Jerome Joint School District No. 261

NONINSTRUCTIONAL OPERATIONS 8100

Transportation

The Board of Trustees’ primary concern in providing transportation services to students is the safety and protection of the health of students.

Requirements

The District shall provide transportation to and from school for a student who:

1. Resides at least 1½ miles from the nearest appropriate school, determined by the nearest and best route from the junction of the driveway of the student’s home and the nearest public road to the nearest door of the school the student attends or to a bus stop, whichever the case may be;

2. Is a student with a disability, whose IEP identifies transportation as a related service; or

3. In the judgment of the Board, has another compelling and legally sufficient reason to receive transportation services, including the age, health, or safety of the student.

4. Is a student enrolled in a District approved daycare.

The type of transportation provided by the District may be by a school bus or other vehicle, or by such individual transportation as paying the parent or guardian for individually transporting the student. The Board may pay board and room reimbursements to a parent when a student resides within a non-transportation area (an area of a school district designated by the Board as impractical, by reason of scarcity of students, remoteness, or condition of roads) but is otherwise eligible for transportation and cannot be transported in any authorized manner. The Board may authorize children attending nonpublic schools to ride a school bus provided that space is available and a fee to cover the per-seat cost for such transportation is collected.

Homeless Students

Homeless students shall be transported in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and State law.

Foster Children

The Superintendent or designee shall implement the requirements for ensuring the educational stability for all children in foster care. Each of these provisions must emphasize the child’s best interest determination. A written guideline must provide clarity to each school and staff member governing the transportation protocol for students in foster care. This includes the facilitation of transportation to the school of origin (when in the student’s best interest). Transportation will be provided, arranged, and funded for the duration of time in foster care. These procedures must confirm the following: 

1. Children in foster care needing transportation to the school of origin will promptly receive that transportation in a reasonable and cost effective manner. and;

2. Ensure that, if there are additional costs incurred in providing transportation to maintain children in foster care in their schools of origin, the District will provide transportation to the school of origin if:

1. The local child welfare agency agrees to reimburse the District for the cost of such transportation;

2. The District agrees to pay for the cost of such transportation; or

3. The District and the local child welfare agency agree to share the cost of such transportation.

Safety

The District shall provide each new school bus driver with a school bus driver training program before allowing him or her to drive a bus carrying students. The District shall provide all experienced school bus drivers with at least ten hours of refresher school bus driver training each fiscal year. Such training shall meet the requirements described in the Standards for Idaho School Buses and Operations. Documented training similar to that required by the District may be used to comply with new school bus driver training hours, unless the driver has a gap of more than four years in their previous driving experience. 

The Superintendent or designee shall develop written rules establishing the procedures for bus safety and emergency exit drills, and for student conduct while riding on buses, including for students with special needs.

The District shall ensure that transportation personnel have access to a library of resources to assist them in operating safe and efficient transportation services. These resources shall include:

1. Applicable federal, State, and local laws, codes, and regulations;

2. Applicable manuals and guidelines;

3. Online access to internet and other resources; and

4. Applicable trade journals and organizations’ publications.

The District shall include student transportation operations in District disaster and emergency preparedness plans and shall ensure drivers who transport students are provided with training on the disaster and emergency preparedness plans.

Cross Reference:

3060 Education of Homeless Children

8110 Safety Busing

8120 Bus Routes, Stops and Non-Transportation Zones

Legal Reference: 

I.C. § 33-1501 Transportation Authorized

I.C. § 33-1503 Payments when Transportation Not Furnished

IDAPA 08.02.03.109 Special Education

20 USC § 6312(c)            Every Student Succeeds Act Standards for Idaho School Buses and Operations

Other Reference: 

Federal Highway Safety Guideline 17

Idaho Department of Education, Idaho’s School Bus Driver Training

Classroom Curriculum

Policy History:

Adopted on: 12/19/2006

Revised on: 05/26/2015

Revised on: 07/25/2017

Revised on: 08/28/2018

Revised on: 03/17/2026