UINTAH SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY ACTION REVIEW

1st Reading	3/13/12	New
2nd Reading	5/8/12	Revised
Approved	5/8/12	Substitute	X

009.0100 STUDENT TRANSPORTATION

REPLACES POLICY 009.0100 PREVIOUSLY APPROVED ON 3/15/06

1.0 PURPOSE

1.1 It is the intent of the Uintah School District Board of Education to provide appropriate, safe transportation to and from school for eligible students of the District. This provision is made in accordance with Utah Administrative Code R277-600 and Utah Code 53A-17a-127

2.0 DEFINITIONS

2.1 “Primary Residence” means the place where the parent/legal guardian of the student lives. Proof of residency (e.g., recent utility bill) must be provided at the time of student registration.

2.2 “Assigned Stop” means the designated stop closest to the rider’s Primary Residence or as determined by the Transportation Department.

2.3 “Assigned Bus” means the bus on which a student rides based on their Assigned Stop.

2.4 Designated School” means the school within whose boundaries a student’s Primary Residence is located.

2.5 “District” means Uintah School District.

2.6 “Distance” is defined as the shortest public road route from the student’s Primary Residence to the nearest public opening of their Designated School.

2.7 “Eligible Rider” means

2.7.1 a student enrolled in kindergarten through grade six whose Primary Residence is at least 1-1/2 miles in Distance from their Designated School;

2.7.2 a student enrolled in grades seven through twelve whose Primary Residence is at least two miles in Distance from their Designated School;

2.7.3 a student enrolled in an elementary school whose Primary Residence is along a state highway, or requires the student to cross a state highway to attend their Designated School, regardless of Distance;

2.7.4 a student enrolled in a special program offered by Uintah School District and approved by the State Board of Education for trainable, motor, multiple-disability, or other students with severe disabilities who are incapable of walking to school or where it is unsafe for students to walk because of their disabling condition, without reference to distance from school as approved by the Uintah School District Special Ed Coordinator.

2.8 “Ineligible Rider” means any student who is not an Eligible Rider.

2.9 “Parent Responsibility Zone” means

2.9.1 the area that is less than 1-1/2 miles in Distance from the student’s Primary Residence to their Designated School for schools housing kindergarten through grade six; or

2.9.2 the area that is less than 2 miles in Distance from the student’s Primary Residence to their Designated School for schools housing grades seven through twelve.

3.0 GENERAL

3.1 The District reserves the right, within the limits prescribed by law, to either provide or pay in lieu of transportation for all Eligible Riders.

3.2 The school bus is an extension of the school building and campus. All District and school rules are in effect on the school bus. The District reserves the right to suspend bus privileges to ensure the safety of all riders. Riding the school bus is a privilege not a right.

3.3 Parents/legal guardians are responsible to get their Eligible Rider(s) to and from bus stops.

3.4 Parents/legal guardians are responsible for their Eligible Rider’s safety and conduct until the Eligible Rider steps on the school bus to go to school and after the Eligible Rider disembarks from the school bus at the end of the school day.

3.5 A student may only ride their Assigned Bus.

3.6 A student may only board or exit their Assigned Bus at a different designated stop with a note to the bus driver signed by the parent/legal guardian.

3.7 Transportation may make adjustments to ridership on any bus in order to accommodate school sponsored programs.

3.8 If a school’s configuration is such that there are different Distances (e.g., a school housing grades 6 and 7), the shortest Distance shall apply.

4.0 DESIGNATED BUS STOPS/ROUTES

4.1 District school buses will take the most efficient route to pick up Eligible Riders.

4.2 A bus stop may be up to 1-1/2 miles from an Eligible Rider’s Primary Residence. The distance between the Eligible Rider’s Primary Residence and the bus stop is considered Parent Responsibility Zone.

4.3 Bus stops will not be closer than 3/10 of a mile apart, and will be situated to pick up the greatest number of Eligible Riders as determined by the Transportation Department.

4.4 At each stop, the bus must be visible for 500 feet to approaching vehicles on the same roadway.

4.5 Transportation may consider the age of the Eligible Rider(s) when determining the location of a bus stop.

4.6 One additional stop may be added on each bus route within the Parent Responsibility Zone as long as there is available space on the bus and making the stop falls within the time constraints of the route as determined by the Transportation Coordinator.

4.6.1 No stop will be added until after final enrollment counts are obtained. Final enrollment counts are to be determined within three weeks after the first day of kindergarten.

4.6.2 Each school’s Community Council will assist the Transportation Coordinator in determining the location of the stop.

4.6.3 If it is determined that the number of Ineligible Riders exceeds the space available on the bus, the school principal, with the assistance of the school Community Council, will determine which Ineligible Riders will be able to ride the bus.

4.6.4 The stop will be eliminated from the bus route if space becomes unavailable.

4.6.5 Additional stops must be on the normal route of the bus. District school buses will not go outside of their normal progression to accommodate stops in the Parent Responsibility Zone.

5.0 REQUEST FOR TRANSPORTATION CHANGE

5.1 This section only applies to an Eligible Rider as defined in Section 2.7.

5.2 The school bus transportation system should not be expected to absorb the liability of serving as a flexible transportation (taxi-type) service for parents/legal guardians. Flexibility to this policy may be provided if it is warranted by true need. However, flexibility should not be expected for convenience.

5.3 A parent/legal guardian may request that an Eligible Rider be allowed to ride a bus other than their Assigned Bus by submitting a Request for Transportation Change Form (“Request”) to the Transportation Coordinator. No more than three (3) such Requests may be submitted each year.

5.4 The parent/legal guardian must provide proof of identification (valid state issued picture ID) and a current photograph of the Eligible Rider when submitting a Request.

5.5 Requests must be submitted to the Transportation Coordinator at least ten (10) school days prior to the date of the requested change. Emergency exceptions to this will be decided by the Transportation Coordinator or his/her designee.

5.6 Requests may be made for short or long term, but must be for consecutive (2 or more) days to the same destination.

5.7 Transportation changes will only be granted if space is available on the requested bus. If the Request is granted, it may be revoked at any time due to an increase in Eligible Riders assigned to the bus based on their Primary Residence.

5.8 Bus stops will not be added or bus routes will not be changed to accommodate a Request. There must be an existing bus stop within 1½ miles of the requested pick up/drop off location.

5.9 No Request will be granted until after final enrollment counts are obtained. Final enrollment counts are to be determined within three weeks after the first day of kindergarten.

5.10 Preference of ridership will be given in the following order:

1. Eligible Riders within a Designated School boundary.

2. Ineligible Riders within a Designated School boundary.

3. Eligible Riders attending a school outside of their Designated School

boundaries.

5.11 In non-emergency situations, the parent/legal guardian will be notified by the

Transportation Coordinator or his/her designee if the Request has been approved or
denied at least 3 days prior to the requested date of the change.

5.12 For purposes of this section only, if a Request is denied, the parent/legal guardian

may appeal the decision in writing to the Superintendent of Schools or his/her
designee.

6.0 PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TRANSPORTATION

6.1 In the event an Eligible Rider lives in an area where it is impractical to establish bus routes because of unreasonable distance or inadequate public roads, the Eligible Rider or his/her parent or legal guardian may provide their own transportation and receive payment in lieu of transportation. Payment in lieu of transportation will be for mileage incurred one way (less 1-1/2 miles) from the Eligible Rider’s Primary Residence to either the nearest bus stop or the Designated School, whichever is closest, to the nearest tenth of a mile. The mileage may be claimed up to four (4) one-way trips per day.

6.2 An “Application Packet for In Lieu of Transportation” must be submitted to the District Transportation Department. Eligibility will be determined after all of the required paperwork is submitted.

6.3 Once eligibility is determined, the parent or legal guardian of the Eligible Rider must submit to the transportation office an “In Lieu of Transportation Payable Voucher” with attached attendance verification sheet from the Designated School. Payment vouchers are to be turned into the transportation office or at the Designated School at the beginning of each month. Vouchers requesting payment for more than the previous month will not be approved.

6.4 If a parent or legal guardian chooses to enroll the Eligible Rider in a school that is not their Designated School, they will forfeit their eligibility for payment in lieu of transportation.

6.5 The rate per mile for payment in lieu of transportation will be set by the Uintah School District Board of Education in accordance with State standards and regulations.

7.0 ITEMS ON THE SCHOOL BUS

7.1 No hazardous items shall be carried on the bus, including but not limited to, animals (excluding service animals), insects, skateboards, snowboards, rollerblades, glass objects, flammables, weapons, laser lights, balloons and plants.

7.2 Students will only be allowed on the bus with projects or treats that will transport in their book bag.

7.3 Any item that is considered a nuisance by or causes behavior that is a distraction to the driver will not be permitted on the bus.

7.4 Students are only permitted to carry aboard the bus objects that fit within their own seating area or can be held on their lap without obstructing the center aisle, emergency exits, or windows used by the driver.

7.5 The underneath storage will not be used to transport items on a route bus.