the bus.

B. STOP LOCATIONS

1. Buses will not be permitted to enter cul-de-sacs or dead end streets which do not provide a safe means of bus turn around.

a. A full size bus needs 115 feet in diameter to safely turn the bus 180 degrees and the average cul-de-sac is only 90 feet in diameter in Clay Township.

b. Type A and 54-passenger Type C buses will be allowed to enter cul-de-sacs for pick-up of special needs students as these buses require smaller turning radii.

c. Bus backing for turnaround is generally not allowed due to safety concerns and will only be permitted when other route options are not available.

2. Start and stop distances between bus stops must be within safety parameters of the road conditions. Adequate warning must be given to the motoring public to allow sufficient time and distance to bring vehicles to a safe stop within the prescribed legal limits.

3. Door-to-door stops will be kept to a minimum and usually only on designated hazardous routes.

4. The school bus must be visible to approaching and following vehicles, and the children waiting for the bus should be visible to all drivers in the immediate area.

C. LOADING AND UNLOADING

1. Loading and unloading will generally be accomplished only at regularly assigned bus stops. Occasional variations may be acceptable due to roadway irregularities such as construction, weather conditions, or other emergency situations.

2. Right side only pick-up will be provided on streets or roadways determined to be hazardous for crossing due to condition of the road, visibility of students to approaching traffic or other safety concerns.

D. HAZARDS LIMITING STOP LOCATIONS

1. Streets within the School Corporation may be determined to be hazardous due to existing conditions such as narrowness, construction, poor visibility, or other safety issues which may result in buses not being allowed to enter or traverse.

E. LATE BUS

1. Carmel Clay School provides late bus service for students involved in certain after school activities at the high school and middle schools.

2. There are no set routes or stop times for late buses. Routes are determined daily by the late bus driver based on the number and residence locations of the students riding the bus that day.

3. Students may be required to walk up to one (1) mile from a drop off location.

4. A student’s regular bus stop will generally not be used. Drop off stop locations are determined by the driver based on students riding the late bus. Drop off will generally be at or near the entrance to a neighborhood and in most cases only one general stop location will be made for each neighborhood. Students need to be familiar with their home location in relation to the main neighborhood entrances.

TRANSPORTATION APPEALS

A. GENERAL

1. The purpose of the Transportation Appeal process is to provide an avenue for parents or guardians of students to appeal decisions made by the Transportation Department regarding their student’s transportation assignment.

2. Transportation Appeals will be heard by a committee made up of a principal or assistant principal, the Director of Student Services, and a Carmel Clay Schools police officer.

3. Parents wishing to submit an appeal should contact the Director of Facilities and Transportation and request the appeal request materials.

ADOPTED 7/08
REVISED 7/09
REVISED 5/23/12
REVISED 7/13