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8410-R Student Transportation Regulation

  • 8000: Support Services
8410-R Student Transportation Regulation

(This policy replaces previously approved Board of Education Policy #3500)

 (This policy replaces previously approved Board of Education Policy #3500.)

BUS SCHEDULING AND ROUTING GUIDELINES

The Director of Operations, Assistant Superintendent in conjunction with the bus contractor shall establish bus routes and review these routes on an annual basis. Authorized bus stops shall be located at convenient intervals in places where students may embark and disembark the buses, cross highways, and await the arrival of buses in the utmost safety allowed by road conditions. Students who do not meet the eligibility criteria below will be considered walkers.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

 

  1. Kindergarten & Universal Pre K(UPK) students

All kindergarten and UPK students are permitted to avail themselves of District provided transportation to the school for which they are zoned or assigned. 

  1. Students in grades 1-8

District students in grades 1-8, who live more than a ½ mile from the closest designated gate of the school they are assigned, are eligible for District provided transportation.

  1. Students in grades 9-12

District students in grades 9-12, who live more than 1 mile from the closest designated gate of the school they are assigned, are eligible for District provided transportation.

  1. Private and Parochial students

District students, who wish to attend either private or parochial schools, are eligible for District provided transportation up to 15 miles to that school. The deadline for requesting this out-of-district transportation is APRIL 1 of the prior year. This date will allow the district ample time to budget for these expenditures and properly route the buses. For transportation requests that are received after April 1 the district will make every effort to find a seat on an existing bus going to the requested school. If there is not an open seat on an existing bus, or if there are no buses routed to this school, then transportation will not be provided for the year. If a seat becomes available students will be added in the order their application was received. If a student is assigned a late seat on a bus and in the future the district should need the seat for an eligible student who enters the district, the district reserves the right to revoke approval. Residents will have the right to appeal a transportation decision. All appeals shall be brought to the Board of Education for consideration. The Transportation Department will supply information to the Superintendent to assist the Board with their decision. Criteria used by the Board in judging whether to accept a late request may include but not be limited to the following:

    1. Whether transportation will require an additional cost.
  1. Students with Disabilities

Either the Committee for Pre-School Education (CPSE) or the Committee on Special Education (CSE) shall make appropriate recommendations to the Superintendent regarding the transportation of students with disabilities.

 

Walkers

All walking distances shall be determined by measuring from the student’s address using the nearest and shortest public route to the closest designated school yard gate. Preexisting walker maps based on the above measurements will be used to determine distances. Residents of the District who disagree with the perimeters drawn on the maps may submit a request IN WRITING to the Transportation Department for review.

Fixed Stops

Fixed bus stops will be established using the following guidelines:

  1. Generally, dead-end and loop streets will not be serviced by school buses. Whenever possible, stops will be 100 feet from the intersections of two streets;
  2. Numbers of students at bus stops will be varied according to the concentration of riders in an area, the degree of traffic, the presence of stop signs, speed limits, and bus turn-around requirements;
  3. Walking distances to pickup points may be varied according to grade level;
  4. Kindergarten children will be picked up and left at the nearest corner to their places of residence (unless the district and parents mutually agree to other stop(s), and UPK students will receive house stops;
  5. An effort will be made to minimize crossing of the road by students.
  6. All requests for bus stop changes must be submitted in writing to the Transportation Department. All requests will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Side Roads 

Transportation will be provided on side roads that are maintained by town highway departments unless the lack of maintenance makes it unsafe for drivers and students to be traversing these roads. Examples of unsafe conditions are flooding, road erosion, ice, snow, and mud.

Private Roads

Transportation will not be provided on highways that have not been dedicated and/or maintained by town, county, and/or state highway departments.

Major Highways 

Transportation service will be provided to residents living along major highways. Stops along these highways will be made at the nearest safe corner. Stops will be made to pick-up and discharge students only on the student’s residence-side of the street.

District Map and Routing Software 

Maps will be used to determine the transportation requirements necessary to satisfy the needs established by state law, Board policy, and voter mandate. This map will clearly show student location, loading and unloading locations, and routes traveled. The map will be reviewed annually.

Special Requests

Requests to provide in-district transportation to a babysitter will only be considered by the Transportation Department when a written application is provided with the name, address, and phone number of the babysitter. Written applications should be submitted to the Transportation Department by AUGUST 1 prior to the start of the school year. The babysitter’s address must be within the zone of the child’s school in order for transportation to be provided. Under no circumstances will a special request be approved if it will cause an additional expense to be incurred by the district. All such requests must be accompanied by a copy of the parent/guardian’s government issued photo ID or passport.

Activity Buses

A limited number of activity buses run at various times each day for students in grades 6-12. Activity bus schedules and maps will be posted in the main office of each secondary building. Activity buses are designed to service general areas and bus stops may be further away than normal bus runs. 

 

Revision approved by the Board of Education: 12/17/09

Revision approved by the Board of Education: 07/29/10

Revision approved by the Board of Education: 03/15/18

Revision approved by the Board of Education: 04/23/25

 

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