6405 -TRANSPORTATION FOR INSTRUCTIONAL FIELD TRIPS AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Off-Campus Use of Yellow School Buses - The Board authorizes the Superintendent or designee to approve the use of regular public school buses to transport students for off-campus, regularly scheduled instructional field trips during or after school hours.
6405.1 Off-Campus Use of Yellow School Buses:
The Board authorizes the Superintendent or designee to approve the use of regular public school buses to transport students for off-campus, regularly scheduled instructional field trips during or after school hours.
6405.2 Field Trips for Yellow School Buses Only:
A. Field trips shall be educational and be correlated with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.
B. The Field Trip Request Form shall be completed in full and submitted at least ten (10) days in advance.
C. Overnight and out of state field trips shall be approved by the Superintendent or designee.
D. Field trips employing yellow school buses may not travel more than fifty (50) miles outside of Durham County.
E. Field trips employing yellow school buses will only be approved if a bus and driver are available.
F. Field trips will not be approved if they interfere with regular transportation.
G. Field trip transportation costs shall be paid by the school taking the trip. Regular school buses may not be used to travel outside the state of North Carolina and are subject to all state regulations that apply to the use of regular school buses. The state shall be reimbursed by the local school according to state regulations.
6405.3 Activity Buses:
The Board authorizes the use of activity buses for transportation of athletic teams or other student groups for regularly-scheduled curricular or extracurricular activities. Activity buses shall be assigned to individual schools. The transportation department shall service the activity buses after school buses.
The Board also authorizes the use of activity buses by nonprofit corporations and local government units, subject to the following requirements:
A. Nonprofit corporations and local government units may use school activity buses only for activities involving the transportation of school-aged and preschool-aged children currently enrolled in the school system.
B. Nonprofit corporations and local government units may use activity buses only for round-trip transportation to and from the property of the entity where the activities are held.
C. Caretakers and instructors may also be transported, but only to and from the same activities to which the students are being transported.
D. The property to which the children will be transported must be located within 20 miles of any school building in the system.
E. The requesting entity must provide proof of minimum insurance limits established by the school system.
F. The requesting entity must execute a lease agreement that includes a provision that the board of education shall be indemnified and held harmless for any act or omission that occurs during the permitted use.
G. Any rates or fees that will be charged by the school system shall be clearly enumerated.
H. Only properly licensed bus drivers approved by DPS may drive activity buses.
6405.4 Use of Private Vehicles:
The Board strongly discourages the use of privately-owned vehicles for the purpose of transporting students. When privately-owned vehicles are used, the owner assumes full responsibility and liability. Appropriate transportation shall be provided for persons with disabilities.
6405.5 Drivers:
All drivers used for extra transportation must have an appropriate and valid North Carolina driver's license. It is the transportation specialist and/or principal's responsibility to secure approved, qualified drivers for all curricular related field trips.
It is the principal's responsibility to secure approved, qualified drivers for all extracurricular transportation. All drivers used to drive Durham Public Schools vehicles must have the appropriate Commercial Drivers License (CDL). For activity buses and vans (with a rating of 16 passengers including the driver) any driver used to operate these vehicles must have a CDL Class B with a P endorsement or an S restriction.
6405.6 Student Behavior:
Student Behavior is most important; therefore, teachers must be responsible for maintaining proper conduct and aid drivers on all special trips.
Legal Reference: G.S. 20 4.01(27); 20-218; 66-58(c); 115C-239 to -262; State Board of Education Policy TCS-H-006.
Adopted Effective: July 2, 1992
Revised Effective: January 25, 1995
Revised Effective: July 1, 1999
Revised Effective: January 26, 2012
