6605P Procedure - Student Safety Walking, Biking and Riding Buses to School

Student Conduct on Buses

Any misconduct by a student that in the opinion of the bus driver or the bus supervisor is detrimental to the safe operation of the bus may be cause for the transportation supervisor to suspend the student’s transportation privilege.

Rules of conduct for students riding buses:

Students will obey the driver and any aide assigned to the bus by the district. The driver is in full charge of the bus and passengers and will be obeyed. If an aide is assigned to the bus by the district, they will also be responsible for the safe operation of the bus. When transporting classes or teams, the teacher or coach will be primarily responsible for the behavior of the students. Students will obey both the driver, aide, and the teacher, coach, or other staff member.
Students will ride only on their assigned bus unless written permission to do otherwise has been received by school officials and the driver has been notified.
Students will not be permitted to leave the bus except at their regular stop unless written permission to do otherwise is received by school officials.
Students who are assigned seats will use only that seat unless permission to change is authorized by the driver.
Students will observe rules of classroom conduct while riding on buses. Noise will be kept down to avoid distracting the driver. Students will refrain from the use of obscene language or gestures.
Students will not smoke or ignite lighters or matches on buses.
Students will not eat on buses, except when specifically authorized and supervised by an accompanying teacher, coach, or other staff member. Buses will be kept clean.
Students will not open bus windows without the driver's permission.
Students will not extend any part of their body out of bus windows at any time.
Students will not carry or have in their possession items that can cause injury to passengers on the bus. Such items include, but are not limited to, sticks, breakable containers, weapons or firearms, straps or pins protruding from clothing, large bulky items which cannot be held or placed between legs, etc. Books and personal belongings will be kept out of aisles.
Students will not have animals on buses, except one providing assistance to a disabled student.
Students will not sit in the driver's seat or to the immediate right or left of the driver.
Students will refrain from talking to the driver unless necessary.
Students will go directly to a seat once inside the bus and remain seated at all times unless the driver instructs otherwise.
Students will get on/off the bus in an orderly manner and will obey the instructions of the driver or school safety patrolmen on duty. There will be no pushing and shoving when boarding or leaving the bus. Once off the bus, students will adhere to rules for pedestrians.
Students will never cross the roadway behind a bus unless they use pedestrian crosswalks or traffic lights.
Students will stand away from the roadway curb when any bus is approaching or leaving a stop.
Students going to and from their bus stops where there are no sidewalks will walk on the left-hand side of the roadway facing oncoming traffic. Students will go directly to their homes after leaving the bus.
Students will use lap belts on buses when available.
Students will follow emergency exit drill procedures as prescribed by the driver.
Students will not tamper with emergency doors or equipment.
Students will remain quietly seated, not exhibit disruptive behavior, and turn off all noise-making devices while on the bus.
Parents of students identified as causing damage to buses will be charged with the cost of the incurred damage. Students causing the damage may be suspended from transportation.
Student misconduct may constitute sufficient reason for suspending transportation privileges.

Disciplinary Procedures

The transportation supervisor or designee is responsible for correcting students whose abusive behavior results in a bus-incident report or violates the rules above. The principal or designee will provide supervision during bus arrival and departure times and the transportation supervisor will receive reports (written and oral) from the drivers.

The bus driver will insure that students comply with the specified regulations. The transportation supervisor must maintain open lines of communication among school officials, bus drivers, parents of students, and the transportation department.

When waiting for a bus or going to and from a bus stop, students are responsible for conducting themselves according to the social and legal mores that apply to adults in public. That is, they must not abuse or cause damage to private or public property; they must not use obscene language or gestures; and they must not engage in criminal activity. Failure to adhere to these standards may result in formal complaints by citizens which may be forwarded to the transportation supervisor for possible corrective action.

Students provided with transportation are responsible for complying with the district's rules of conduct for students riding buses. Failure to adhere to these rules or abusive behavior towards the public, driver, fellow passengers, or the vehicle constitutes justification for initiating corrective action against a student.

Abusive behavior on the part of a student riding a bus may result in a written report when, in the opinion of the driver or bus supervisor, there has been an infraction of the rules applicable to student conduct. The written report is the primary means by which a driver or bus supervisor communicates a student's conduct to the school and transportation department. This report, in most cases, reflects an infraction of rules which is repeated by the student after they have received previous oral warnings from the driver or bus supervisor. In order for drivers and bus supervisors to effectively maintain control of their buses, it is expected that action be exercised by the transportation supervisor when receiving such a report.

When a student's conduct constitutes an infraction of the rules, the driver or bus supervisor will complete a report on the student describing the incident or damage that occurred. The driver or bus supervisor will provide the student with a copy of the report, provide the original report to the principal, and submit a copy to the transportation supervisor. A copy of the report concerning special education students will be given to the principal for disposition.

The transportation supervisor, upon receiving the report will investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and take action according to Policy 3241: Student Discipline.

The action taken by the transportation supervisor will be annotated on the report and provided to the student's parent for signature. The school will be notified.

Drivers will be advised to file assault and battery charges against students who physically assault them. Under no circumstances will the driver retaliate in kind and physically assault the student, as this conduct may subject them to legal action.

The student or parent of a student who has been suspended from receiving transportation entitlements may appeal the transportation supervisor’s decision by submitting a written statement to the superintendent or designee. The superintendent or designee will render a decision after evaluating the issues and facts involved.

Emergencies

The transportation supervisor will review the contents of the School Bus Driver's Handbook with each driver prior to the beginning of each school year. Each driver, in turn, is expected to follow the procedure outlined in the handbook. At the start of each field trip or extracurricular trip, the school bus driver will review with all passengers the location and use of the emergency exits, emergency equipment, and any district emergency procedures.

In the event of a collision, the driver will make contact with the transportation supervisor who will:

Determine the nature of the collision;
Contact emergency services if there is reason to believe that there are injuries which require immediate attention;
Contact the state patrol regarding the accident;
Advise the superintendent of schools;
Investigate the collision and gather the names of all students and witnesses;
Dispatch another bus to transport the students to their destination; and
Contact the parent(s) or guardian(s) of any students who are injured.

To facilitate the responsibilities assigned to the transportation department, the supervisor, in cooperation with the building principals, will compile a list of students, including addresses and phone numbers that are authorized to ride each bus route.

Kindergarten Ridership

The bus driver will seat all kindergarten students in the front of the bus for safety reasons and for proper supervision. The bus driver can make the determination to sit a kindergarten student elsewhere on the bus if a sibling of the kindergartener sits with them.

No kindergarten student will depart the bus without a parent/guardian or other designated person. In some cases, kindergarteners may be released with a sibling provided that the sibling is at least in the 4^th grade and there is a written permission note from the parent on file with the school and transportation department. If no one is present at the stop to receive the kindergarten student, the driver will contact transportation to determine what procedure to follow. In most cases, the kindergartener will be returned to school, where the parents will be contacted to pick up the student.