• Regular Program
• Exceptional Student Education Program
• Florida Law: Transportation of School Children
• Basic Principles for Transportation of Students
• Responsibility of the School District...  

REGULAR PROGRAM

1. Student transportation is the responsibility of the School Board for those students living more than two miles from a school. With certain exceptions, student transportation is the responsibility of the parent for those students living two miles or less from a school.

2. School bus stops will not be implemented within two miles of a school unless the area qualifies under Board Policy TITLE: HAZARDOUS WALKING CONDITIONS, or unless the area qualifies through recommendations of the School Safety Advisory Committee. To the extent possible, school bus stops will be no more than one and one-half miles from the property where the student resides.

3. Students that live less than two miles from the school will be permitted to ride school buses from existing stops on a "Space Available Only" basis. Students will not be permitted to cross areas designated as Hazardous Walking conditions (per FS 1006.23 or by recommendation of the School Safety Advisory Committee) to get to bus stops. When the bus becomes over crowded, students who reside within two miles will be removed from the bus. Students residing outside the attendance zone for a school are not eligible for space available busing.

4. At least two weeks notice will be provided for discontinuation of service.

5. The distance to schools and bus stops will be measured from the closest pedestrian entry point of the property where the student resides to the closest pedestrian entry point of the assigned school building or to the assigned bus stop. The pedestrian entry point of the residence shall be where private property meets the public right-of-way. The district shall determine the shortest pedestrian route whether or not it is accessible to motor vehicle traffic.

6. Students who are eligible for school transportation will be transported from the stop closest to their residence and back to the same stop. In cases of emergency, the stop location can change on a temporary basis if written authorization is provided to the school bus driver by the school principal or other district designee. Exceptions to this procedure are found in part nine (9) below.

7. Students eligible for school transportation may be permitted to ride their assigned bus to an authorized stop other than the one closest to their residence in accordance with Board Policy TITLE: AUTHORIZED BUS PASSENGERS.

8. Students eligible for transportation will ride from and to the same bus stop. Students will not be permitted to ride one bus in the morning and a different bus in the afternoon unless assigned by Transportation Services. Students may not ride from/to different places on different days.

9. Students eligible for transportation will not be transported to and from day care providers except under the following conditions:

a. Student rides from and to the same stop every day.

b. The day care provider is two miles or more from school and on an established route.

c. Space is available on the bus.

d. A student may not change day care providers more than one time during any school year, and then only if it meets the criteria above.

b. To change a school bus route or stop, the requesting party will complete and return the Transportation Request Form or make written request to the appropriate school.

c. The request will be reviewed by a member of the Routing Department and, if sufficient data is available to make a decision, the request will be approved or disapproved immediately. If sufficient data is not available, the requested route or stop(s) will be visited by a member of the Transportation Services staff or referred to the School Safety Advisory Committee.

d. The School Safety Advisory Committee is the final authority regarding placement or relocation of school bus stops.

Top of Page

EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT EDUCATION PROGRAM

1. Exceptional student transportation provides transportation for identified students with special transportation needs.

2. Students with special transportation needs who live within two miles and who have been staffed into the following programs are eligible for transportation

a. educable mentally disabled

b. trainable mentally disabled

c. profoundly mentally disabled

d. hearing impaired

e. visually impaired

f. physically impaired

g. autistic

h. severely emotionally disabled

i. ESE - pre-kindergarten

j. emotionally disabled (if student is in zone for staffed school, he/she can ride regular bus or walk if less than two miles from designated school)

k. language/speech

The staffing committee may recommend transportation for programs other than those named above when the severity of the individual student's disability indicates that transportation is needed. This recommendation will be placed on the student's I.E.P.

3. Following a staffing notification by the Exceptional Student Education/Student Services Department to the Transportation Services Department, transportation will be provided as soon as possible. Whenever possible, a Transportation Services representative will be present at the I.E.P. meeting(s).

4. Students with special transportation needs will have bus stops located as near to the residence as safely possible. Transportation Services, under the authorization of the School Board, shall determine what safety measures shall be used in the transportation of the physically disabled students, as defined in Section 236.083, Florida Statutes. Such safety measures shall include the designation of roads, bus turning area, and pupil stop locations which shall not be left to the discretion of the driver or the parent of the child.

5. Student bus stops will be designated by Transportation Services. Bus stops will not be used at locations other than the student's residence if the designation would be disruptive or increase the route time significantly.

6. A driver, with permission of a Supervisor/Manager, may refuse to transport students who are obviously ill, under the influence of strong medication, without required equipment, and/or who cannot safely ride on the bus. It is understood that the parent must be present when this decision is made.

7. It is the parent's responsibility to be at the bus stop to assist the student on and off the bus. Parents and/or guardians of ESE students shall provide the necessary assistance and protection for their child en route to and from the designated school bus stop (Florida Statutes 6A-3.0121).

8. Parents shall provide instruction in writing to the bus driver as to any special symptoms, or non-medical care the child may need while on the bus.

9. Upon arriving at a student stop when the parent is not present, the driver will adhere to the following procedure:

a. notify dispatch, wait five minutes

b. request dispatch to call parent emergency phone number

c. complete route and return

d. repeat (b) above

e. transport student to appropriate alternate facility

Top of Page

Florida law contains provisions for identifying hazardous conditions that allow transportation of students that live two miles or less from a school. These are found in Chapter 1006.

TRANSPORTATION OF SCHOOL CHILDREN - Ch. 1006

1006.23 Hazardous walking conditions.

(1) DEFINITION - As used in this section, "student" means any public elementary school student whose grade level does not exceed grade 6.

(2) TRANSPORTATION; CORRECTION OF HAZARDS. -

(a)It is intended that district school boards and other governmental entities work cooperatively to identify conditions that are hazardous along student walking routes to school and that district school boards provide transportation to students who would be subjected to such conditions. It is further intended that state or local governmental entities having jurisdiction correct such hazardous conditions within a reasonable period of time.

(b)Upon a determination pursuant to this section that a condition is hazardous to students, the district school board shall request a determination from the state or local governmental entity having jurisdiction regarding whether the hazard will be corrected and, if so, regarding a projected completion date. State funds shall be allocated for the transportation of students subjected to such hazards, provided that such funding shall cease upon correction of the hazard or upon the projected completion date, whichever occurs first.

(3)IDENTIFICATION OF HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. -

When a request for review is made to the district school superintendent or the district school superintendent's designee concerning a condition perceived to be hazardous to students in that district who live within the 2-mile limit and who walk to school, such condition shall be inspected by a representative of the school district and a representative of the state or local governmental entity that has jurisdiction over the perceived hazardous location. The district school superintendent or his or her designee and the state or local governmental entity or its representative shall then make a final determination that is mutually agreed upon regarding whether the hazardous condition meets the state criteria pursuant to this section. The district school superintendent or his or her designee shall report this final determination to the department.

(4) STATE CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING HAZARDOUS WALKING CONDITIONS -

(a) Walkways parallel to the road -

1. It shall be considered a hazardous walking condition with respect to any road along which students must walk in order to walk to and from school if there is not an area at least 4 feet wide adjacent to the road, having a surface upon which students may walk without being required to walk on the road surface. In addition, whenever the road along which students must walk is uncurbed and has a posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour, the area as described above for students to walk upon shall be set off the road by no less than 3 feet from the edge of the road.

2. The provisions of subparagraph 1. do not apply when the road along which students must walk:

a. Is in a residential area which has little or no transient traffic;

b. Is a road on which the volume of traffic is less than 180 vehicles per hour, per direction, during the time students walk to and from school; or

c. Is located in a residential area and has a posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour or less.

(b) Walkways perpendicular to the road - It shall be considered a hazardous walking condition with respect to any road across which students must walk in order to walk to and from school:

1. If the traffic volume on the road exceeds the rate of 360 vehicles per hour, per direction (including all lanes), during the time students walk to and from school and if the crossing site is uncontrolled. For purposes of this subsection, an "uncontrolled crossing site" is an intersection or other designated crossing site where no crossing guard, traffic enforcement officer, or stop sign or other traffic control signal is present during the times students walk to and from school.

2. If the total traffic volume on the road exceeds 4,000 vehicles per hour through an intersection or other crossing site controlled by a stop sign or other traffic control signal, unless crossing guards or other traffic enforcement officers are also present during the times students walk to and from school.

Traffic volume shall be determined by the most current traffic engineering study conducted by a state or local governmental agency.

History.-s. 297, ch. 2002-387.

Top of Page

The Florida Department of Education has established rules for pupil transportation. The following rules are found in Chapter 6A-3 of the Florida Administrative Code. For a complete copy of these rules as well as other information relating to Florida Schools and Transportation go to the Florida State Department of Education Home page.

6A-3.001 Basic Principles for Transportation of Students.

(1) Where it is practicable to provide improved transportation service and school facilities for students from an area in adjoining districts, district lines shall not interfere with the designation of a school attendance area composed of areas of two (2) or more districts. It shall be the duty of school boards and superintendents of the districts involved to develop a plan which will assure the children of the area adequate school advantages. Students shall not be transported at public expense across district lines unless an annual agreement exists between the respective school boards. This agreement shall outline the responsibility of each district for providing school facilities, including transportation, and specify which district shall have exclusive responsibility for providing and operating the equipment. Unless the agreement shall stipulate otherwise, the rules and regulations of the district in which the bus is traveling shall be observed.

(2) All school bus routes shall be so planned and adjusted to the capacities of available equipment and school buses should be so chosen and assigned to routes and attendance areas that insofar as practicable the full capacity of each bus will be utilized, without standees, to serve students whose homes are beyond reasonable walking distance of the assigned public school center.

(3) A reasonable walking distance for any student who is not otherwise eligible for transportation pursuant to Section 236.083, Florida Statutes, is any distance not more than two (2) miles between the home and school or one and one-half (1 1/2) miles between the home and the assigned bus stop. Such distance shall be measured from the closest pedestrian entry point of the property where the student resides to the closest pedestrian entry point of the assigned school building or to the assigned bus stop. The pedestrian entry point of the residence shall be where private property meets the public right-of-way. The district shall determine the shortest pedestrian route whether or not it is accessible to motor vehicle traffic.

Specific Authority 229.053(l), 234.01, 236.083 FS. Law Implemented 230.23(8), 230.33(10), 234.01, 236.083 FS. History - Amended 3-26-66, 9-17-72, Revised 7-20-74, Repromulgated 12-5-74, Formerly 6A-3.01, Amended 3-12-86, 11-15-94.

Top of Page

6A-3.0121 Responsibility of School District and Parents for Students with Special Transportation Needs Who are Transported at Public Expense.

(1) The school district shall determine what safety measures shall be used in the transportation of students with special transportation needs, as defined in Section 236.083(l)(b)(c)and (f), Florida Statutes, including the method of securement or positioning of the student. Such safety measures shall include the designation of roads, bus turning areas, and student stop locations which shall not be left to the discretion of the bus driver or the parents of the student. The district shall provide belt cutters meeting Florida School Bus Specifications on any school bus equipped with passenger securement or restraint straps.

(2) The district shall provide bus drivers and attendants instructions, in writing, as to any special conditions or non-medical care which a student may need while on the bus.

(3) School transportation shall not be provided for students with special transportation needs when parents of such students fail to assume their responsibilities as defined by district policy which shall address appropriate supervision at the bus stop.

(4) Responsibility of the school bus driver and attendants, if used, for students with special transportation needs who are transported at public expense:

(a) The driver or attendant of a bus transporting students with special transportation needs shall remain with the bus so that students aboard will be under supervision at all times, except to call for assistance in case of an emergency or accident involving the students or bus.

(b) In cases where a student with physical disabilities is unable to leave the area of a student stop without assistance, the school bus driver shall not assume responsibility for such assistance except in an emergency which threatens the safety of such student or students.

(c) The driver and attendant shall be provided training related to students with special transportation needs while being transported; however, the driver and attendant shall not give medicine and shall limit his or her assistance to that which may normally be expected of a reasonable, prudent person or as specified in the student's Individual Educational Plan.

(5) Responsibilities of parents of students with special transportation needs transported at public expense:

(a) Parents shall provide the necessary assistance and protection for their children while enroute to and from the school bus stop and comply with the school bus schedule. Parents shall provide the necessary supervision of such child at the bus stop in accordance with district policy.

(b) In cases where the physical impairment of a student renders the student unable to get on and off the bus without assistance, parents shall provide the necessary assistance for helping their student get on and off at the bus stop if required by district policy.

(6) Knowledge, skills and abilities related to student management techniques and characteristics of the students with special transportation needs shall be considered when selecting or assigning drivers and attendants for routes serving the students.

Specific Authority 229.053(l) FS. Law Implemented 228.041(19), 230.23(4)(m), 230.2316(4)(b)3., 232.01(l)(e), 234.01 FS. History - New 3-26-66, Amended 9-17-72, Repromulgated 12-5-74, Formerly 6A-3.121, Amended 11-15-94.

Top of Page