Louisiana Administrative Code

A. The transportation policy for the Special School District and the Board Special Schools shall be established separately by those entities. Notes La. Admin. Code tit. 28 , § CXIII-2109 Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 25:636 (April 1999), amend…

A. All school buses shall meet or exceed the minimum requirements of all applicable FMVSS as found in 49 CFR 571 . B. All school buses shall be equipped as required by applicable FMVSS. C. In addition to FMVSS regulations, school buses used to transport students to and from schoo…

A. Any used school bus purchased for use in Louisiana by or for a school system shall meet current legal requirements of the Louisiana Revised Statutes for motor vehicles and shall meet Louisiana specifications for school buses that were in effect on the date the vehicle was manu…

A. When the IEP committee recommends an extended year program, the students are entitled to the related transportation service. Summer transportation will follow the same guidelines that are in effect during the school year. Notes La. Admin. Code tit. 28 , § CXIII-2105 Promulgate…

A. Bus attendants must be assigned on all school buses as required by the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). Bus attendants must be physically and emotionally able to assist the bus driver in all activities required to safely transport the student with special needs. B. LEAs …

A. School buses shall not exceed the age of 25 model years (see Calculating the Age of School Buses, §3103). LEAs must be in compliance with this standard by January 2011. Notes La. Admin. Code tit. 28 , § CXIII-2511 Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education,…

A. LEAs should meet the following requirements in providing transportation for students who cannot be transported by school buses or within the regular established school bus routing system, and must be transported in cars, vans, or other specially equipped vehicles. 1. Transport…

A. In accordance with Revised Statute 17:158(I), each LEA may provide transportation to any full-time student who is 20 years of age or younger and attending a technical college campus, that is part of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, within the jurisdictiona…

A. When filling school bus route vacancies for LEA-owned school buses, the procedures as outlined in R.S. 17:493.1 must be followed. 1. The opportunity to change from the current assigned route to the vacant route must be offered, by mail to his/her residence, to tenured school b…

A. A permanent school bus operator will not be removed from his position except upon: 1. written and signed charges of willful neglect of duty; 2. incompetence; 3. immorality; 4. intoxication while on duty; 5. failure to comply with the reporting requirements of R.S. 17:491.3 rel…

A. Any repairs or alterations to any bus that fall under the guidelines of this bulletin shall be made in accordance with all specifications contained herein and all applicable FMVSS. B. At the time of purchase, the seller of any school bus must disclose to the purchaser, which c…

A. Student helpers can be valuable assistants in times of emergency, especially if the driver is incapacitated and unable to direct emergency procedures at the scene of an emergency and no trained adult is available to assist. If student helpers are included in the emergency plan…

A. The term route shall apply to the combined total daily trips (or "runs") regularly assigned to the bus driver. The statutory authority governing the establishment and continuation of school bus routes in Louisiana is R.S. 17:158 and R.S. 17:497 . BESE has been granted the auth…

A. BESE allows the LEA to transport students living within one-mile of the school they attend if there are "exceptional" or hazardous walking situations. B. The transportation of these students requires special permission from BESE. 1. Approval of requests for the transportation …

A. In accordance with Louisiana Revised Statute 17:158, each LEA shall provide free transportation for any student who attends a school of suitable grade approved by BESE if the student resides more than one mile from such school, and the school is within the jurisdictional bound…

A. School bus routes must be designed so they begin at the farthest point from the school or schools served and proceed on the shortest charted course. B. Exceptions may exist when local school officials determine it is more economical to do otherwise and/or when there are hazard…

A. Any person hired or contracted to transport or assist in the transportation of students to and from school or school-related activities must meet certain requirements. This applies to full-time school bus drivers, substitute drivers, activity bus drivers, and bus attendants. M…

A. The term route shall apply to the combined total daily trips (or "runs") regularly assigned to the bus driver. B. Bus routes are measured in terms of "paid mileage." Paid mileage for contract drivers begins when the first student is picked up and ends when the final student di…

A. Each LEA should have a plan for annually evaluating its student transportation operation. There are several criteria which can be applied to obtain some estimates of the operation's effectiveness. These criteria relate to such factors as safety, efficiency and economy. B. Safe…

A. All school bus vendors shall certify to the purchaser (LEA, contract, or individual), upon delivery that the school bus(es) sold for use by Louisiana school systems meet or exceed all standards specified herein and comply with the applicable FMVSS set forth by the United State…

A. School buses must meet both federal and state definitions. 1. Federal Definition. School Bus -a passenger motor vehicle designed to carry a driver and more than 10 passengers, which the Secretary of Transportation decides is likely to be used significantly to transport preprim…

A. All school bus accidents, no matter how minor, shall be reported by the bus driver to the local supervisor of transportation, who shall ensure that all appropriate reporting procedures are followed. This reporting requirement applies to students who are injured while on board …

A. The term school bus drivers included in this Section includes anyone who is certified to transport students to and from school and school-related activities. Full-time drivers, substitute drivers (including bus attendants who may also be certified to drive in emergency situati…

Accident- any incident in which a school bus is involved that results in death, personal injury, and/or property damage, regardless of who was responsible. This applies whether the school bus was in motion, temporarily stopped, parked, being loaded, or unloaded and on public or p…

A. In the event that a bus is stopped due to an accident, mechanical failure, road conditions, or human failure, the driver must determine immediately whether it is safe for students to remain in the bus or evacuate. B. The driver must evacuate if any of these conditions exist. 1…

A. The bus should be stopped and evacuated immediately if the engine or any portion of the bus is on fire. B. Being near an existing fire and unable to move the bus away, or being near the presence of gasoline or other combustible material should be considered as "danger of fire,…

A. Because of the increased number of students being transported and the ever increasing number of accidents on the highways, there is a need to instruct students on safe riding practices and on proper evacuation of a school bus in case of an emergency. B. It is the responsibilit…

A. Each LEA shall establish a policy to ensure that a student who is in foster care pursuant to placement through the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) shall be allowed to remain enrolled in the public school in which the student was enrolled at the time he or she…

A. LEAs are authorized to purchase school buses and to resell such buses to any school bus operator employed by the LEA or with whom the LEA has contracted to provide transportation services for students. B. The bus shall be used by the operator to transport students on the opera…

A. Railroad Crossings: Stopping Requirements 1. The driver of any school bus, with or without students, shall come to a complete stop no closer than 15 feet but within 50 feet of the rail nearest the front of the bus. 2. Drivers making stops for railroad crossings shall observe t…

A. Safety is the key word for school transportation in Louisiana. The most important obligation shared by all persons involved in school transportation is their collective responsibility for the safety of the passengers at all times. The safety of the passengers must be considere…

A. Students who ride a school bus must be instructed in organized emergency exit procedures. Schools shall organize and conduct, in accordance with the Louisiana School Bus Operator Training Manual , emergency drills for all students who may ride school buses. B. One emergency ex…

A. LEAs may lease a school bus owned by any school bus operator employed by the LEA or with whom the LEA has contracted to provide transportation services for students from the school bus operator or by a business who is authorized by the state of Louisiana to sell, lease or oper…

A. Any school bus that does not meet the minimum specifications set forth in this bulletin must not be used until such time that the bus is in compliance with the rules of this bulletin. Notes La. Admin. Code tit. 28 , § CXIII-2517 Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secon…

A. LEAs must enforce the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act of 1986, Part 383. All school bus drivers must meet the qualifications and guidelines set forth in the Act as follows. 1. School bus drivers shall possess only one valid driver's license issued by their state or jurisdicti…

A. LEAs have the authority to enter into and consummate contracts for insurance covering loss of life or personal injury of the children while being transported to and from school and school related activities. B. Insurance for District-Owned School Buses. All premiums for all in…

A. Procedures for reimbursement of drivers in LEA-approved vehicles who transport students with disabilities is further defined in Chapter 21, § 2107 and § 2109 Notes La. Admin. Code tit. 28 , § CXIII-1705 Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 36:1476…

A. All student transportation vehicles purchased on or after July 1, 1998, shall meet or exceed the requirements herein. The appropriate sections of these specifications apply to all school buses for student transportation in Louisiana which are purchased, owned, or operated by a…

A. Public Law 93-112 , Section 504, requires "that no individual, solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance" and the Indivi…

A. This handbook was developed by the Department of Education (DOE) to provide information and direction to local education agencies (LEAs) involved in school transportation in Louisiana. B. Acting under the authority of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE…

A. LEAs must comply with IDEA, Section 504, Louisiana Statutes and regulations and policies set forth in the DOE bulletins governing educational services for students with disabilities. B. LEA transportation staff must develop procedures to minimize conflicts and resolve issues t…

A. The school principal is responsible for certifying that the passenger instruction and emergency drill procedures have been completed as required. B. A copy of the Certification of Passenger Instruction form and Emergency Evacuation Drill form must be verified by the school pri…

A. Mileage may be frozen at the current rate of compensation for contracted owner-operators of school bus drivers as mandated in R.S. 17:497 . B. Frozen mileage guarantees that the contract owner/operator cannot be penalized by a reduction of compensated mileage (except as may be…

A. Transportation services cannot be terminated for students with disabilities without the approval of the LEA transportation staff and exceptional services staff in consultation with school officials, parents, and school bus driver and must be in accordance with Bulletin 1706 di…

A. The responsibility of compliance with school bus specifications rests with the vendors, manufacturers and purchasers of school buses. B. If any vendor or manufacturer sells school transportation equipment that does not conform to all these and all other applicable state and fe…

A. School Bus Driver Records. Files on all school bus drivers, including substitutes and activity drivers, must be maintained by the LEA. The following documents must be included in these records: 1. driver data; 2. vehicle accident/incident records, including Employee Notificati…

A. Calculating the age of the school bus is to be made by excluding the calendar year and counting the preceding year as the first year and proceeding to count backwards. B. For example, in 2009, a 2009 model would be zero years old. A 2004 model year school bus would be five yea…