Transportation

Extracurricular Activity Trips

Generally, trips scheduled within 75 miles of Pocatello are provided on a yellow school bus. It is more cost effective for the District since charter bus companies have a minimal day rate that exceeds the cost of a yellow school bus on short travel distances. Trips beyond this distance are generally provided by a contracted charter company.

Yellow School Bus - $3.26 per mile and no minimal day rate.

55 Passenger Charter Bus - $2.75 per mile/$575 minimum day rate.

47 Passenger Charter Bus - $2.65 per mile/$525 minimum day rate.

29 Passenger Charter Bus - $2.45 per mile/$475 minimum day rate.

The charter prices listed above are with the District's primary charter provider as per lowest contract price. Other charter companies are under contract but are used as a secondary provider as needed.

Field Trips

Transportation costs will be will be charged to each school's instructional supply account for field trips. It is the school's responsibility to secure any available outside funds to credit back their supply account.

The following charges will apply for trips billed to schools:

In-town field trips (1/2 day) - $65.00 per bus if the trip is 4 hours or less and within 10 miles of city limits.

In-town field trips (full day) - $114 per bus if the trip is over 4 hours and within 10 miles of city limits.

Out-of-town field trips - $3.26 per mile for a yellow school bus. Charter buses are also available for the pricing listed above.

District wide field trips, as scheduled by the Directors of Elementary or Secondary Education, will be billed to the Director’s account as long as the Director’s account is selected when submitting the field trip requisition. Otherwise the trip will be billed to the submitting school’s supply account for payment.

Yellow School Bus Capacities for Field Trip and Activity Travel

Elementary Students – 71 to 78 students three to a seat.

Secondary Students – 48 to 52 students two to a seat.

The loading of a yellow school bus will vary for various activity trips depending on the equipment that is transported in addition to the students and coaches.

When scheduling a trip, it is critical for the school to submit the correct number of total riders so the correct number of buses will be supplied.

The most important factors while transporting students to and from school and school sponsored activities is the students’ safety and well-being. With this in mind, the following transportation disciplinary provisions shall be followed as pertaining to bus transportation.

This policy is designed to gain support and cooperation of parents or guardians to correct inappropriate conduct of students who are utilizing the bus transportation system. Parents should review and discuss school bus rules with their students to help them understand and assume responsibility for appropriate conduct.

Riding a school bus is not an undeniable right; it is a privilege. To assure students safe transportation, the District requires students to engage in appropriate conduct, to respect school personnel and to respect other students. A student is to behave appropriately when waiting at a bus stop, loading onto a bus, riding a bus, unloading from a bus and when departing from a bus stop. Failure to abide by school rules, show proper respect to others and comply with the requests of school personnel may result in a student being issued a School Bus Incident Report and possible suspension of bus riding privileges.

RULES

Listed below are some specific rules which can guide students toward good conduct. These rules are intended to help students become aware of their responsibilities and guide discussion. This is not an all-inclusive list, but it is representative of the types of behavior that is expected.

1. Students are held to the same level of conduct as in the classroom.

2. Articles of an injurious or objectionable nature must not be taken on the bus (any type weapon, large bulky items which might obstruct the aisle, flammable items, etc.) Live animals are not permitted on the bus.

3. Students are expected to be courteous. No profane language or gestures are allowed.

4. Students must not attempt to board or leave the bus until the bus is fully stopped and the service door is opened.

5. Students are to remain seated and facing forward when the bus is in motion.

6. Students are not permitted to open or close windows without the bus driver’s permission.

7. Students must keep their person and all objects inside the bus.

8. Fighting, pushing, tripping or scuffling types of behavior are prohibited on the bus and at stops.

9. Students are expected to obey the bus driver.

10. Loud and disruptive noise will not be permitted in the bus at any time.

11. Behavior relating to safety, and the well-being and respect for others must be followed. Gang related activities or racially motivated actions or comments will not be tolerated.

12. Sexual comments or activities toward other students or school personnel will not be tolerated. Sexual harassment of any nature is strictly forbidden.

13. Electronic communication devices, such as beepers, pagers, and cellular phones are not to be operated on the school bus.

14. Eating, drinking, smoking, lighting matches or lighters, spitting, littering, chewing gum, and use of tobacco are prohibited.

15. Destruction, defacing property, or tampering with school bus equipment is prohibited.

16. The driver may assign seats to any and/or all students.

17. Students are not allowed to ride on bus routes other than the route assigned to the student without approval from the parent and building principal.

Each bus student will be assigned a bus and a bus route. All students are expected to ride their assigned bus. Students are not to leave or board the bus at locations other than the assigned home stop or assigned school without prior written permission of the parent and building principal. Changes in bus assignments will not be allowed except with the approval of the Coordinator of Pupil Transportation.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act guarantees students with disabilities their right to a free and appropriate public education, which may include transportation if it is part of the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). However, students receiving special education are not immune from school disciplinary processes, nor are they entitled to remain in a particular education setting when their behavior substantially impairs the education or safety of other children. With this in mind, the following transportation disciplinary provisions shall be followed as pertaining to bus transportation.

If Transportation is not Identified as a Related Service on the Student’s IEP:

Students attending school with an Individualized Education Program and utilizing the busing system to where transportation is not listed as a related service to their program are expected to follow the bus rules and are subject to the same disciplinary actions as all other students. If bus transportation is not on the IEP, a suspension from the bus would not be counted as suspension from school. In these cases, the student and parent would have the same obligation to get to and from school as a student without a disability who had been suspended from the bus. The disciplinary process is outlined in Board Policy 8212, which stipulates that transportation is a privilege, not an undeniable right. Students who violate the bus rules are required to attend a conference with the Transportation Coordinator to review the bus rules and the expectations regarding student conduct on the bus, and to work toward a solution to correct inappropriate behavior. If the student continues to violate the bus rules and/or jeopardizes his/her own or another student’s safety, additional disciplinary action may result in the suspension of the student’s riding privileges for five to 90 school days depending on the severity of the infraction.

A copy of each bus incident ticket is forwarded by the Transportation Department to the student’s attending school. Bus tickets should be reviewed by the student’s case manager/special education teacher to determine if a reasonable behavior intervention plan could be coordinated through the Transportation Department to help correct inappropriate behavior and keep the student from being suspended from the bus. If a student’s behavior continues and results in a suspension from the bus, the IEP team must determine whether the behavior on the bus is similar to behavior in the classroom that is addressed in the IEP. If the behavior is not similar, the IEP team should consider modifying the existing behavioral intervention plan or develop a new plan for the bus behavior.

If Transportation is identified as a Related Service on the Student’s IEP:

Students with an Individualized Education Program, where transportation is a related service under their plan, may be suspended from the bus for disciplinary reasons up to 10 days per year in conjunction with school suspensions. If a student’s behavior in the bus results in a suspension from the bus, the IEP team must determine whether the behavior on the bus is similar to behavior in the classroom that is addressed in the IEP. If the behavior is not similar, the IEP team should consider developing a behavioral intervention plan for the bus behavior.

Prior to suspending a student from the bus, the Transportation Department should work with the student’s school and the Special Services Teacher Consultant to explore modifications in an existing behavior plan or develop a behavior plan to correct the student’s behavior. This approach should be used whenever possible to reduce the need for suspensions. Bus suspensions should be used only for more serious incidents or as the final discipline steps of a behavior plan.

Nothing within this written procedure should discourage the district from using the judicial system to help prevent harm to the student or others. Regardless of the student’s educational status, if at any time the district believes a student’s behavior is likely to result in injury to the student or others, a court order may be sought to remove the student from the bus.