FILE: EDD
Cf: ED
SCHOOL BUS SCHEDULING AND ROUTING
The Acadia Parish School Board shall provide school bus transportation for all students living more than one mile from the school that they are assigned to attend. Students living within one mile of the school may be allowed to ride a school bus when the School Board determines that conditions exist to warrant such transportation. Other students may be provided with school bus transportation in accordance with regulations of the Louisiana Department of Education.
A reasonable time shall be established for each route and the bus operator shall be expected to adhere to this schedule. By the same token, students shall be expected to be at their respective bus stop when the bus arrives. Once a bus route has been established, the bus operator shall not alter or change assigned routes without order of the Superintendent or his/her designee. Any bus operator who feels a road is unsafe or dangerous shall report such dangerous condition to the Superintendent or his/her designee, and the bus operator be allowed not to travel the road until the road is determined to be safe or improved, or the situation has been rectified.
Buses shall be routed so that no more than one bus will travel the same route, except in cases of apparent necessity.
During inclement weather bus operators may make more frequent stops.
PICKING UP AND DROPPING OFF STUDENTS
Transportation to and from day care facilities, baby sitters, etc., located on existing bus routes shall be available for students who live in the school attendance district given the following priorities: 1) First priority shall be given to those students who live on the existing bus route; 2) Second priority goes to those students who live in the school district but who ride other buses in the morning based on their residence address. Students will be accepted on a space-available basis as determined by the bus operator and approved by the principal.
LOADING AND UNLOADING OF STUDENTS
The loading and unloading of students onto and from school buses being utilized to transport students shall be conditional on the following:
Bus operators shall be prohibited from loading or unloading students at school while the bus is in a traffic lane of any type of street as defined in state law and require that students be loaded or unloaded on a shoulder, in a school parking lot, or at other appropriate off-road location at the school as determined by the School Board. This requirement shall not apply if the shoulder of a municipal road is the only available alternative and the municipality has not made the shoulder available by designating that area for loading and unloading students during designated school zone hours.
Bus operators shall be prohibited from loading or unloading students at or near their homes while the bus is in a lane of traffic unless the bus is in the lane farthest to the right side of the road so that there is not a lane of traffic between the bus and the right-side curb or other edge of the road.
Bus operators shall be prohibited from loading or unloading students either at school or at or near their homes in a manner or in a location that results in students crossing lanes of traffic on a state highway or any other type of street.
Street or highway means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way or place of whatever nature publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for the purpose of vehicular travel, including bridges, causeways, tunnels, and ferries.
Revised: September 13, 2010
Revised: November 3, 2014
Revised: September 12, 2022
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. ยงยง17:158, 32:1
Louisiana School Transportation Specifications and Procedures, Bulletin 119, Louisiana Department of Education
Board minutes, 6-6-94, 4-14-98, 9-13-10, 11-3-14, 9-12-22
Acadia Parish School Board