Transportation Management

Director of Transportation

1. The Director of Transportation is the administrative head of pupil transportation service in Clay County. He is responsible to the superintendent. Within the limitations of the Board of Education policies, he/she works with all staff and school personnel who are concerned with transportation-connected problems.

2. He/she recruits, trains and recommends to the superintendent, the employment and assignment of all drivers and bus maintenance personnel.

3. He/she supervises the performance of all transportation personnel, and has the authority to enforce the state regulations, and the local board’s regulations and policies and with the advice of the county superintendent, he exercises disciplinary measures when necessary. They, together, shall have the authority to suspend any person who fails to abide by the above-mentioned policies.

The Driver

4. The driver works under the direct supervision of the Director of Transportation. He/she is held directly responsible for the safe, efficient operation and care of the vehicle to which he/she is assigned and shall stand in place of teacher, parent, or guardian in exercising authority and control over the students while they are in transit. Should any regular bus driver or contract driver leave Board employment for any reason and then be rehired at a later date, he/she shall be considered a new driver as far as seniority privileges are concerned.

5. The driver agrees to follow instructions and interpretations in all matters pertaining to the transportation of pupils, and otherwise will cooperate with the Director of Transportation promptly and cheerfully.

6. The driver agrees that his/her first working obligation is to his employment as a school bus driver. Other employment shall in no way conflict with his/her duties as a bus driver.

7. The Director of Transportation shall furnish the driver with a written copy of rules and regulations governing transportation of public school students in Clay County and, when necessary, shall render reasonable assistance in enforcing them.

8. The driver agrees to abide by all rules, regulations, and policies governing the transportation of pupils as approved by the Clay County Board of Education, State Board of Education, State Department of Public Safety, and Department of Motor Vehicles.

9. The driver agrees to accept and perform the following specific duties in accordance with the instructions received from the Director of Transportation.

a. To become familiar with the “Handbook for School Bus Drivers” published by the West Virginia Department of Education, and this set of “Policies” approved by the Clay County Board of Education.

b. The driver shall report all problems, grievances, irregularities and suggestions promptly to the Director of Transportation.

c. The school bus shall be parked, stationed, and/or stored at a place designated by the Director of Transportation. The bus cannot be used for eth private advantage of the driver.

d. The school bus shall be used only for transportation of public school students and/or employees of the Clay County Board of Education except as otherwise ordered by the Board of Education.

10. The driver shall perform the following preventive maintenance operations and care of the school bus to which he is assigned in accordance with instructions received from the Director of Transportation.

a. Sweeping and dusting the inside of the bus after each run.

b. Check oil level radiator, tires, emergency door, lug nuts, gasoline, mirror, foot brake and parking brake before each run.

c. Bring his/her own bus to the Board’s garage at designated times, for the purpose of having it greased and inspected.

d. Bring his/her own bus to the garage for any needed repairs or attention.

e. Check the interior and exterior of the bus after each run to determine any damage.

f. Wash and clean the exterior of the bus whenever necessary. The lettering and lights must be plainly visible at all times.

g. Wax the bus once each year.

h. Check all accessible screws and bolts, exterior and interior.

i. Warm up motor before starting on each run. (This must be done in all instances. Follow procedure to conserve gasoline).

11. The following items are assigned to each school bus, however, their condition and availability become the driver’s responsibility and should be inspected periodically.

a. First Aid Kit

b. Fire Extinguisher

c. Axe

d. Flares and Reflectors

e. Chains

f. Broom

12. Drivers are to keep in contact with their school principal during the day, at times when inclement weather or other conditions may be the cause of a change in the dismissal hour.

13. Drivers are to keep a close watch over their particular routes so they will be able to make a wise decision about whether to run or not. Whenever a driver deems his/her run too hazardous to be made, he/she is to notify the families along the route of his/her decisions.

14. The driver must report to his/her bus each day, when school is closed because of weather conditions, to check the starting ability, remove snow, put on chains, etc.

15. Drivers are to use tire chains whenever road conditions require them.

16. The driver agrees to notify the Director of Transportation at least a day before he/she is to be off duty. (Longer notices are required unless it is an emergency.)

17. The driver is charged with the responsibility of instructing students in proper and safe way to cross highway when they are coming to or leaving the bus. The students should cross in front of the bus and at least 10 feet from the front bumper.

18. The school bus shall never be driven faster than the lawful speed allowed in the area in which it is being operated.

19. A school bus driver will be dismissed if known to be under the influence of beer, wine, or liquor while on duty. Any person having the reputation of drinking cannot qualify for school bus driving.

20. All traffic violations endangering school children or school property should be reported immediately to the State Police and Director of Transportation.

21. A driver should study the road over which he travels and regulate his/her speed accordingly. He/she should be very cautious about speed on curves, bridges, and all places where there are extremely steep banks, poorly banked roads, or turn which appears hazardous, or any other conditions that might cause accidents.

22. In case of severe fog, the driver may have to authority to change bus stops for safety reasons. He/she may use the ones where he is able to pull off the roadway.

23. Each driver is to report to his/her bus in sufficient time to be sure it is ready for the run or to make other arrangements.

24. Drivers are expected to attend meetings called by the Director of Transportation.

25. In case of break down, the driver shall notify the Board of Education office or bus garage as soon as possible

26. The driver is to maintain all records and reports in an accurate manner and submit same to the Board office when due.

Student

27. A school bus route shall not be established for children who live less than two miles from school, except by order of the Superintendent of Schools.

28. Regular established school bus stops shall be at least .2 miles apart. The Director of Transportation shall have the authority to make necessary adjustments in unusual circumstances.

29. Public school pupils who live on a regular school bus route two miles or less from their designated school may be transported by a school bus providing the enrollment on the regularly scheduled bus does not exceed the rated seated capacity of the bus.

30. Students shall be ready and on the loading side of the road at the scheduled time for the conveyance to arrive.

31. Students shall observe all rules and regulations set forth by the State Department and the local Board of Education.

32. Should any student persist in violating any rule of transportation, it shall be the duty of the driver to notify the principal and give a written notice to the Director of Transportation. In turn, the office of transportation and the school principal will notify the involved parent asking for the cooperation in the home. Should the student further violate the rules the driver may suspend the student from the bus. The maximum exclusion by the driver shall not exceed three days. More serious offenses shall be referred to the Director of Transportation.

Accident Procedure

The actions of a driver AFTER he/she has had an accident may have a great bearing on the seriousness of any claims arising out of it.

A driver who has been involved in an accident should memorize the four basic steps to be taken because they MUST be followed at the scene of any accident involving a school bus.

1. Protect the Scene

To prevent other vehicles from colliding with our bus or any other vehicle or object involved in a collision, when a street or highway is blocked or partially blocked, reflectors should be used immediately. If people gather at the scene, the alert driver can easily persuade a couple of them to act as flagmen to direct traffic away from the immediate scene. At night, even in the city, if the street or highway is blocked, reflector flares should be placed in a manner that will best protect the vehicle or vehicles involved.

2. Send for Help

Next step is to secure help as soon as possible. Send for help—DO NOT GO

FOR IT. A professional driver can best protect his/her bus, his children and his own best interests by remaining at the scene.

After one person has been sent for help, send another in order to make sure that word gets through.

3. Care of the Injured

The reason that this is step No. 3 instead of No. 2 is that a professional driver can best serve the interests of any injured person by sending for skilled help as soon as possible.

While help is on the way, the driver should see that the injured person is lying flat and moved as little as possible, kept warm and, if he/she is conscious, try to reassure him/her by telling him/her that help is on the way. Stop bleeding. Use any cloth that comes to hand—even if it is dirty. Doctors can combat infection easily but can’t help a person who has bled to death.

Do not permit any well-meaning people to move or handle the injured person. Many people have been fatally injured by their own broken bones due to mishandling. If an ambulance is not immediately available, and if the injured person must be moved, be sure to use a vehicle in which he/she can be moved in a prone position. Do not permit him/her to be twisted into an upright position in a passenger car—this may be fatal.

Payment in Lieu of Transportation

Payment in lieu of transportation is payment for the inconvenience that occurs when students have to walk a distance of two miles or more to a school or bus stop.

To obtain payment in lieu of transportation, the student must have to walk two miles or more to the nearest school or bus stop. The route that the student must take is the most direct one. Paths and roads are considered direct routes. If the path is less than two miles, then the student cannot obtain payment for any inconvenience if the question arises over which one is the most direct route.

All checks for payment in lieu of transportation will be made payable to the parents or legal guardians of the children for whom the payments are made. To be valid, a claim must be accompanied by a statement from the principal or his designee of the school where the claimant is a pupil. Such statements must verify the distances between the school or bus stop and the student’s home. All claims must be validated by personnel from the Clay County Board of Education to prevent fraud.

The payment is 25¢ per day, per pupil, for only the days the student is in school.

The number of days for which a child is to receive payment in lieu of transportation shall be based on the West Virginia Register of Attendance and credit which is kept by the regular teacher of the pupil filing the claim.

The payment will be in the form of a check from Clay County Board of Education and will be written quarterly.

Adopted: July 1976

Reference: Clay County Board of Education Minutes, 1972-1973

Clay County Transportation Handbook

Clay County Board of Education