Elementary (K-8) students living more than one (1) mile from their designated school attendance center shall receive transportation to and from their attendance center at the expense of the school district.  High school (9-12) pupils shall be entitled to transportation only if they live more than three miles from the school designated for attendance.

Enrolled students requiring special education shall meet the distance requirements stated above for transportation to and from their designated attendance center at the expense of the school district.  Required specialized transportation or other required transportation in the student’s individual education plan, other than to and from the child’s home, and transportation to and from a special education instructional program shall be borne by the special education program.  Required unique transportation according to the student’s individualized education plan to and from the student’s home to the special educational program shall be the expense of the school district whether provided by the school district or by the parent at the request of the school district.

Parents of students who live where transportation by bus is impracticable or unavailable may be required to furnish transportation to and from the designated attendance center at the expense of the school district.  The board may require the parent to transport their children up to two (2) miles to connect with school bus vehicles at the expense of the school district when conditions deem it advisable.  It shall be within the discretion of the board to determine such conditions.  Parents, who transport their children at the expense of the school district, shall be reimbursed at the rate per mile set by the state.

A student may be required at the board’s discretion to meet a school bus vehicle without reimbursement up to three-fourths (3/4) of a mile.

Transportation arrangements made between a neighboring school district shall follow the terms of the agreement.  Students, who choose to attend a school in a school district other than their resident school district, shall provide transportation to and from the school at their own expense.

Legal Reference:  20 U.S.C. §§14 et seq
                                      34 C.F.R. 300 et seq
                                      §§281.4, 285, 321 (1991)
                                      281 Iowa Admin. Code 41.8, 43

Cross Reference:  603.3    Special Education
                                      702        Transportation

Approved:  4-23-92               
Reviewed:  11-09-20             
Revised:  4-10-00

Students utilizing school transportation shall conduct themselves in an orderly manner fitting to their age level and maturity with mutual respect and consideration for the rights of the bus driver and the other passengers.  Students who fail to behave in an orderly manner will be subject to disciplinary measures.

The school vehicle driver shall have the authority to maintain order on the school vehicle.  It shall be the responsibility of the driver to report misconduct to the principal.

The principal shall have the authority to suspend transportation privileges of the student or other appropriate discipline.  Students disciplined for misconduct on the school bus or other school transportation shall be accorded appropriate due process.

It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent, in conjunction with the principal, to develop administrative regulations for school bus conduct and discipline.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §§279.8, 321 (1991)

Cross Reference:  503        Student Discipline

Approved:  4-23-92              
Reviewed:  11-09-20            
Revised:             

The board in its discretion may provide school district transportation to students for extracurricular activities including, but not limited to, transporting student participants and other students to and from extracurricular events.

Students participating in extracurricular events, other than those held at the school district facilities, shall be transported to the extracurricular event by school transportation vehicles or by another means approved by the superintendent.  In some cases students attending extracurricular events, other than those held at the school district facilities, will be transported to the extracurricular event by school transportation.

Students, who are provided school-sponsored transportation for extracurricular events, shall ride both to and from the event in the school vehicle.  A student’s parent(s) or guardian(s) may personally appear and request to transport the student home from a school-sponsored event in which the student traveled to the event on school-sponsored transportation.

It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to make a recommendation to the board annually as to whether the school district shall provide the transportation authorized in this policy.  In making the recommendation to the board, the superintendent shall consider the budget of the school district, the number of pupils who would qualify for such transportation, and other factors the board or superintendent deem relevant.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §§281.4, 285.1-.4, 321 (1991)
                                      281 Iowa Admin. Code 41.8, 43

Cross Reference:  603.3    Special Education
                                      702       Transportation

Approved:  4-23-92              
Reviewed:  11-09-20            
Revised:  2-10-97

The school district shall purchase transportation vehicles which meet the requirements of the board and the State Department of Education.  The purchase of such vehicles shall be in compliance with board policy.

School district student transportation vehicles shall be inspected by the State Department of Education.  School district transportation vehicles, used to transport students, shall be routinely maintained according to a maintenance schedule developed by the superintendent.

It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to arrange for the inspection of the school district transportation vehicles requiring inspection and to develop a program for routine maintenance of school district vehicles.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §285.9(3) (1991)
                                      281 Iowa Admin. Code 43.30-.31, 43.41

Cross Reference:  702    Transportation

Approved:  4-23-92              
Reviewed:  11-09-20            
Revised:  2-10-97

The board has sole discretion to determine the school bus routes for the school district.  The board will review the school bus routes annually.

It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to develop the school bus routes keeping in mind the safety of the students, the size of the school buses, the length of the route, the cost to the school district, and other factors deemed relevant by the board or superintendent.  The superintendent shall also develop emergency school bus routes that may be necessary due to weather or other conditions.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §285.10(2) (1991)
                                      281 Iowa Admin. Code 43.1

Cross Reference:  702    Transportation

Approved:  4-23-92              
Reviewed:  11-09-20            
Revised:  2-10-97

The school district is required to provide a certain level of transportation service to its resident students.  The Board has complete discretion to provide additional transportation service to its residents and other students.  This school district transportation service may, at the discretion of the board, make special stops on its bus route as a courtesy to the passengers.  Changes in the bus route for discretionary stops must be reviewed by the board.

It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to make a recommendation as to whether a school vehicle will make a discretionary stop.  In making this recommendation, the superintendent shall consider the safety of the students, the size of the school buses, the length of the route, the cost to the school district, and other factors as deemed relevant by the Board and superintendent.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §285.10 (1991)
                                      281 Iowa Admin. Code 43.10

Cross Reference:  702        Transportation

Approved:  4-23-92              
Reviewed:  11-09-20            
Revised:  2-10-97

The school district may use school vehicles for transportation to and from summer extracurricular activities including the community swimming program at Tipton.  The superintendent shall make a recommendation to the board annually regarding their use.

Transportation to and from the student’s attendance center for summer school instructional programs shall be within the discretion of the board.  It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to make a recommendation regarding transportation of students in summer school instructional programs at the expense of the school district.  In making the recommendation to the board, the superintendent shall consider the budget of the school district, the number of students involved in summer school programs, and other factors deemed relevant by the board or the superintendent.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §285.10 (1991)
                                       281 Iowa Admin. Code 43.10

Cross Reference:  603.2    Summer School Instruction
                                       702        Transportation

Approved:  4-23-92              
Reviewed:  11-09-20            
Revised:  4-10-00

The board has sole discretion to determine the method to be utilized for transporting nonresident and nonpublic students.  Nonresident students paying tuition may be and resident students attending a nonpublic school accredited by the State Department of Education will be transported on an established public school vehicle route as long as such transportation does not interfere with resident public students’ transportation.  Nonresident and nonpublic school students shall obtain the permission of the superintendent prior to being transported by the school district.

Parents of resident students who provide transportation for their children attending a nonpublic school accredited by the State Department of education will be reimbursed for three elementary students and one (1) high school student per family.  The reimbursement shall be set by the state.  This reimbursement shall be paid only if the school district receives the funds from the state.  If less than the amount of funds necessary to fully reimburse the parents of the nonpublic students is received by the school district, the funds shall be prorated.

The charge to the nonresident students shall be determined based on the student’s pro rata share of the actual costs for transportation.  The parents of these students shall be billed for the student’s share of the actual costs of transportation.  The billing shall be according to the schedule developed by the superintendent.  It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to determine the amount to be charged and report it to the board secretary for billing.

Continued transportation of nonresident and nonpublic school students on a public school vehicle route will be subject to resident public school students’ transportation needs.  The superintendent shall make a recommendation annually to the board regarding the method to be used.  In making a recommendation to the board, the superintendent shall consider the budget of the school district and other facts deemed relevant by the board or the superintendent.

Nonresident and nonpublic school students shall be subject to the same conduct regulations as resident public students prescribed by board policy, and to other policies, rules, or regulations developed by the school district regarding transportation of students by the school district.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §§285.1, .2, .10, .16 (1991)

Cross Reference:  702        Transportation

Approved:  4-23-92              
Reviewed:  11-09-20            
Revised:  2-10-97

School district vehicles shall be used for transporting students and others to school-sponsored events.  Only in unusual circumstances will the board make the school district transportation vehicles available for transporting local nonprofit entities which promote cultural, educational, civic, community, or recreational activities.

In the event school district transportation vehicles are made available to nonschool groups, it shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to develop administrative regulations for application for, use of, and payment for using the school district transportation vehicles.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §285.1(21) (1991)

Cross Reference:  702        Transportation
                                      1000      Principles and Objectives for Community Relations

Approved:  4-23-92              
Reviewed:  11-09-20            
Revised:  2-10-97

The school district shall conduct school bus safe riding practices instruction and emergency safety drills once a year for students who utilize school district transportation.

Each school bus vehicle shall have, in addition to the regular emergency safety drill, a plan for helping those students who require special assistance to safety during an emergency.  This shall include, but not be limited to, disabled students.

School district vehicle drivers are required to attend each safety drill.

Licensed personnel shall be responsible for instructing the proper techniques to be followed during an emergency, as well as safe riding practices.  It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent to develop administrative regulations regarding this policy.

Legal Reference:  Iowa Code §§279.8, 321 (1991)
                                      281 Iowa Admin. Code 43.40

Cross Reference:  503        Student Discipline

Approved:  4-23-92              
Reviewed:  11-09-20            
Revised:  2-10-97

School buses will not operate when weather conditions dues to fog, rain, snow or other natural elements make it unsafe to do so.  Because weather conditions may vary around the district, and may change quickly, the best judgment will be used that is possible with the information available.

The final judgment as to when conditions are unsafe to operate will be made by the superintendent.  The superintendent will be assisted by the actual “on location” decisions and reports of the drivers.  Drivers will not be required to operate a bus when, in the opinion of the superintendent, it is unsafe to do so.

A bus driver, each year, will be specially designated to report weather and road conditions by cell phone on any day when requested to do so.  Other drivers and students will be notified by cell phone, text message, TV stations, school website, and social media when school is cancelled or temporarily delayed.  It may be possible that on some occasions the entire district may not be affected by the delays, when weather conditions may vary in different locations.  When school is cancelled because of weather anywhere in the district, all schools will be closed.

When weather conditions deteriorate during the day after school has begun, students will be returned home.  If it is impossible to return the children home, they will be returned to prearranged locations around the district.

Approved:  4-23-92              
Reviewed:  11-09-20            
Revised:  2-10-97