Transportation Routes & Services

The board of education directs the chief school administrator to supervise development of bus routes to provide safe, economical and reasonably expeditious transportation.

Transportation shall be provided for:

1. Pupils who live remote from the schoolhouse as defined by New Jersey law;

2. Educationally handicapped pupils in accordance with their IEP;

3. Pupils participating in board approved extracurricular activities or field trips;

4. Pupils whose route to the school is deemed hazardous by the board;

5. Other pupils as required by law.

The criteria to be used in designing routes and assigning pupils to them shall include:

1. The distance to be traveled to and from school;

2. The age and state of health of the child;

3. The requirements of the instructional program;

4. The hazards involved on the route to be traveled.

The board may charge parents\guardians for transporting pupils who live within statutory limits. The charge shall include, but not be limited to the cost of fuel, driver salaries and insurance.

Transportation to and from school shall be provided as required by law to eligible nonpublic school pupils and to pupils attending charter schools. All pupils riding on district buses shall be required to observe the district's bus conduct regulations or risk loss of the privilege of such transportation.

Buses, whether contracted or district-owned, shall be kept in optimum condition and shall conform to all state safety regulations. Bus routes must be acted upon by the board and submitted to the county office.

Courtesy Transportation Along Hazardous Routes

The Union City Board of Education is concerned with the safety of students who walk to and from school along roadways determined to be hazardous routes. The chief school administrator shall work in conjunction with municipal officials to determine the criteria necessary for the classification of a hazardous route and shall maintain a list of all hazardous routes in the district. The chief school administrator shall develop rules and regulations to supply courtesy transportation for students who must walk to and from school along routes designated by the Union City School District to be hazardous routes. The criteria used to determine hazardous routes may include but shall not be limited to the following:

1. Population density;

2. Traffic volume;

3. Average vehicle velocity;

4. Existence or absence of sufficient sidewalk space;

5. Roads and highways that are winding or have blind curves;

6. Roads or highways with steep inclines and declines;

7. Drop-offs that are close proximity to a sidewalk;

8. Bridges or overpasses that must be crossed to reach the school;

9. Train tracks or trestles that must be crossed to reach the school;

10. Busy roads and highways that must be crossed to reach the school;

11. Woodrow Wilson School, Weehawken, NJ

Students who would otherwise be required to walk to and from school along routes designated as hazardous shall be included in the calculation of the district’s regular vehicle capacity utilization.

Monitored:

Indicator 7.5

Mandated:

N.J.S.A. 18A:39-1.5 requires districts that provide courtesy busing to adopt a policy regarding the transportation of students who must walk to and from school along hazardous routes.

N.J.A.C. 6A:27-11.1 requires policies and procedures to be followed by the school bus driver in the event of an emergency. See also policy 3541.33.

N.J.A.C. 6A:27-2.1 requires policies and procedures governing transportation of nonpublic pupils to and from school. See also policy 5200.

N.J.A.C. 6A:27-1.1requires policies and procedures governing transportation of pupils to and from school and school-related activities. See also policy 3541.31 if applicable.

Other Reasons:

N.J.S.A. 18A:39-1.3 through -1.4 allows boards to charge parents/guardians for transporting students who live within the statutory limits (courtesy busing).

N.J.A.C. 6A:27-9.1 requires all contractors to comply with the local board's policies and procedures governing pupil transportation.

N.J.A.C. 6A:27.13.1 directs bureau of pupil transportation to conduct annual review of district's pupil transportation procedures, operations and fiscal reports.

N.J.A.C. 6A:23-6.2 When a homeless child attends school in the district of residence while temporarily residing in another district, the district of residence shall provide transportation.

N.J.A.C. 6A:11-4.10 sets out board responsibilities for transportation of students attending charter schools.

Legal References: