NEPN/NSBA Code: EEA
STUDENT TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
The Board will provide transportation for all students living beyond a reasonable distance from their school or from a scheduled bus stop as the board has determined. This distance is defined as one-half of a mile.
Distance shall be measured by the shortest public road from the residence to the bus stop or school door. In cases questioned, distance will be measured and established by the Superintendent.
BUS STOPS:
a. Bus stops will be designated for groups of students living near each other. Students in grades 6-12 will not be required to walk more than .5 tenths of a mile along a bus route to a bus stop.
b. Students in grades 1-5 will not be required to walk more than .3 tenths of a mile along a bus route to a bus stop.
c. Kindergarten students will be picked up along the bus route at the closest point to their home.
d. Authorized bus stops will be located so as to load and unload students with the most safety allowed by road conditions. The distance between stops may vary according to safety factors. If possible, students will be loaded and unloaded so that it is not necessary for them to cross a main highway to reach their homes.
e. Buses will be provided by the district to accommodate after school activities as approved by the Superintendent. The routes will not replicate normal runs, but rather provide service to designated stops within each town. Late buses may not accommodate the needs of all students. It will be the responsibility of the parents or childcare provider to arrange transportation for students who need a stop outside the late bus route.
f. Bus stops will be determined each year by the Transportation Director after consulting with the driver. Requests for exceptions to routine bus stops may be made in writing to the Transportation Director. The Transportation Director (or designee) will review the request and provide a written decision within 10 days of receipt of request. Appeals to the MSAD #60 Superintendent on the Transportation Director’s decision can be made by submitting a written request within 10 days of receiving the Transportation Director's decision. All decisions rendered by the Transportation Director shall remain in effect unless changed by the Superintendent. The decision made by the Superintendent shall be final.
g. It is the responsibility of the parent or caregiver to have the student at the bus stop five minutes prior to the scheduled arrival of the bus.
h. A caregiver is defined as a person/persons providing care to children other than their own that will require transportation to and/or from school.
EXCEPTIONS:
Exceptions to the above distance shall be made for the following reasons only:
a. Health
Exceptions to established walking distances may be made for students with disabilities as required by their IEP. Exceptions may also be made to accommodate a student’s need for transportation with written documentation from the student’s physician.
b. Kindergarten Students
No kindergarten student will be left "unattended" at a bus stop. "Unattended" is defined as "not in the custody of a parent, guardian or older sibling." In cases where the student would be "unattended" the bus driver will keep the student on the bus and request further instruction from the Transportation Director or his/her designee.
c. Hazardous Walking Conditions
Hazardous walking conditions shall be defined as those which would place a child of a given age in a situation of greater than normal or average danger. Age shall be considered in making this decision. Safety, not sidewalks, will be the determining factor. The Transportation Director will decide when transportation will be provided under the hazardous walking conditions provision.
ASSIGNMENT OF BUSES:
a. In order to properly assign students and avoid unnecessary overcrowding on the buses, it will be the responsibility of the caregiver (i.e. daycare provider), prior to the start of each school year, to provide a list in writing, of all students who will require transportation to and/or from school to the Transportation Director. A routine bus route will be established for each student. The Transportation Office shall be notified of any and all changes.
b. Each student riding a school bus shall always ride from the designated bus stop to school and from school to the designated bus stop. Deviations from the routine will only occur for emergency purposes. (See examples on Bus Route link on district website)
c. For scheduled early release days and events which may lead to any early dismissal, parents must have provisions for daycare already in place.
d. Bus drivers shall not permit any person, other than a pupil, teacher, school administrator, mechanic, police officer or emergency personnel to enter or ride the bus without consent of the Transportation Director.
PASSENGER SAFETY:
a. MSAD #60 will make every effort to accommodate the needs of students, however over-sized object such as, large instruments, large school projects, skateboards, skis, etc. will only be allowed when, in the judgment of the driver, there is sufficient space to transport them safely. Large objects in the laps of students or in the aisles can lead to the possibility of student injury from the objects becoming airborne or causing the passive restraint system to not function as designed.
b. Student use of personal and district-owned electronic devices is at the discretion of the driver.
c. The use of cameras, including camera phones, is strictly prohibited on the bus.
Legal Reference: 20-A MRSA § 5401
Cross Reference: JICC – Student Conduct on School Buses
Adopted: November 21, 2002
Revised: March 1, 2007
Revised; March 13, 2014