FW: AAPS Transportation Policy
Ray Fullerton
Hi Jim & Team,
Here is the bus policy section for our grant application. What else can I help with?
Best Regards, Ray Fullerton
From: Brad Mellor
[mailto:bme...@aaps.k12.mi.us]
Sent: Thursday, July 09, 2009 1:56
PM
To: Ray
Fullerton
Subject: AAPS Transportation
Policy
Hi Ray - Here's policy. I'm working on the other calculations.
Brad
----------------------------------
Transportation
Policy 3760 (UNDER REVIEW)
Adopted: June 11, 2003
Revised: Effective: July 1, 2003
The district shall
provide transportation to and from school for students who reside at least 1.5
miles from their school of assigned attendance, or in other cases as required
by law.
The Superintendent may direct that transportation be provided in other cases
for reasons of student safety or efficiency of district operations.
3760.R.01 - Student Bus Transportation
Issue Date: 7/1/05
Effective Date: 7/1/05
Approved By: Deputy Superintendent-Operations
1 Purpose
1.1 To detail standards and the
process utilized for student bus transportation services
2 Organizational Units Affected
2.1 Administrative staff
2.2 Building staff
2.3 Students
2.4 Transportation
Department
3 Definitions
3.1 Bus Transportation
Eligibility:
3.1.1 Students who reside at
least 1-1/2 miles from their schools of assigned attendance
3.1.2 Students who are granted
eligibility by State or federal statute
3.1.3 Students requiring
transportation for reasons of health or safety as approved by the Board,
Superintendent or Superintendent’s designee
3.1.4 Students who attend
district-established alternative education programs, magnet schools or other
centralized schools or programs
1-1/2 miles or more from their residence
3.1.5 Non-public students in the
Ann Arbor Public Schools District residing at least 1-1/2 miles from their
non-public school of attendance are eligible within the parameters of district
transportation scheduling and applicable State statutes.
4 Background Information
5 Procedures
5.1 Establishment of Bus Stop
Locations: The location of bus stops is determined by considering safety
issues, statutory parameters and guidelines, the age and number of students
being served, the distance between stops, and transportation scheduling issues,
including length of ride and on-time arrival requirements. Students may be
required to walk from 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile to reach their bus stops, depending
upon the age of the student, safety concerns and other relevant issues.
5.2 Accommodation of Irregular
Requests: Requests for day care, work location or other irregular drop-offs can
only be accommodated as follows: the drop-off location must be located in the
student’s school attendance area and be at least 1-1/2 miles from the school
itself.
5.3 Vehicle Loading Limits: The
student load limit for district buses is the capacity rating as established by
the manufacturer or by applicable statutes.
5.3.1 Any overloading of buses
is to be remedied as soon as practicable in the interest of student safety and
comfort.
5.4 Ride Time Standards: Ride
time is computed one-way and does not include time spent waiting to catch the
bus or time spent waiting for admission to a school building. Ride time should
normally be one hour or less for all instructional levels. Ride times of
considerably less than one hour is a goal of the district, especially for
younger and handicapped students.
5.5 On-Time Guidelines: Each
year the Transportation Department develops accepted parameters to govern
arrival and departure times both at individual stop locations and at each
school building. These expectations are to be communicated to drivers in such
formats as the Driver Handbook, contract language, and route descriptions. Parents
are to be notified of arrival and departure times at the start of each school
year.
5.5.1 Drivers may not depart a
stop location prior to the times communicated to students and parents.
5.5.2 Late arrivals which are
not the result of weather or traffic conditions are also unacceptable.
5.6 Bus Accident Reporting and
Other Safety Activities: In addition to meeting applicable legal requirements
for the reporting of all school bus accidents, Ann Arbor Public Schools
district drivers must complete and submit Transportation Department accident
report forms and participate in department accident reviews as scheduled.
5.6.1 Transportation Department
personnel must cooperate fully with State Police and other vehicle inspection
authorities.
5.6.2 The Transportation
Department shall be represented on the Ann Arbor School District Safety
Committee.
5.6.3 The Transportation
Department shall also provide staff safety in-services whenever deemed
appropriate.
5.7 Fleet Replacement
Parameters: To ensure maximum student, staff and public safety, the district
shall develop standards for the periodic replacement of school buses.
5.7.1 The Transportation
Director and Chief Mechanic will be jointly responsible for identifying
specifications for the purchase of new buses and determining criteria for
vehicles to be replaced. These replacement criteria will necessarily include
such factors as age (model year), mileage, state of repair, and installed
equipment (e.g. lifts, etc.).
5.7.2 Replacement needs shall be
communicated to the appropriate central administrator in a time frame which
permits inclusion in the regular district budget process.
5.8 Student Discipline: Rules of
conduct for student riders have been developed to promote rider and vehicular
operation safety.
5.8.1 Copies of the rules are to
be distributed to student riders at the start of each school year.
5.8.2 Enforcement of the rules
and implementation of disciplinary action for disobeying the rules are the
joint responsibility of the bus driver and/or monitor, principals and assistant
principals, and the parent(s) of the student(s) involved.
5.9.2 Students charged with
transportation rule violations are entitled to the same hearings, due process
and appeal rights as students charged with violating school building and/or
district codes of conduct.
6 Instructions, Templates, &
Samples
6.1 Accident Report Form
6.2 Arrival/Departure
schedule
6.2 Back to School Guide
6.3 Driver Handbook
6.4 Rights &
Responsibilities Handbook
6.5 Rules of Conduct for Student
Riders
7 Training & Feedback
8 Implementation, Compliance
& Assessment
3760.R.02 - Field Trips/Other School-related Activities
Issue Date: 7/1/05
Effective Date: 7/1/05
Approved By: Deputy Superintendent-Operations
1 Purpose
1.1 To provide guidelines for
student field trips
2 Organizational Units Affected
2.1 Administrative staff
2.2 Building office
professionals
2.3 Students and parents
2.4 Teachers
3 Definitions
4 Background Information
4.1 Field trips are an accepted
part of the instructional program. District school buses driven by district
drivers are the recommended means of transportation for all field trips.
4.2 Outside carriers may only be
used when it has been demonstrated that the carrier has met district standards
of safety, insurance, and fleet maintenance.
4.2.1 The Purchasing and
Business Support Services Department and the Transportation Department shall
review applications to provide buses by outside carriers and maintain a list of
approved carriers.
4.3 Students, faculty members,
and chaperones are covered by school district liability insurance while using
school buses.
4.3.1 There is no school
district insurance covering transportation by private vehicles. In the event
field trip transportation is to be provided by parents and/or other volunteer
drivers, the parents of participating students shall be notified in advance
regarding who will be driving their child(ren) and whether the vehicle is
covered by insurance.
4.4 Rules of conduct for student
riders have been developed to promote rider and vehicular operational safety.
Copies of the rules are available at each school location.
4.4.1 Enforcement of the rules
and implementation of disciplinary action for disobeying the rules are the
joint responsibility of the bus driver and/or monitor, principals and assistant
principals, and the parent(s) of the student(s) involved.
4.4.2 Students charged with
transportation rule violations are entitled to the same hearings, due process
and appeal rights as students charged with violating school building and/or
district codes of conduct.
5 Procedures
5.1 Requests for field trip bus
transportation are to be made in writing, using Field Trip Transportation
Request forms. Field trips should be scheduled to depart after the last morning
runs and return prior to the first afternoon runs.
5.2 The Transportation
Department shall meet the weekday athletic trip needs of secondary schools
through the allotment of several buses routed for that purpose. On weekends
there are nearly always more buses available than needed.
5.3 It is the responsibility of
the school or organization sponsoring the trip to secure permission slips from
parents, as required by applicable school district policies and/or regulations.
6 Work Instructions, Templates,
& Samples
6.1 District charter bus
standards
6.2 Field Trip Transportation
Request form (Form 3760.R.02A)
6.3 Parental Field Trip
Notification and Permission form (Form 3760.R.02B)
6.4 Rules of Conduct for Student
Riders
7 Training & Feedback
8 Implementation, Compliance
& Assessment