Transportation Board Policies
It shall be the policy of the Chippewa Valley Board of Education to provide safe transportation for eligible students. Careful consideration shall be given to efficiency and economy of operations.
The primary purpose of the transportation system is to provide transportation for those eligible students from the vicinity of their homes to the school they attend. Use of transportation equipment for field trips, co-curricular activities and other authorized educational, cultural and recreational activities is permitted when it does not conflict with the primary purpose for transportation but complies with policies set forth regarding field trips and use of buses for other than School District use.
In organizing and operating the transportation system, all applicable statutes and rules and regulations of the State of Michigan, or its agencies, shall be strictly adhered to.
School bus transportation is provided with the following understanding:
A. It shall be considered a privilege to be enjoyed by a student only as long as s/he accepts responsibility for his/her own conduct, carefully follows all rules and regulations and promptly responds to the directions and requests of the bus driver.
B. In order to provide the most efficient transportation services, most school bus riders will find it necessary to walk some distance to the designated bus stop. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to assure student safety arriving and waiting at the bus stop and returning home from the stop after drop off.
No charge shall be made for transportation on the school buses of this District. Exception may be made when buses are used to transport students to non-mandatory, non-credit events.
The Superintendent will develop necessary regulations and procedures to implement this policy.
Eligibility
General Education
Kindergarten through eighth grade students residing within the District, attending a school within the District boundaries and living one and one-half (1 1/2) walking distance miles or more from the school they attend may be eligible for transportation with the following exceptions:
A. Parent(s) or guardian(s) shall be responsible for providing their own student's transportation if the parent has the student attend a school other than that of their assigned attendance area.
B. Kindergarten through eighth grade students who would otherwise be required to cross a major thoroughfare as the only route to school without the benefit of a crossing guard or public sidewalk, respectively, but who resides less than one and one-half (1 1/2) miles walking distance from school will be eligible for transportation.
C. Children eligible for transportation and who attend a licensed daycare center located outside their attendance area may be eligible for transportation to and from the center if the bus is scheduled to travel past the center in its normal course of routing.
D. It is the intent to provide reasonable notice (normally ninety (90) days written notice) to children who receive bus transportation but who will no longer be eligible due to, but not limited to, the addition of sidewalks, public walkways, crossing guards, or a change in Board Policy.
Special Education
A person identified by an Educational Planning and Placement Committee to be a "Handicapped Person" in accordance with the State School Code who would otherwise be unable to participate in an appropriate special education program or service operated or contracted for by Chippewa Valley Schools shall be eligible only for that additional transportation determined by the committee to be necessary for the person to participate in the program or service.
Non-Public
Students in grades kindergarten through eighth who reside in the District may be eligible for transportation to and from non-public schools located within the District, with the exception of noon kindergarten take to or take home, subject to the following procedures:
A. Bus stops for non-public school children will be consolidated as much as possible to those of public school children.
B. Children residing less than one and one-half (1 1/2) miles walking distance from the school they would attend if they attended public school are to walk to and from that school for bus pick up if public school students are required to walk in accordance with Eligibility-B of this policy (herein referred to as the home school).
C. Students who have registered for transportation services will be notified of their assigned bus stop prior to the start of school each year.
Transportation Service
Bus routes should be planned to achieve safety of students, economy of operation and State financial reimbursement.
Bus routes will not be extended or stops scheduled unless an eligible middle school student would otherwise be required to walk in excess of one (1) mile to a bus stop. It is recognized that it is not practical that all students be required to walk this distance.
Routes are to be planned to keep individual riding distance and time to a practical minimum. One (1) hour per trip shall be established as a reasonable goal for maximum allowable riding for a student going to or from school. Exceptions may be necessary for students transported outside the School District.
In establishing bus schedules, it shall be the objective to arrange for buses to arrive at school approximately ten (10) minutes before the scheduled time for the beginning of classes in the morning and to leave within approximately ten (10) minutes after the scheduled dismissal time.
The one and one-half (1 1/2) mile distance will be measured from the point of intersection of the centerline of the street on which the school stands and the center of the nearest school doorway, to the point of intersection of the centerline of the street on which the student's house stands and the center of the front door of the house as measured along the shortest walking route established by the District.
No buses shall enter cul-de-sacs unless required by an Educational Planning Committee for special education students.
With the exception of the service required by an Education Planning Committee, buses may enter on private roads if the following conditions are met:
A. Buses are entering to pick up and discharge students in only grades kindergarten through fifth.
B. A written release (on a form provided by Chippewa Valley Schools) from the property owner(s) is received to relieve the District from any future road repair liability prior to initiation of private road access.
C. The Transportation Department determines that a bus can maneuver safely on the private roads in terms of turning radius, width of roads, turnaround capability, location of obstacles within the development and probability of parked vehicles on the private roads. The route, stop location and size of bus to be used is at the discretion of the Transportation Department. Only one (1) stop within the development will be provided unless the number of students at the stop exceeds twenty-five (25).
D. Implementation of bus service by the Transportation Department may require up to ten (10) working days from the receipt of a properly completed written release.
If bus service is required by an Educational Planning Committee for a handicapped student, a letter of release will not be necessary. The transportation of handicapped students will be addressed on an individual basis depending upon the unique situation.
Whenever possible, the number of students at each pick up point should not exceed twenty-five (25) students.
This policy is not meant to prohibit those buses which go into subdivisions for the purpose of turning around from picking up or discharging students along the route of the turnaround process.
No child shall be scheduled to board or be discharged from a bus when such requires the student to cross a roadway with a speed limit of thirty (30) miles and over.
It shall be the policy of the Chippewa Valley Board of Education to provide safe transportation for eligible students. Careful consideration shall be given to efficiency and economy of operations.
Exception to Eligibility and Service Limitation
Exceptions to eligibility and service limitation may be considered upon written request to a Transportation Advisory Committee.
The Committee shall be appointed by the Superintendent.
The Transportation Advisory Committee shall review exceptions to established practices or procedures which have been denied by the Transportation Department. The following principles shall guide exceptions granted:
A. Safety Consideration. When it is determined that a condition constitutes an extraordinary or excessive hazard to pedestrian safety compared with conditions regularly considered to be within the scope of responsibility assumed by parents in the District.
B. Child Care Consideration. An exception may be granted after review and upon receipt of notarized statement by the caregiver on a form provided by the School District.
C. Request for change in routes and/or stops may be granted after review.
D. Health reasons such as but not limited to diabetes, respiratory, and ambulatory problems. The Committee may require physician or other information as deemed necessary.
Prior to an exception being granted, the Committee shall determine other locations in the District where similar situations exist, and review the financial implications developed by the Transportation Supervisor to implement the exception in all similar areas prior to it being authorized.
Any exception when authorized shall be applied consistently throughout the District and apply only to the current school year.
M.C.L.A. 380.1321, 1322, 1323, 1324, 1756
Public Acts 187, 188, 189
A.C. Rule 340.281, 282
Revised 5/17/10