Transportation Director Cindy Theodore presented revisions and updates to the district’s transportation policy and procedures, citing safety and accountability reasons for the proposed changes. The staff presentation covered multiple procedural items and at least one change framed as policy:
- No hoodies while driving and no headphones/earbuds while operating a bus, citing driver safety and distraction concerns.
- Clarified that activity-bus drivers must perform pre- and post-trip inspections and document damage; added responsibility for returning and reporting vehicle condition to avoid “passing the buck.”
- Added requirement that a sponsor (coach or teacher sponsor) travel on activity buses and be responsible for student counts and supervision at stops.
- Requirements for student scan cards for to-and-from route accountability (not required for activity trips); instructions for parents to download the bus-tracking app were included.
- Limits on allowable travel times (no travel between 1:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.) and a 500-mile radius limit for activity trips from district centers.
Board response and concerns: Several trustees and staff expressed support for common-sense safety additions (no headphones, responsibility for sponsor presence) but raised questions about legal implications and union rules. Members asked if the policy had been reviewed by the district’s insurance carrier and the board attorney and asked that the general counsel (who previously worked in school transportation law) review the language, especially the new policy items tied to discipline or fines and the clause permitting a child under preschool age to ride with a parent-driver. Transportation staff said many changes were procedural updates; they said the last full department review had been circulated to drivers, mechanics and staff during professional development, and most changes reflect common-sense safety practices.
Outcome and next steps: The board did not take immediate action to adopt the full set of changes. Trustees directed transportation staff to arrange a review by general counsel and to confirm insurance and union impacts, then return with a final draft for formal adoption.