Transportation
- When does a district have to provide transportation to a charter school?
- How long may a child be required to ride on a bus?
- How far may a child be asked to walk to a school bus stop?
- I think the road my child has to walk along is hazardous. What can I do?
- I think the bus my child rides on is overloaded. What can I do?
- May a district suspend busing services for a child?
- What are the rules for providing private school transportation?
- What about when the public is school is closed and the private school is not?
- May bus drivers take their infant children on the bus during routes?
When does a district have to provide transportation to a charter school?
1. The charter school is located in the district, or the charter school is
located not more than 10 miles by the nearest public highway beyond the
district boundry. The term public highway means any public road. - it
doesn't have to be a "highway" or "route number." It must be a road that is
open to the public and maintained by the boro or township - i.e. snow
removal, pot holes filled in, etc. The ending point is the point of the
public road that connects with the school grounds. (Not necessarily up
the private drive to the school doors where the kids are dropped off).
If the distance from your district's border line to the edge of the
school grounds is more than 10 miles, transportation will not be
reimbursed by the department - this child is not eligible for
transportation.
2. The charter school is a regional charter school in which the district is
a participant.
How long may a child be required to ride on a bus?
This is a local decision. There are no time limits set by law or
regulations.
How far may a child be asked to walk to a school bus stop?
The law allows a district to ask a child, regardless of age, to walk up to a
mile and a half to a bus stop. The mile and a half is measured by public
roads and does not include any private lane or walkway of the child�s
residence.
I think the road my child has to walk along is hazardous. What can I do?
The law provides for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to
review potentially hazardous walking routes. The request for this review
must be made by the school district to the local PennDOT engineering
district office. PennDOT regulations do not address hazards other than
road or traffic conditions. The local district may assess conditions such
as bad neighborhoods, secluded wooded areas, snow removal, etc., when
developing transportation routes.
I think the bus my child rides on is overloaded. What can I do?
Address your concern to the school district. All questions relating to
school vehicle regulations, such as seating, aisle clearance, warning
devices, etc., should be addressed to the Pupil Transportation Section of
the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation at (717) 787-6453.
May a district suspend busing services for a child?
Yes. Transportation is a privilege, not a right.
What are the rules for providing private school transportation?
When a district provides transportation for its public pupils, it must
provide transportation services to nonpublic pupils of the same grade level
that it is providing for its own pupils. The nonpublic school must be
nonprofit and located within ten miles of the district�s boundary, measured
by the nearest public highway. If the school building in which the pupil is
enrolled is not located within the ten-mile distance, the nonpublic pupil is
not eligible for transportation, nor are his parents eligible for payment
towards transportation costs.
What about when the public is school is closed and the private school is not?
Yes. Transportation must be provided-unless the school is closed due to
weather conditions. Transportation must also be provided during strike
situations.
May bus drivers take their infant children on the bus during routes?
Yes. This law was changed in August of 1990. The most probable reason for
this decision was the escalating number of female bus drivers. The child
must be placed in a seat with a specifically approved belt.
