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1.53 Transportation

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  • Section 1 | General
1.53 Transportation

Owasso Public Schools recognizes that in Oklahoma, student transportation is a service provided by the school for the convenience of its students. The District wishes to assure its citizens that transportation services are provided in a manner that accomplishes three goals:

  1. To ensure that all students who are qualified to receive transportation services are transported in the safest manner possible.
  2. To ensure that the transportation services provided are cost effective to provide the most efficient service possible, responsive to the needs of taxpayers.
  3. To ensure that all transportation services are rendered in an equitable manner.

Owasso Public Schools will accomplish these goals through strict enforcement of the following school transportation policies.

For purposes of clarification, the following terms are defined:

“Director of Transportation” is the person hired by the Board who is responsible for the operation of student transportation services.

“School Bus Driver” is the person who operates a vehicle transporting students under the direct auspices of the District.

“School bus” is any vehicle owned or leased by the District and used to transport students to and from school and related events as defined by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

School Bus Maintenance Policies

  1. All school buses purchased and/or used by the District will meet or exceed any and all state and federal minimum safety construction standards.
  2. Annual inspections: Each school bus will be mechanically inspected annually by an appropriate authority.
  3. Pre-trip inspection: A driver shall perform a pre-trip inspection of the vehicle prior to each route or trip. The inspection shall include, but not be limited to, brakes, lights, tires, exhaust system, gauges, windshield wipers, steering and fuel. The driver shall make a daily written report describing the condition of the bus and listing any deficiencies. The Transportation office will provide forms for this report with listing of the minimum inspection items. This report is to remain on file with the Director of Transportation for a period of 90 days.
  4. Any school bus deemed unsafe shall immediately be placed out of service until all necessary repairs are made. All repairs to school buses shall be made by a duly qualified automotive technician.
  5. It is the responsibility of all drivers to clean any bus entrusted to their operation following departmental procedures to accomplish these tasks. It is furthermore the responsibility of all bus drivers to complete a work order for repair or maintenance to any vehicle they should operate when such repair or maintenance is needed.
  6. The Transportation Department shall adopt and maintain a preventative maintenance schedule to prolong the life of all school buses and assure their safe operation.

School Bus Driver Policies

  1. Any person employed as a school bus driver, whether full- or part-time, shall hold the appropriate driver’s license and endorsements required by the Department of Public Safety for the operation of a school bus.
  2. Any person employed as a school bus driver, whether full- or part-time shall hold a school bus driver’s certificate as required by the State Department of Education.
  3. The driving records of all school bus drivers shall be checked annually, and all drivers must meet the requirements of the SDE for school bus driver’s records. All new drivers shall have a felony check as required for other District personnel.
  4. All school bus drivers shall have on file in the Transportation office an annual health certificate signed by a physician licensed by the state, attesting that such physician has examined the applicant and/or bus driver and that the applicant and/or bus driver has no sign or symptoms of ill health and is otherwise, from the observation of such physician, physically and mentally capable of safely operating a school bus.
  5. The use of tobacco by a school bus driver is not permitted during the operation of the bus while hauling students, and use of tobacco in any form is prohibited while on any District property, including District vehicles. The use of any intoxicating alcoholic beverage by the driver eight hours prior to or during the operation of a school bus is strictly prohibited. The use of any controlled dangerous substance 72 hours prior to or during the operation of a school bus is strictly prohibited. The possession of any controlled dangerous substance on a school bus is strictly prohibited. 
  6. Any school bus driver involved in a school bus accident resulting in personal injury, property damage of $500 or more, or charged with a violation of a traffic law shall submit to a screening test to detect if alcohol or a controlled dangerous substance was used by the driver prior to school bus operation.
  7. All school bus drivers shall be evaluated annually for job performance purposes as prescribed by District personnel policies. In addition to standard employee evaluation criteria, school bus drivers shall also be evaluated for driving skills and student-management skills.
  8. Any school bus driver may be suspended with pay pending the outcome of an investigation into any charge of recklessly endangering the safety of persons or property while operating a school bus or any charge of moral turpitude involving children.
  9. All school bus drivers shall comply with requirements of the Director of Transportation regarding attendance and participation in periodic in-service safety meetings for the purpose of increasing student safety. Non-attendance at such scheduled meetings shall be subject to District employee-leave policies and chargeable to the employee’s accumulated leave.
  10. All school bus drivers shall dress appropriately for the operation of a school bus and to present a professional appearance.
  11. Substitute and activity school bus drivers shall meet all the requirements prescribed for regular bus drivers.

School Bus Routing

  1. Transportation shall be restricted to and for the students of the District who reside within the boundaries of the District. Students, who reside outside the District but attend Owasso Public Schools through a mutual agreement with a neighboring school district for a specific area, will be provided transportation service. Students who reside outside the District and attend Owasso Public Schools on an authorized transfer are eligible for District transportation as space is available which includes service from existing stops within the District.
  2. The District may elect to not transport any student whose home is within one-and-one-half miles from the school attended by a commonly traveled road.
  3. Students who reside in areas where walking to school is deemed hazardous by the Board, may be provided transportation service. Hazardous conditions are those which would place the student at risk due to no sidewalks, heavy automobile traffic or crossing of a major thoroughfare.
  4. All school bus stops shall be selected with the safety of the students at the bus stop as the first consideration. Whenever possible, a bus stop shall be located within one-half mile of the home of every student being transported. The average distance of a stop from the homes of the students served should be similar to the average distance of other stops from the homes of the students served for the same age students across the District. Reasonable attempts shall be made to locate bus stops away from major thoroughfares. Parents are encouraged to accompany students to the bus stop and see to their safety prior to the arrival of the bus. The ability of a parent to see the bus stop from the home is not a criterion for location of a bus stop.
  5. All school bus routes shall be evaluated annually. A copy of the evaluation shall be forwarded to the government agency responsible for maintaining the roadway if any physical hazards are noted. If identifiable hazards exist on a school bus route, all drivers shall exercise due caution. Route and bus stop changes may be made at the discretion of the Director of Transportation or designee.
  6. School bus drivers may not deviate from established school bus routes and/or move school bus stops without the permission of the Director of Transportation.
  7. It is the duty of the parents or legal guardians to have their students at the bus stop at the proper time. No student may board any school bus at any place other than at a designated bus stop.
  8. No students shall be discharged from their school bus at any point except the designated bus stop without a bus pass. Passes are obtained from the office of the school attended through a written note or other communication with the parent.

Auxiliary or Activity Transportation

  1. Any person operating a school bus for auxiliary transportation purposes shall adhere to all school transportation policies regarding driver qualifications and operational procedures.
  2. No school buses will be utilized for any activity trip prohibited by State Department of education regulations.
  3. It is the responsibility of the parents or legal guardians of all students riding activity buses to have their students at the designated site for departure and arrival of all activity trips.
  4. All adults transported in connection with activity trips must be designated sponsors. Buses will be scheduled for the use of students with no additional buses scheduled to accommodate sponsors. For scheduling purposes, there will be allowed two sponsors per bus, including teachers. Additional sponsors may ride on a space-available basis.
  5. Adult groups wishing to utilize school buses, or student groups wishing to utilize buses in non-school activities, must be approved by the Superintendent prior to bus use. Buses will only be operated by bus drivers employed by the District and in good standing as bus drivers. Transportation costs for all activities of this nature must be reimbursed at a standard rate.
  6. All requests for auxiliary transportation must be filed in writing with the Director of Transportation or designee ten days prior to the activity may be denied.
  7. The primary purpose for which the District maintains a school bus fleet is to transport students to and from school classes. Auxiliary transportation shall not interfere with the safe operation of these bus routes; therefore, activity trips are subject to denial or cancellation based on availability of buses and/or drivers.
  8. No auxiliary transportation will be provided for which funds were not allocated in the current year District budget.

Student Discipline

  1. Due to the serious nature of student transportation, no disruptive behavior shall be tolerated on any school bus that might endanger the well-being of any student transported. The same level of behavior that is expected in the classroom is expected on the bus in addition to behavior that is specific to bus safety.
  2. The Transportation Department will establish disciplinary procedures for bus drivers to follow when dealing with disruptive students. Bus rules and discipline procedures will be made available to all students each year through handbooks and/or flyers, as well as rules being posted conspicuously in the bus.
  3. Students are subject to the same disciplinary measures for behavior on the bus or at bus stops, as for behavior in the classroom or on school grounds. In addition, students are subject to denial of bus privileges for any length of time at the discretion of the administrator imposing the discipline.
  4. Bus drivers are authorized to assign any and/or all seats in the bus for any reason or for any length of time.
  5. School bus behavior rules and discipline shall apply to both school bus routes and activity trips.

School Bus Accidents and Emergencies

  1. All students transported in school buses shall receive instructions in safe riding practices and participate in emergency evacuation drills within the first two weeks of each semester. All students riding on activity trips shall also receive instruction on emergency procedures. These drills shall be conducted on school grounds. Documentation of these drills shall be kept on file in the Transportation office.
  2. All bus drivers shall receive instruction in emergency and evacuation procedures not less than once per year.
  3. The Director of Transportation shall develop specific accident procedures for reporting and investigation of accidents. All school bus accidents shall be investigated, and the proper reports shall be submitted to the Superintendent, the State Department of Public Safety and the State Department of Education as per state law and regulations.

Transportation of Special-Needs Students

  1. All students requiring transportation services that are specific to the student or beyond the scope of regular transportation services shall be provided such transportation only after an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is completed which specifically describes the transportation needs of the student.
  2. Individualized transportation for special-needs students shall only be provided on an as-needed basis. The Transportation Department, Director of Special Education, or a representative should be consulted at all IEP meetings which address a student’s transportation needs to determine the most applicable form of transportation. Whenever a student’s disability may prove a safety hazard to other students on the bus (e.g., disruptive behavior, violent actions), alternative forms of transportation will be devised.
  3. Special-needs students are subject to disciplinary action within Special Education guidelines for behavior that presents a safety hazard to the bus and its passengers. In no instance will a student whose behavior constitutes a threat be allowed to ride a bus.

Amended July 2006