Avery County Schools Policy Policy Code: 6320

USE OF STUDENT TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

Student transportation services will be made available in a manner consistent with board goals, set out in policy 6300, Goals of Student Transportation Services.

A. SCHOOL SYSTEM TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

The first priority of the school system transportation services is to provide eligible students transportation to and from school. The school system may make other transportation services available as funding permits and in accordance with legal requirements, board policy, and the following standards.

  1. Yellow school buses may be used for instructional programs directly related to the curriculum when the trip and use of the bus are approved in accordance with board policy;.

  2. Yellow school buses may be used only for purposes expressly allowed by G.S. 115C-242;.

  3. Yellow school buses may not be used for athletic activities or extracurricular activities;.

  4. White activity buses and other vehicles meeting federal safety standards may be used for travel to athletic activities and travel to other approved school-related activities. In addition to students receiving regular school bus safety training, safety instruction will be provided to students traveling on activity buses or commercial buses as needed.

    1. The board encourages the superintendent and principals to provide transportation services to enable students at risk of not meeting promotion standards to take advantage of additional or enhanced opportunities for learning.

SPECIAL USE OF SCHOOL BUSES

The board may authorize special uses of yellow school buses as provided by G.S. 115C-242 and 115C-254 and of activity buses and yellow school buses as provided by G.S. 115C-243 and 115C- 247. The Board may also authorize the special use of activity buses for the purposes described in G.S. 66-58(c) (9b).

The superintendent shall present to the board any requests for special uses and the statutory support for allowing such authorization.

TRANSPORTATION FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS

A student who is identified as having a disability following procedures in the North Carolina

Avery County Schools Policy Code: 6320 Page 1 of 2 Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities will be provided with transportation services as required by law. When the school system’s transportation services are unable to provide transportation for a student with a disability, the board may contract with public or private carriers to provide this service, pursuant to policy 6340, Transportation Service/Vehicle Contracts.

Legal References: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.; 49 U.S.C. §30125, 30165; G.S. 66-58(c)(9a) and (9b); 115C-239, -242, -243, -247; Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities, State Board of Education Policy EXCP-000; State Board of Education Policies TRAN-000, -006; Memorandum to All Superintendents from Eddie M. Speas, Jr., Special Deputy Attorney General, January 14, 1988, available at http://www.ncsba.org/wp- content/uploads/2017/03/AG-Memo-1988.pdf

Cross References: School Trips (policy 3320), Goals of Student Transportation Services (policy 6300), Safety and Student Transportation Services (policy 6305), Transportation Service/Vehicle Contracts (policy 6340)

Adopted: 8/05/02 Revised: 12/04/06; 12/10/13; 12/19/17

Avery County Schools Policy Code: 6320 Page 2 of 2