The Superintendent or designee shall consult with district staff to establish transportation routes and stops within district boundaries that promote student safety, maximum efficiency in the use of buses, and decreased traffic in and around the schools.
(cf. 3510 - Green School Operations)
(cf. 3514 - Environmental Safety)
(cf. 3540 - Transportation)
Students shall be eligible for transportation service to and from school if the distance between their school-established bus stop and the school is beyond the minimum listed below:
1. For students attending an elementary school:
Grades TK-5 or TK-6: two miles
2. For students attending a middle school:
Grades 6-8: two and a half miles
The Superintendent or designee may authorize transportation below these limits when safety problems or hazards exist.
(cf. 5142.2 - Safe Routes to School)
The Superintendent or designee shall communicate in writing to parents/guardians regarding bus routes, schedules, and stops. He/she may also arrange for local media to publish such information.
(cf. 1112 - Media Relations)
With the Board of Trustees' authorization, transportation services may be provided or arranged by the district for:
1. Students traveling to and from school during the regular school day (Education Code 39800)
2. Field trips and excursions (Education Code 35330)
(cf. 3541.1 - Transportation for School-Related Trips)
3. School activities, expositions or fairs, or other activities determined to be for the benefit of students (Education Code 39860)
4. District employees, parents/guardians, and adult volunteers traveling to and from educational activities authorized by the district (Education Code 39837.5)
5. Preschool or nursery school students (Education Code 39800)
(cf. 5148.3 - Preschool/Early Childhood Education)
6. Private school students, upon the same terms, in the same manner, and on the same routes provided for district students (Education Code 39808)
7. Nonschool purposes as allowed by law, such as:
a. Community recreation (Education Code 39835)
b. Public transportation (Education Code 39841)
c. Transportation of government employees to and from their places of employment (Education Code 39840)
Students who attend school outside of their school attendance area or district boundaries may be eligible for transportation services in accordance with district policy.
(cf. 5116.1- Intradistrict Open Enrollment)
(cf. 5117 - Interdistrict Attendance)
The district shall provide home-to-school transportation and additional transportation services as needed for students with disabilities as specified in their individualized education program or Section 504 plan. (Education Code 41850; 20 USC 1400-1482; 34 CFR 104.4, 300.17, 300.34)
(cf. 3541.2 - Transportation for Students with Disabilities)
(cf. 6159 - Individualized Education Program)
(cf. 6164.6 - Identification and Education Under Section 504)
The Superintendent or designee shall provide transportation to homeless students in accordance with law, Board policy, and administrative regulation. When the student resides outside of district boundaries, the Superintendent or designee shall consult with the superintendent of the district of residence to apportion the responsibility and costs of transportation. (42 USC 11432)
(cf. 6173 - Education for Homeless Children)
The Superintendent or designee shall collaborate with the local child welfare agency to determine the provision, arrangement, and funding of transportation to enable foster youth to attend their school of origin when it is in the student's best interest to do so. (20 USC 6312)
(cf. 6173.1 - Education for Foster Youth)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
10900.5 Use of school buses for community recreation
35330 Excursions and field trips
35350 Authority to transport pupils
39800-39809.5 Transportation, general provisions, especially:
39800 Powers of governing board to provide transportation to and from school
39801.5 Transportation for adults
39808 Transportation for private school students
39830-39843 School buses, especially:
39835 Use of school buses for community recreation
39837 Transportation to summer employment program
39837.5 Transportation of employees, parents/guardians, and adult volunteers to school activities
39860 Transportation to school activities
41850-41856 Allowances for transportation
41860-41863 Supplementary allowances for transportation
48853.5 Educational placement of students residing in licensed children's institutions
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
15240-15244 Allowances for student transportation, definitions
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
1400-1482 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
6312 Transportation to maintain children in foster care in school of origin
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 42
11432 McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 34
104.4 Equal opportunity under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504
300.17 Free appropriate public education
300.34 Special education related services
Management Resources:
CSBA PUBLICATIONS
Special Education Pupil Transportation: Considerations in the Era of LCFF, Governance Brief, April 2014
WEB SITES
California Department of Education, Office of School Transportation: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/tn/or/assignment.asp
Pupil Transportation Safety Institute: http://www.ptsi.org
Regulation LANCASTER SCHOOL DISTRICT
approved: August 7, 2018 Lancaster, California