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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)

BUS SCHEDULING AND ROUTING GUIDELINES

 

The District Transportation Coordinator shall establish bus routes and review these routes with the Director of Business Services 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.

 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

 

  1. Kindergarten students

All kindergarten students are permitted to avail themselves of District provided transportation to the school for which they are zoned or assigned.  All kindergarten students will receive a bus stop that is the closest corner to their house.

 

  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 APRIL 1 of the prior year. This date will allow the District ample time to budget for these expenditures and properly route the buses. Transportation requests that are received after April 1 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. All late requests, however, shall be considered by the Board of Education. 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;
    2. If no additional costs will be incurred by the District, the request might be granted by the Board.

 

  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.

 

Authorized bus stops will be located at convenient intervals in places where students may be loaded and unloaded, cross highways, and await the arrival of buses with the safety allowed by road conditions.

 

All distances shall be determined by the nearest and shortest public route to the closest designated school yard gate.

 

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 at 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
  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 of the prior school year. The babysitter’s address must be within the zone of the child’s school in order for the child to remain in his/her home school. Under no circumstances will bus stops be created and/or any additional expense be incurred by the District. All such requests must be accompanied by proof of residency in the Brentwood School District.

 

 

 

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

 

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