Transportation
The district may provide transportation to and from school for a student:
- Whose residence is beyond the one mile radius from the school to which the student is assigned;
- Whose walking route to school is hazardous;
- Whose disability prevents him/her from walking or providing for his/her own welfare while walking; or
- Who has another compelling and legally sufficient reason to receive transportation services. The parent or guardian of a student whose assigned bus stop is beyond the maximum walking distance may receive reimbursement for private transportation at the state mileage reimbursement rate.
At the request of an eligible student, the district may allow the student to transport his or her infant on a school bus or other student transportation vehicle provided by the district. The infant must be transported in a rear-facing child restraint system as defined in the federal motor vehicle safety standards found in 49 C.F.R. § 572.213. If the district denies the student’s request to transport his or her infant by school bus, the district must authorize other arrangements for individual transportation in accordance with RCW 28A.160.030. For purposes of this paragraph, “eligible student” means any student served by the transportation program of the district or compensated for individual transportation arrangements authorized by RCW 28A.160.030 whose route stop is outside the walk area for a student’s school, except if the student to be transported is disabled under RCW 28A.155.020 and is either not ambulatory or not capable of protecting his or her own welfare while traveling to or from the school or agency where special education services are provided, in which case no mileage distance restriction applies.
Each year the superintendent or designee will present to the board the number of students who live within the minimum distance of their schools and for whom there appears sufficient justification for the district to provide transportation. In this report, the superintendent or designee will also provide the reasons why each of these students is transported.
The district’s transportation program will comply in all ways with state law and regulation. Transportation services of the district may include approved bus routes, district-approved field trips, school activities (participants only) and extracurricular activities (rooters). The superintendent or designee is authorized to permit a parent of a student enrolled in school to ride a bus when excess seating is available and private or other public transportation is not reasonably available.
The board of directors may authorize children attending an approved private school to ride a school bus provided that the bus route and stops are not altered, space is available, and a fee to cover the per seat cost for such transportation is collected.
Routes and Schedules
The superintendent or designee will be responsible for scheduling bus transportation, including the determination of routes and bus stops as well as overseeing the transportation program.
The purpose of bus scheduling and routing is to achieve maximum service with a minimum fleet of buses insofar as this is consistent with rendering safe and reasonably equal service to all students entitled to such service. The board may authorize the use of a district-owned passenger car in lieu of a bus for transporting students to and from school.
In order to operate the transportation system as safely and efficiently as possible, the following factors will be considered in establishing bus routes:
- Where an alternate route may be considered without sacrifice of efficiency or economy, preference will be given to that route more directly serving the largest number of students;
- Location of bus stops may be determined by such factors as student safety, economy and efficiency. Students may be required to walk up to a half mile from their home to their bus stop provided that the walking route is safe; and
- School schedules will be adjusted to allow maximum utilization of each bus in the system by alternating elementary and secondary trips.
The district will apply for state transportation apportionment funds and will maintain the records required to obtain such funding.
Emergency Routes and Schedules
The district will develop emergency bus routes and schedules to be used when weather conditions make the usual routes impassable or, in the superintendent’s or designee’s judgment, too hazardous. At the beginning of the school year, copies of emergency routes and schedules will be distributed to parents with instructions on how to obtain emergency information.
If roads are closed to buses but not to private vehicles, the district may continue to operate the instructional programs of the schools without providing bus transportation until the roads are again open to buses.
School Bus Trespass
It is a gross misdemeanor for individuals to enter or remain unlawfully on a school bus, do any act that creates a substantial risk of harm to passengers or the driver, and cause a substantial interruption or impairment of services rendered by the bus. This doesn’t apply to enrolled students, law enforcement officers or other authorized personnel engaged in the performance of their official duties, individuals with written consent from the district allowing them to enter or remain on the school bus, and emergency situations where entering the bus is necessary to protect the safety or wellbeing of students or others.
The district will implement educational programs and awareness campaigns to inform students, parents, and the community about the importance of maintaining safety and security on school buses. These initiatives will highlight the potential criminal consequences of school bus trespassing.
If the district receives the funds to do so, it will affix placards warning of the consequences of school bus trespassing to the outside of all its school buses so they are easily visible.
Legal References:
RCW 28A.160.020 Authorization for private school students to ride buses — Conditions
RCW 28A.160.030 Authorizing individual transportation or other arrangements
Chapter 392-141 WAC Transportation — State allocation for operations
Chapter 392-172A-02095 WAC Transportation (Special Education)
RCW 28A.160.160 Student transportation allocations—Definitions
RCW 28A.160.240 Transportation of infants
RCW 9A.52.092 School bus trespass
Adoption Date: 09/18/02
Classification: Encouraged
Revised: 01/08/14; 10/05/22; 12/18/24