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Management
Support Student Conduct on Buses |
Policy
No. 6605P
Any misconduct by
a student, which in the opinion of the bus driver or bus supervisor, is
detrimental to the safe operation of the bus shall be sufficient cause for
the principal to suspend the transportation privilege. Rules of conduct
for students riding buses: Students shall
obey the driver and any aide assigned to the bus by the district. The driver
is in full charge of the bus and passengers and shall be obeyed. If an aide
is assigned to the bus by the district, he/she shall be responsible for the
safe operation of the bus. When transporting classes or teams, the teacher or
coach shall be primarily responsible for the behavior of the students.
Students shall obey both the driver and the teacher, coach or other staff
member. Students shall
ride only on their assigned bus unless written permission to do otherwise has
been received by school officials. Students shall
not be permitted to leave the bus except at their regular stop unless written
permission to do otherwise is received by school officials. Students assigned
seats shall use only that seat unless permission to change is authorized by
the driver. Students shall
observe rules of classroom conduct while riding on buses. Noise shall be kept
down to avoid distracting the driver. Students shall refrain from the use of
obscene language or gestures. Students shall
not smoke or ignite lighters or matches on buses. Students shall
not eat on buses, except when specifically authorized and supervised by and
accompanying teacher, coach or other staff member. Buses shall be kept clean. Students shall
not open bus windows without the driver's permission. Students shall
not extend any part of their body out of bus windows at any time. Students shall
not carry or have in their possession items that can cause injury to passengers
on the bus. Such items include, but are not limited to, sticks, breakable
containers, weapons or firearms, straps or pins protruding from clothing,
large, bulky items which cannot be held or placed between legs, etc. Books
and personal belongings shall be kept out of aisles. Students shall
not have animals on buses, except a dog providing assistance to a disabled
student. Students shall
not sit in the driver's seat or to the immediate right or left of the driver. Students shall
refrain from talking to the driver unless necessary. Students shall go
directly to a seat once inside the bus and remain seated at all times unless
the driver instructs otherwise. Students shall
get on/off the bus in an orderly manner and shall obey the instructions of
the driver or school safety patrolmen on duty. There shall be no pushing and
shoving when boarding or leaving the bus. Once off the bus, students shall
adhere to rules for pedestrians. Students shall
never cross the roadway behind a bus unless they use pedestrian crosswalks or
traffic lights. Students shall
stand away from the roadway curb when any bus is approaching or leaving a
stop. Students going to
and from their bus stops where there are no sidewalks shall walk on the
left-hand side of the roadway facing oncoming traffic. Students shall go
directly to their home after leaving the bus. Students shall
use lap belts on buses when available. Students shall
follow emergency exit drill procedures as prescribed by the driver. Students shall
not tamper with emergency doors or equipment. Students shall
remain quietly seated, not exhibit disruptive behavior and turn off all
noise-making devices at highway rail grade crossings. Parents of
students identified as causing damage to buses shall be charged with the cost
of the incurred damage. Students causing the damage may be suspended from
transportation. Student
misconduct shall constitute sufficient reason for suspending transportation
privileges. Disciplinary
Procedures
Principals are
responsible for correcting students whose abusive behavior results in a
bus-incident report or violates the rules above. The principal shall provide
supervision during bus arrival and departure times and receive reports
(written and oral) from the drivers. The principal
shall insure that students comply with the specified regulations. Principals
must maintain open lines of communication among school officials, bus drivers
and the transportation department. When waiting for
a bus, or going to and from a bus stop, students are responsible for conducting
themselves according to the social and legal mores that apply to adults in
public. That is, they must not abuse or cause damage to private or public
property; they must not use obscene language or gestures; they must not
engage in criminal activity. Failure to adhere to theses standards may result
in formal complaints by citizens which may be forwarded to principals for
possible corrective action. Students provided
with transportation are responsible for complying with the district's rules
of conduct for students riding buses. Failure to adhere to these rules, or
abusive behavior towards the public, driver, fellow passengers or the vehicle
constitutes justification for initiating corrective action against a student. Abusive behavior
on the part of a student riding a bus may result in a written report when, in
the opinion of the driver or bus supervisor, there has been an infraction of
the rules applicable to student conduct. The written report is the primary
means by which a driver or bus supervisor communicates a student's conduct to
the school and transportation department. This report, in most cases,
reflects an infraction of rules which is repeated by the student after
his/her having received previous oral warnings from the driver or bus supervisor.
In order for drivers and bus supervisors to effectively maintain control on
their buses, it is expected that action be exercised by principals when
receiving such a report. When a student's
conduct constitutes an infraction of the rules, the driver or bus supervisor
shall complete a report on the student describing the incident or damage that
occurred. The driver or bus supervisor shall provide the student with a copy
of the report, hand the original report to the principal and submit a copy to
the transportation supervisor. The copy of the report concerning special
education students shall be given to the principal for disposition. The principal
upon receiving the report shall investigate the circumstances surrounding the
incident and take action according to the procedures set forth in the
district’s policies pertaining to corrective action and
punishment. When investigating the incident, the primary concern must
be with respect to the safe transport of students. Corrective action,
if necessary, should be consistent throughout the district as follows:
Suspension: When a student’s misconduct is deemed to jeopardize the safety
of bus passengers and operation, or when repeated warning notices fail to
correct abusive behavior, or when a student incurs damage to the bus. Expulsion: When a student's misconduct is of such nature that the safety
of the bus operation and/or of the occupants was willfully and seriously
threatened (i.e., student assaulting the driver). The action taken
by the principal shall be annotated on the report and forwarded to the
student's parent for signature. The transportation department shall be
notified. Drivers shall be
advised to file assault and battery charges against students who physically
assault them. Under no circumstances shall the driver retaliate in kind and
physically assault the student as this conduct may subject him/her to legal
action. The student or
parent of a student who has been suspended from receiving transportation
entitlements may appeal the principal's decision by submitting a written
statement to the superintendent. The superintendent shall render a decision
after evaluating the issues and facts involved. If the decision is based on
issues unrelated to those described in the district's rules of conduct for
students riding buses, the decision shall require board concurrence before
implementation. Emergencies
The
transportation supervisor shall review the contents of the School Bus
Driver's Handbook with each driver prior to the beginning of each school
year. Each driver, in turn, is expected to follow the procedure as outlined
in the handbook. At the start of each field trip or extracurricular trip, the
school bus driver shall review with all passengers the location and use of
the emergency exits, emergency equipment and any district emergency
procedures. In the event of
an accident, the driver shall make contact with the transportation supervisor
who shall:
Contact emergency
services if there is reason to believe that there are injuries which require
immediate attention; Contact the state
patrol regarding the accident; Advise the
superintendent of schools; Investigate the
accident and gather the names of all students and witnesses; Dispatch another
bus to transport the student to their destination; Contact the
parent(s) or guardian(s) of any students who are injured. To facilitate the
responsibilities assigned to the transportation department, the supervisor,
in cooperation with the building principals, will compile a list of students,
including addresses and phone numbers, that are authorized to ride each bus
route. Date: May 27,
2008 |