NORTHFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION FILE CODE: 3541.1
Northfield, New Jersey X Monitored
X Mandated
Policy X Other Reasons
TRANSPORTATION ROUTES AND SERVICES
The Northfield board of education directs the chief school administrator to supervise development of bus routes to provide safe, economical and reasonably expeditious transportation for:
A. Pupils who live remote from the school as defined by New Jersey law;
B. Educationally disabled pupils in accordance with their IEP;
C. Pupils participating in board-approved extracurricular activities or field trips;
D. Pupils whose route to the school is deemed hazardous by the board;
E. Other pupils as required by law.
The criteria to be used in designing routes and assigning pupils to them shall include:
A. The distance to be traveled to and from school;
B. The age and state of health of the child;
C. The requirements of the instructional program;
D. The hazards involved on the route to be traveled.
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.
On a space-available basis, the board may transport both public and nonpublic students who live within statutory limits (courtesy busing). The board or a cooperative transportation services agency may charge for this service. The charge shall be equitable and shall include, but not be limited to, the cost of fuel, driver salaries and insurance.
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.
Waiver of Eligible Transportation Services
Each school year a parent/guardian of a pupil who is eligible for transportation services under the law may sign a written statement waiving the pupil’s right to those services. This written statement shall be in the form that is determined by the Department of Education.
If there is a case of a family or economic hardship during the school year in which the parent/guardian has waived the pupil’s transportation service rights, the district will make provisions to provide transportation to the pupil during this hardship.
Courtesy Transportation Along Hazardous Routes
The Northfield 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 Northfield School District to be hazardous routes. The criteria used to determine hazardous routes may include but shall not be limited to the following:
A. Population density;
B. Traffic volume;
C. Average vehicle velocity;
D. Existence or absence of sufficient sidewalk space;
E. Roads and highways that are winding or have blind curves;
F. Roads or highways with steep inclines and declines;
G. Drop-offs that are close proximity to a sidewalk;
H. Bridges or overpasses that must be crossed to reach the school;
I. Train tracks or trestles that must be crossed to reach the school;
J. Busy roads and highways that must be crossed to reach the school.
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.
Adopted: 10/24/11
NJSBA Review/Update: 10/24/11
Readopted: 11/28/11
Key Words
Pupil Transportation, Transportation, Busing, Buses, Courtesy Busing, Nonpublic School Pupils, Student Transportation
Legal References: N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-57 Calculation of state aid for transportation
N.J.S.A. 18A:22-8.6 Transportation (budget line item)
N.J.S.A. 18A:36A-13 Transportation services (charter schools)
N.J.S.A. 18A:39-1 et seq. Transportation To and From Schools
See particularly:
N.J.S.A. 18A:39-1.2
through –1.9
N.J.S.A. 18A:46-19.6 Transportation to location or maintenance of vehicular classrooms to obtain services; payment of cost
N.J.S.A. 18A:46-23 Transportation of pupils; special classes; handicapped children; state aid
N.J.S.A. 39:3-10.9 et al. New Jersey Commercial Drivers License Act
N.J.S.A. 39:3-27 Free registration of certain vehicles; transfer to other motor vehicles
N.J.A.C. 6A:27-1.1et seq. Student Transportation
See particularly:
N.J.A.C. 6A:27-1.1(b), -2.1,
-3.1, -5.1, -6.2, -6.3, -6.4,
-9.2(e), -11.1, -13.3
N.J.A.C. 6A:30-1.1et seq. Evaluation of the Performance of School Districts
P.L. 2011, c.132 Parents right to waive eligible transportation rights
Parents for Student Safety, Inc., v. Morris Bd. of Ed., 1986 S.L.D. (February 5), St. Bd. rev’g 1984 S.L.D. (August 24), aff’d App. Div., unreported decision (docket no. A-3257- 85-T7, decided February 17, 1987) certif. den. 108 N.J. 180 (1987)
Wayne Board of Education v. Kraft et al., 139 NJ 597 (1995)
Policies and Procedures Manual for Pupil Transportation, N.J. State Department of Education
Possible
Cross References: *3220/3230 State funds; federal funds
*3516 Safety
*3541.31 Privately owned vehicles
*3541.33 Transportation safety
*4211 Recruitment, selection and hiring
*5200 Nonpublic school pupils
*6145 Extracurricular activities
*6153 Field trips
*Indicates policy is included in the Critical Policy Reference Manual.