Use of Buses/Special Events

Use of Buses/Special Events. 1. School buses are purchased for the specific purpose of providing safe and economical transportation for children entitled to transportation under the law. The school's special events (activity programs) must not interfere with the regular program of transporting children. School buses are not to compete with common carriers. a. Before any school bus owned by a school district is used to transport children to or from any school special event as authorized by House Bill 6, Extraordinary Session of 1953, as amended, the local school board of education shall first adopt and record in its minutes an order authorizing the use of such bus or buses. The order shall specify the school events for which the bus or buses may be used, such as: i. Future Farmers of America and Future Homemakers of America ii. Athletic games or contests and state band contests iii. Literary contests iv. Local, district or state field trips v. other events the local school board may consider a part of the educational program. b. Such order shall limit the use of buses to participating students, teachers, coaches, and sponsors in connection with special events which the local school board may consider a part of the school district's educational program. Buses shall be used for no purposes other than those specified in the order of the local school board of education. Pupils transported to or from events specified above must be enrolled in the public schools and be actual participants in such program or programs. c. The local school board of education shall fix an amount that shall be charged for the use of a publicly owned bus, which amount shall not be less than thirty cents (30¢) per mile, operational cost included. The principal making application for use of the bus shall see that the bus is used only for the purposes authorized and shall be responsible for collecting and turning over to the school the amount charged for each trip. The person making application for the bus shall arrange for payment of the driver. d. No pupils shall be transported as herein provided unless they are under the direction and supervision of the school superintendent, principal, or a faculty member designated by the superintendent or principal. e. Before any publicly owned school bus is used for the purpose of transporting participating students to any school event, the principal shall submit written application to the school superintendent stating the specific purpose for which the bus is to be used and giving the name of the faculty member who will be in charge of the trip. The superintendent, upon approval of the request for use of the bus, shall give the driver written instructions for making the authorized trip, specifying date, hour and place of departure, route to be followed, destination, approximate time within which the driver shall complete the trip, and name of the faculty member to be in charge of the trip. The school superintendent shall keep on file the application of the principal for the use of the bus and shall keep a signed copy of the permit authorizing the trip. f. Only a person holding a valid driver's training certificate issued by the State Department of Education shall be allowed to drive a school bus. The school bus shall not be driven to exceed the maximum speed limit allowed by law for trips (See Section 37-41-47, Mississippi Code of 1972, as amended), and if the bus is to be used on night trips, it shall be equipped with the proper operating identification lights and flares. g. It shall be unlawful for any school superintendent to issue a permit for the use of a bus owned by a public school district until all the above provisions have been fully complied with. h. The State Board of Education reserves the right to revoke, modify, or amend these rules and regulations at such time or times as the majority of the members thereof may deem necessary. 2. EMERGENCIES a. Boards of education may permit publicly owned school buses to be used "for the transportation of citizens to evacuation shelters during natural or man-made emergencies, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and other acts of God." b. Local school boards may permit "the use of publicly owned school buses for the transportation of citizens for grand jury and other jury functions upon order of the court." Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 37-1-3 (Adopted 8/1987) Rule 81. 15 MINIMUM STANDARDS AND BUS SPECIFACTIONS The Mississippi Minimum School Bus Standards and Specifications provides state and federal regulations governing school bus body and chassis specifications, specially equipped school bus specifications, pupil transportation service vehicles specifications, multifunction school activity bus specifications, alternative power specifications, and equipment for the transportation of Pre-K Children. All school buses and multifunction school activity buses sold by approved vendors and purchased or leased by a local education agency or private contractor shall meet the Mississippi Minimum School Bus Standards and Specifications approved by the State Board of Education and all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards. All used school buses purchased by a local education agency or private contractor shall meet the Mississippi Minimum Standards for School Buses for the year in which the bus was manufactured. As evaluation suggests the need for changes in the minimum standards on the state or federal level, staff in the Office of Safe and Orderly Schools, Division of Pupil Transportation is authorized to make those changes and recommend them to the Mississippi Board of Education. Upon approval by the Mississippi Board of Education, those changes should be disseminated to the appropriate individuals in the education community.