2315 - Student Transportation Management
2315 Student Transportation Management 2315
1. Contracted Services
Student transportation to and from school is provided through contracted services in accordance with bid specifications. The Superintendent/designee is responsible for the preparation of the specifications for contracted transportation services and to have the services put out to bid. All contracted buses shall be maintained and inspected as required by the laws and rules of the State of New Hampshire.
2. Scheduling and Routing
The scheduling and routing of the contracted buses is the responsibility of the Business Administrator/designee. Each year, prior to the opening of school, he/she shall meet with the contractor to determine the routes and time schedules, taking into consideration primarily the safety and well-being of the students. He/she will also coordinate for scheduling of buses with the opening and closing of all schools to obtain maximum efficiency in the use of the buses. Pupils attending private schools, up to and including the twelfth grade, shall be entitled to the same transportation privileges within the District as are provided for pupils in public schools. The final determination of schedules and routes shall be vested in the School Board through the Superintendent/designee. The Milford School District provides student transportation in accordance with the laws and rules of the State of New Hampshire. Kindergarten students are provided transportation to school for the morning program and from school for the afternoon
program; mid-day transportation is the responsibility of the parent(s)/legal guardian(s). Full Day students through grade 5 are provided transportation to and from school. Students in grades 6 through 12 who live at least one and one half (1 ½ ) miles from school are provided transportation to and from school.
Kindergarten, Readiness, and first grade students may not be discharged from afternoon buses unless:
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- Child is met by a parent or guardian;
- Child is to be met by another adult when a parent/guardian has provided signed,
written instruction; - Child is released with or met by an older sibling (2nd grade and above) when a
parent/guardian has provided signed, written instruction; - A parent/guardian has provided signed, written instruction that the child is to be
released to walk to his/her destination alone from the bus stop; - Any person meeting a Kindergarten, Readiness, or first grader who is not known to the bus
driver may be required to show identification to the driver.
3. Use of Bus Video/Audio Recorders
Video cameras may be used on school buses to monitor student behavior. Audio recordings in conjunction with video recordings may also be captured on school buses, in accordance with the provisions of RSA 570-A:2.
Notification of such recordings is hereby established in this policy. The superintendent/designee will ensure that there is a sign prominently displayed on the school buses informing the occupants of the school buses that such video and audio recordings are occurring.
The Superintendent is charged with establishing administrative procedures to address the length of time the recording is retained, ownership of the recording, limitations on who may view and listen to the recording, and provisions for erasing or destroying the recordings.
All recordings shall be retained for a period not to exceed ten (10) days, unless the Superintendent determines that the recording is relevant to a disciplinary proceeding. Recordings may be reviewed only by the following persons and only after expressly authorized by the Superintendent/designee.
▪ Superintendent/designee
▪ Business Administrator
▪ Building Administrator
▪ Law Enforcement Officers
▪ Transportation Contractor Official
▪ Parents
Parents of a student against whom a recording is being used as part of a disciplinary proceeding will be permitted to listen to the recording.
In the event a video recording is used as part of a student discipline proceeding, such video may become part of a student’s educational record. Should the parents/guardians wish to view the video recording as part of a subsequent disciplinary hearing, the superintendent/designee shall take steps to ensure that the privacy rights of other students on the bus, whether involved in the disciplinary incident or not, are protected.
4. Transporting Ill Students
It is the responsibility of the parent to provide transportation for children sent home because of illness. In instances when a parent or legal guardian is not available to provide transportation for an ill child, a person or persons duly authorized by the parent or legal guardian may transport the child.
5. Emergency Transportation
When an immediate response is needed, particularly when time is of the essence, transportation will be at the discretion of the Building Principal/designee. If a student requires transportation by ambulance, the cost of the ambulance service will be the responsibility of the parents.
6. Use of Private Vehicles to Transport Students
6.1 District employees who are not employed primarily to transport students may drive students to and from school-related functions only during regular school hours in a district-owned or private vehicle only with the prior written permission of the Superintendent/designee and only if employees are not reimbursed for any associated expenses. District employees including paid coaches, officials and advisors, may not drive students before or after regular school hours unless they meet the requirements of federal and state regulations and other applicable school district policies, as well as receive prior written permission of the Superintendent /designee.
Individuals requesting permission of the Superintendent/designee must submit the following with their written request:
1. An insurance certificate indicating current automobile insurance coverage limits of
not less than $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident liability; $100,000
property damage; and $5,000 medical payments. The certificate must clearly
indicate that the vehicle that will be utilized in the transport is covered on the
policy. In lieu of a certificate of insurance, an insurance policy declaration page
containing this information is acceptable.
2. A written acknowledgement signed and dated by the employee, and the owner of
the insurance policy if the policyholder is not the employee, indicating the
employee/policyholder fully understands that by NH law, their insurance is primary.
3. Valid operator’s license for each person who will be driving.
4. Valid registration for the vehicle to be utilized in the transport.
5. Proof of current inspection of the vehicle to be utilized in the transport.
6. Written permission of the employee’s principal or supervising administrator.
7. Permission may be requested for a series of events and/or for like reasons over an
extended period of time.
6.2 Except as provided in Section 6.1 above or in cases of emergency, individuals not
specifically contracted by the district to transport students, including but not limited to
private citizens; parents/guardians; students; unpaid coaches, officials and advisors; and
volunteers who provide transportation to and/or from school, field trips, athletic events, or
any school function whatsoever, without the prior written authorization of the
Superintendent/designee, do so at their own risk, expense, and liability.
Individuals requesting permission of the Superintendent/designee must submit the
following with their written request:
1. Documentation that a criminal records check has been completed.
2. An insurance certificate indicating current automobile insurance coverage limits of
not less than $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident liability; $100,000
property damage; and $5,000 medical payments. The certificate must clearly
indicate that the vehicle that will be utilized in the transport is covered on the policy.
In lieu of a certificate of insurance, an insurance policy declaration page containing
this information is acceptable.
3. A written acknowledgement signed and dated by the employee, and the owner of the
insurance policy if the policyholder is not the employee, indicating the
employee/policyholder fully understands that by NH law, his/her insurance is
primary.
4. Valid operator’s license for each person who will be driving.
5. Valid registration for the vehicle to be utilized in the transport.
6. Proof of current inspection of the vehicle to be utilized in the transport.
7. Written permission of a parent/guardian of each student being transported, except
the individual’s own children, indicating the following:
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- Student’s name
- Student’s address and home phone number
- Dates of transportation
- Departure and destination locations
8. Permission may be requested for a series of events and/or for like reasons over an
extended period of time.
extended period of time.
No student shall be sent on school errands using any automobile.
Legal Reference:
RSA 189:6, 189:8, 189:9, 570-A: 2, 200:37, 263:29
Adopted: 8/98, 2/73
Revised: 10/73, 8/76, 5/77, 3/89, 3/95, 11/06, 4/11, 1/13