9015 - Transportation Guidelines

School Attendance Area/School Choice

Piute County School District respects other school district attendance areas and will refrain from transporting students from other attendance areas on Piute County School District buses unless otherwise authorized through an MOU process between neighboring districts when it is under extenuating circumstances. Students from other attendance areas may choose to attend a school in Piute School District (School Choice Policy 4098), but parents are required to provide transportation.  

Mixed Grades on Buses

Piute County Schools District students’ grades K-12 can ride the same buses together, but restriction will be put in place when this situation arises. For example, when elementary students are riding with secondary students, bus supervisors, coaches, or in the absence of a bus supervisor or coach, a bus drivers will ensure that secondary students and elementary students are separated in their seating arrangement.  Usually elementary students will be seated at the front of the bus and secondary students toward the back. Seating rules require three elementary students to a seat and two secondary students to a seat when being transported on a bus.  K-12 PCSD students may only ride the bus together on regular assigned bus routes that are MOU designated and pre-assigned due to bus route service area need.  This may change from time to time and the transportation director must approve predestinated MOU and route where K-12 PCSD may be mixed.

Administrative discretion will rule when it comes to questions on eligibility to riders.

Bus stops  

The Board will designate safe areas for bus stops (R277-600-6(5)A. To promote efficiency, the minimum distance between bus stops will be 3/10 of a mile (2010 State Standards). Bus routes shall avoid, whenever possible, bus stops on dead-end roads. A student is responsible for their own transportation to bus stops up to one and one-half miles from home. (Utah Code R277-600-6-(6)(a)).  Special education students are responsible for their own transportation to bus stops unless determined otherwise in their Individualized Education Program (IEP) (Utah Code R277-600-6-(6)(b)). All bus stops will be designated a bus stop and bus driver will take every safety precaution at bus stops to ensure the safety of students.

Seat Belts

There are no requirements for seat belts for grade pre-K and K-12.

Inspection of Bus-All trips

The school bus operator is the key to an effective daily inspection program. It is the operator’s responsibility to make a planned and systematic inspection of the bus before and after each trip and complete the required inspection sheet. 

Prohibited Use of Electronic and Telecommunications Devices

The safety of passengers and of the public is a school bus operator’s primary responsibility at all times, consistent with training and policy. While the school bus is in motion and not appropriately parked or secured, a school bus operator shall not use a cell phone, wireless electronic device, or any headset, earpiece, earphones or other equipment that might distract a driver from his responsibilities, whether hand held or not. (However, operators may use two-way radios or mounted GPS systems if done in a safe and appropriate manner.) R277-601-3

Number of students to establish a route

The minimum number of general education students required to establish a route is ten (10); the minimum number of students with disabilities required to establish a route is five (5).  If a route is required for less than these numbers, the Board will propose such a route to the State Superintendent for approval. R277-600

Bus Emergency Drills

Due to the increased number of pupils being transported and the ever-increasing number of accidents on the highways, bus drivers will provide training to instruct pupils on how to properly vacate a school bus in case of an emergency.  Without training, there is a danger of pupils blocking the emergency door by all trying to exit at the same time.  There is also a danger when pupils jump from the rear emergency door exit.  To avoid these situations, schools should organize and conduct emergency exit drills for all pupils who ride the school bus. A minimum of one emergency drill is required per semester. (2010 State Standards)