Policy 5025: Bus Transportation Between Home and School

The Board of Education recognizes its responsibility to transport all resident students attending K-12 schools in a reasonable, safe and consistent manner. The Superintendent of Schools and his/her designee shall be responsible for executing and administering the District's transportation program. The school district shall assume responsibility for the supervision and safety of students once they have boarded a school bus. Custodial control and responsibility shall rest with the parent(s) both prior to boarding and after disembarking.

  1. Transportation Distance Limits:

    Resident students shall be transported using the following distance criteria. Distance measurements shall be determined by measuring the distance from the legal residence of the student to the bus pick-up point or school of attendance, over the nearest available publicly maintained route, using any device capable of such measurement:

    1. Resident elementary students who live not more than fifteen (15) miles from the school he or she attends, are eligible for district transportation. Walking distance to a bus pickup point or school shall not exceed one-half (1/2) mile.
    2. Resident middle school students who live not more than fifteen (15) miles from the school he or she attends, are eligible for district transportation. Walking distance to a bus pickup point or school shall not exceed one-half (1/2) mile.
    3. Resident high school students who live not more than fifteen (15) miles from the school he or she attends, are eligible for district transportation. Walking distance to a bus pickup point or school shall not exceed one (1) mile.

  2. Private and Parochial School Students:

    Transportation services provided to public school students will be offered equally to all resident private and parochial school-aged children in like circumstances. Requests for private and parochial school transportation must be filed by the parents of pupils planning to attend such schools by April 1 preceding the beginning of the next school year, except where families move into the district later than April 1, in which case the request must be made within 30 days of establishing residence in the district. A late request may be granted when a reasonable explanation is provided for the delay.

    Students may be eligible for transportation to a school beyond the fifteen (15) mile limit only if transportation is provided to another student attending the same school who lives within the fifteen (15) mile limit. In such a case, the district shall designate a central pickup point for students attending the same school over the fifteen (15) mile limit and shall provide transportation only between the central pick up point and the school, unless the student's residence is located on an established route for the transportation of students to the central pick up point and the provision of transportation between the residence and the central pick up point does not result in additional costs to the District.

  3. Students with Disabilities:

    For students aged five to twenty-one, a recommendation from the Committee on Special Education shall be submitted to the Board of Education for review and arrangement. Transportation for these students shall be provided as required by their Individualized Education Program or by law.

    For preschool children with a disability, a recommendation from the Preschool Committee on Special Education shall be submitted to the Board of Education for review, and transportation for these children shall be arranged as required by their Individualized Education Program and in accordance with applicable law.

    Trained staff members at the school shall be available to assist students onto or off of the transportation vehicle. Bus drivers shall not enter houses or schools for the purpose of picking up or discharging students.

  4. Transportation of homeless students shall be in accordance with federal and state law and regulations.
  5. School district transportation shall be limited to only those students in the foregoing categories.

Adopted by Board of Education: September 11, 1961

Revised:

  • November 8, 1971
  • March 13, 1972
  • February 22, 1982
  • December 13, 1994
  • January 9, 2007

Regulations