Stevensville School District 

NONINSTRUCTIONAL OPERATIONS

Transportation

The District may provide transportation to and from school for a student who:

  1. Resides three (3) or more miles, over the shortest practical route, from the nearest operating public elementary or public high school;
  2. Is a student with a disability, whose IEP identifies transportation as a related service; or
  3. Has another compelling and legally sufficient reason to receive transportation services.

The District may elect to reimburse the parent or guardian of a student for individually transporting any eligible student. The District may provide transportation by school bus or other vehicle or through individual transportation such as paying the parent or guardian for individually transporting the student. The Board may pay board and room reimbursements, provide supervised correspondence study, or provide supervised home study. The Board may authorize children attending an approved private school to ride a school bus, provided that space is available and a fee to cover the per-seat cost for such transportation is collected. The District may transport and charge for an ineligible public school student, provided the parent or guardian pays a proportionate share of transportation services.  Fees collected for transportation of ineligible students shall be deposited in the transportation fund.  Transportation issues that cannot be resolved by the trustees may be appealed to the county transportation committee. Homeless students shall be transported in accordance with the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act and state law.

In-Town Busing

In-town busing is defined as the busing of students within three (3) miles of their school.  In-town busing is a privilege the District can discontinue at any time.  The Superintendent will establish guidelines under which a student may request in-town busing.

Children in Foster Care

The [Superintendent] [building administrator] will appoint a Point of Contact (POC) to coordinate activities relating to the District’s provisions of services to children placed in foster care, including transportation services.  The Superintendent, or designee, will inform the Department of Health and Human Services who is the POC for the District.  The District will collaborate with the Department of Health and Human Services when transportation is required to maintain children placed in foster care in a school of origin outside their usual attendance area or District when in the best interest of the student. Under the supervision of the Superintendent/designee, the POC will invite appropriate District officials, the Department of Health and Human Services POC, and officials from other districts to consider how such transportation is to be arranged and funded in a cost-effective manner. If there are additional costs to be incurred in providing transportation to maintain a student in the school of origin, the District will provide transportation to such school if:

The Department agrees to reimburse the District for the cost of such transportation;

The District agrees to pay for the cost of such transportation; or

The District and the Department agree to share the cost of such transportation.

Definitions

“Foster Care” means 24-hour care for children placed away from their parents, guardians, or person exercising custodial control or supervision and for whom the Department has placement care and responsibility.

“School of origin” means the school in which a child is enrolled at the time of placement in foster care.

While “Best Interest” is not defined in ESSA, that determination shall take into account all relevant factors, including consideration of the appropriateness of the current educational setting, and the proximity to the school in which the child is enrolled at the time of foster care placement.

Legal Reference:
§ 20-10-101, MCA Definitions
§20-10-121, MCA Duty of trustees to provide transportation – types of transportation – bus riding time limitation
§20-10-122, MCA Discretionary provision of transportation and payment for this transportation
§20-10-123, MCA Provision of transportation for nonpublic school children
10.7.101, et seq., ARM Pupil Transportation
10.64.101-700, et seq., ARM Transportation

Policy History:
Adopted on: February 12, 2002
Reviewed on: December 12, 2017
Revised on: January 9, 2018