Formerly #5151
V. Students
A. Administrative Policies
4. Transportation
The Narragansett School System
will provide, in a manner not inconsistent with Sect.16-21-1 of the General
Laws of the State of Rhode Island, suitable transportation to each student
eligible to attend kindergarten (age zero for SPED students) and under
twenty-one years of age who resides within the boundaries of the district and
is not a high school graduate or is not otherwise legally excluded from
school. It shall be the responsibility
of the superintendent of schools (or his/her designee) to administer this
policy pursuant to Section 16-21-1 of the General Laws and the guidelines
approved by the school committee. The school committee will approve bus routes
prior to the start of each school year.
GUIDELINES
I. Guidelines for Transportation:
Students shall be provided
school transportation if one or more of the following criteria are present.
A. The walking distance from
home to school exceeds the following:
1. For pupils enrolled in K-4, one-half
(1/2) mile;
2. For pupils enrolled in grades
5-8, three-quarters (3/4) mile;
3. For pupils enrolled in grades
9-12, one (1) mile.
The
above limits also apply to distances students may have to walk to bus stops.
B. The walking route is within the limits set forth above, but
presents a hazard to student safety
C. The student is handicapped or
is a preschool student.
Note: These guidelines do not apply to Late Bus
Runs
II. Bus Stops:
A. Bus stops will be located at intervals so that a student
will not be required to walk to or from his/her residence any distance greater
than:
1. For pupils enrolled in K-4, one-half (1/2) mile;
2. For pupils enrolled in grades 5-8, three-quarters (3/4 mile;
3. For pupils enrolled in grades
9-12, one (1) mile.
B. Bus stops
may be located at more frequent intervals to reduce student congestion at stops
or for reasons of safety, as determined by the superintendent or his/her designee.
Note: These guidelines do not apply to Late Bus
Runs
III. Walking Distance:
All measurements for walking distance to school or to a bus
stop will begin at the point of access to a public road nearest a student's
residence or to a public road accessible to a school bus.
IV. Adjustment of Walking Distances for Pre-School Students:
All pre-school students riding a kindergarten only bus must be picked
up and dropped off at the closest point of public access to the property line.
Weather and safety concerns may cause stop adjustment.
V. Student Registration:
Each school principal will
forward to the current transportation supervisor,
by June 1st, a listing of students by grade that includes student name, parent/guardian
name, mailing, residence and day care addresses where applicable, home/work/emergency contact, phone numbers. The same information is to be provided the transportation
office for each student who registers for school after the June cut-off date. All parents of students who will attend
private schools and charter schools
who are eligible for transportation must submit a written transportation
request to the Superintendent of Schools by August 1 of each year.
Such
request will include the student’s name, parent/guardian name, mailing address,
residence, home/work/emergency contact, phone numbers.
VI. Change in Location of a Scheduled Bus Stop:
A change
in location of a bus stop for a Narragansett school student is defined as follows:
When a
student is picked up or dropped off at a different stop than he/she would normally
or when the student rides a different bus than he/she would normally.
1. Changes in the location of a student’s
bus stop will be approved for the following reasons:
a.
To accommodate daycare
needs:
i.
Any request for day
care cannot involve the pickup or drop off at more than two existing district
bus stops.
ii. Long term
relocation of bus stop requests to accommodate daycare received prior to August
1st will be processed and be in place when schools open provided
this request does not cause a student to be bused to/from a location outside
his/her designated school attendance area.
These requests should be filed annually.
All requests by a parent/guardian should be done by contacting the
transportation supervisor.
iii. Daycare request
changes during the year must be made by the parent/guardian one week prior to
the change. This change cannot involve
more than two separate locations within bus routes.
iv. Emergency
requests will be considered if presented in writing to the school office.
b.
To accommodate group
school activities:
i. All requests must be in writing and
submitted to the school office.
c.
To accommodate student
work placement:
i. Parents of high school students may request
changes in their afternoon bus stop location to accommodate a work
placement. Such a request must be
submitted to the transportation supervisor.
The student will be dropped off at the regularly scheduled stop nearest
to the business.
d.
To accommodate a
temporary change:
i. Requests for a temporary change of location
of a bus stop due to a planned reason by a parent/guardian will be considered
if requested twenty four hours in advance.
e.
To accommodate an
emergency:
i. In the case of an immediate emergency
situation (one day only) requiring the change in the location of a bus stop,
the parent/guardian should contact the school so that the student can be
notified. The school will notify the
student and the transportation office of the matter. In the case where time does not allow for the
contacting of the transportation office, a written note, with the student’s
name and other pertinent information must be provided to the bus driver. The note must be signed by the school
official approving the request.
2. Changes in the location of a student’s
bus stop will not be approved for the following reasons:
a.
If it causes a student
overload on the bus in question.
b.
If it causes
additional time or mileage to accrue to the bus run.
c.
If it causes
rescheduling of a bus route or the addition of bus stops for the bus in
question.
d.
If it causes a student
to be bused to/from a location outside his/her designated school attendance
area.
e.
If the privilege is
abused.
3. Procedures for change will follow what
is outlined in section 1. In addition,
during the school year all requests for changes must be submitted in writing to
the transportation supervisor. Parents
should contact the transportation office to verify the request has been
approved.
Note: It is the policy of the Narragansett School
System not to drop off any child in grades K-4 at their designated bus stop
unless a designated adult or sibling is present to accept the child. A parent or legal guardian of a student in
grades 3 or 4 may direct the District, in writing, to drop their child at the
designated bus stop.
The Superintendent of Schools or
his/her designee reserves the right to deny transportation privileges to any persons
not adhering to the policy.