Field Trips*

The district may provide transportation for students, employees, and other individuals for field trips and other school-related trips approved according to Board policy and administrative regulation.

The Superintendent or designee shall determine the most safe, appropriate and cost-effective mode of transportation for each approved trip. He/she may authorize the use of district vehicles and/or contract to provide transportation through other agencies. The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the district or contractor has sufficient liability insurance for transportation on school-related trips.

When district transportation is provided, students shall be transported by the district approved transportation.

School-related organizations requesting transportation shall be fully responsible for the costs of their trips unless funding has been approved by the Governing Board.

Private vehicles shall not be used to provide transportation for school-related trips. In the case of unique circumstances, private vehicles may be used to transport a limited number of students on a school-related activity if approved in advance by the site administrator and Superintendent or designee.

All student passengers shall submit permission slips signed by their parents/guardians. Teachers shall ensure that each driver has a copy of the permission slip for each student riding in his/her vehicle. Volunteer drivers may be used to transport students to district approved events, including athletics, if:

1. School dismissal times make it impossible for student(s) to participate in the event (athletics) or the event/activity occurs during the school day and involves a limited number of participants (less than 10).

2. All private vehicle requirements are met.

3. The use of private vehicles for this purpose has been pre-approved by the site administrator and the Superintendent or designee.

The number of passengers, including the driver, shall not exceed the capacity for which the vehicle was designed. Trucks may not transport more persons than can safely sit in the passenger compartment. The driver shall ensure that the manufacturer's recommendations for his/her vehicle are followed regarding the seating of children in seats equipped with airbags.

The driver or any other person shall not smoke or have in his/her immediate possession a lighted pipe, cigar, or cigarette containing tobacco or any other plant when there is a minor in the motor vehicle, whether the motor vehicle is in motion or at rest.

The driver shall not use a wireless telephone or a wireless communication device for text-based communication, except when authorized by law.

Passenger Restraint Systems

All drivers shall wear safety belts and shall ensure that all passengers are properly secured in seat belts or child passenger restraint systems in accordance with law.

A child who is under age 8 years shall be properly secured in a rear seat in an appropriate child passenger restraint system meeting federal safety standards, except under any of the following circumstances:

1. The child is four feet nine inches or taller, in which case a safety belt may be used.

2. Use of a child passenger restraint system would be impractical by reason of physical unfitness, medical condition, or size and an appropriate special needs child passenger restraint system is not available.

3. There is no rear seat, the rear seats are side-facing jump seats or rear-facing seats, the child passenger restraint system cannot be installed properly in the rear seat, all rear seats are already occupied by children under age 8 years, or medical reasons necessitate that the child not ride in the rear seat.

4. The child is otherwise exempted by law.