6400 -SCHOOL BUS TRANSPORTATION
The Durham Public Schools Board of Education directs the Superintendent to operate a pupil transportation system based upon the General Statutes of North Carolina concerning pupil transportation, G.S. 115C-239 et seq., and to operate a school bus maintenance program in compliance with state law and state regulations so as to provide the most efficient and economical services possible.
To ride a school bus is a privilege and not a right. Based upon a student's conduct, the privilege may be taken away. The principal is responsible for school bus discipline.
No student shall be allowed to ride a bus to which the student is not assigned without proper authorization from the principal or a designee.
6400.1 Annual Review of Bus Routes:
Prior to the commencement of each school year, the transportation office, with the aid of the principals, shall prepare and submit to the Superintendent or his/her designee for approval a proposed route for each school bus. Adjustments may be made in the proposed routes to accommodate unforeseen situations which occur during the first two months of the school year, but no changes shall be made after November 1, except for extraordinary cause as approved by the Superintendent or designee.
6400.2 General Guidelines for Routing School Buses:
School buses shall be routed to safely and economically serve students eligible for transportation. Unless road or other conditions make it inadvisable, buses shall be routed so that they pass within one mile of the residence of each pupil who resides more than one and one-half miles from the school to which the student is assigned. A route description including street or road name and stop location shall be available. A safe school walk zone shall be established and school buses shall not stop within the walk zone except for special needs students. School buses may be routed to serve students who reside within one and one-half miles of the school which serves their residence to avoid hazardous walking conditions. to the extent possible, school bus routes and stops shall be established to avoid hazardous road conditions. The school bus shall not deviate from its route for a distance less than one-half mile for elementary or a mile for secondary, unless there are more than 10 students who are unescorted, in grades K-3, or special needs students. School buses shall be routed on state or city maintained main or primary roads and not onto side roads or into housing developments. Overlapping, backtracking and unnecessary stops are to be eliminated.
6400.3 General Guidelines for Bus Stops:
The transportation office, with the assistance of the principal, shall designate school bus stops. Bus stops shall be no closer together than .2 miles unless the distance is shortened in the interest of safety. School buses shall come to a complete stop at each bus stop. If no student is in sight, the bus shall proceed onward immediately.
6400.4 Day Care Centers:
Buses may stop at day care centers provided the following conditions are met and the request for transportation is submitted in writing: The bus stays on state or municipal maintained roads. The bus does not deviate from the established route. The bus stays within the school's attendance zone.
6400.5 Transportation for Children with Special Needs:
Transportation shall be provided from the student's home to and from school for those children with special needs, as defined by G.S. 115C-109 where necessary to meet the child's special needs. It is the parent's responsibility to take the student to and from the bus. Where the student is unable to remain alone safely, a parent (guardian) or other responsible adult must be home in the morning and afternoon to present and receive the student. If a parent or responsible adult is not home at the appointed afternoon drop off, the student will be taken to Social Services. [Proposed alternate: the driver will contact the school principal, who will make arrangements for the student's supervision, which may include contacting the Department of Social Services.] The bus driver will wait a maximum of two (2) minutes for the student to board the bus. After this time, the bus may proceed to the next stop. Bus drivers may make additional stops only if the stops are on the established route.
6400.6 Middle School/After School Programs:
Based upon availability of funding, the transportation department shall provide routing assistance, vehicles, maintenance and drivers.
6400.7 Bus Inspections/In-Route School Bus Vandalism:
School bus drivers will perform a pre- and post-trip safety inspection. The driver will report any safety concerns or vandalism to the principal and/or designee and to the transportation specialist.
In case of vandalism, the transportation department will bill the school for damage. The school will investigate the vandalism. Upon identifying the vandal, the school may pursue collection of damages from the parent or guardian.
6400.8 Work First:
Work First participants who are employed by the Durham Public Schools will be eligible to ride school buses to and from work under the following conditions:
- Written permission is received from their principal.
- Principal assigns them to a bus as a monitor.
- Principal instructs them in their duties and behavior as a bus monitor.
- If there is space on the school bus. If no stops, rerouting, or delaying of the bus occurs.
- They ride the bus in a consistent manner.
Legal Reference: G.S.115C-239 to 262; 16 NCAC 6B
Adopted Effective: January 25, 1995
Revised: May 27, 1997
Revised Effective: July 1, 1999
Revised: October 10, 2002
