Oklahoma Administrative Code › Title 210 - State Department of Education › Chapter 30 - School Facilities and Transportation › Subchapter 5 - Transportation › Section 210:30-5-5 - Transportation routes and boundaries

Current through Vol. 41, No. 20, July 1, 2024
(a)
Evaluation.
All school bus routes shall be evaluated annually for
				safety and efficiency by the local school district supervisor of transportation
				or designee.
(b)
Transportation areas and boundaries.
A high school transportation
				area is that part of an elementary district that has been assigned to an
				independent district for the purpose of providing transportation to those
				students whose resident district does not offer the grade they are entitled to
				pursue.
(1) An independent school district
				assigned a high school transportation area by the State Department of Education
				has the duty to provide transportation to students residing in the
				transportation area who are entitled to pursue a grade not offered in the
				students' resident district, and who are enrolled in the independent district.
				The transportation service in the high school transportation area shall be
				consistent with the transportation policies of the independent
				district.
(2) An independent
				district loading and unloading students in its assigned transportation area
				shall confine its transportation program within the elementary district to only
				those students who are residents of the elementary district entitled to pursue
				a grade not offered in their resident district, and who are enrolled in the
				independent district.
(3) An
				independent district may not load and unload students in an elementary district
				whose resident district does offer the grade they are entitled to pursue,
				unless the boards of education of both school districts approve such
				transportation.
(4) A change in
				transportation area made after July 1 of each year, will not become effective
				until the next July 1, unless all boards of education affected agree to the
				proposed change.
(5) An elementary
				area that has been assigned to a high school transportation area may be changed
				to another high school transportation area by mutual agreement, in writing, by
				the boards of education of the independent school districts and the approval of
				the State Board of Education.
(6) A
				part or all of an elementary school district that is isolated from the
				remainder of the school district's transportation area because of topography or
				previous annexations to another high school district may be changed from one
				high school district's transportation area to another high school district's
				transportation area if the State Board of Education determines the change
				should be made on the basis of good administration.
(7) When an elementary school district is
				surrounded by an independent school district, that district must be designated
				as the transportation area for the high school students.
(8) An independent school district's
				transportation route may extend into an elementary school district's territory
				to pick up students whose grade is not offered in the elementary school
				district and who have transferred into the independent district. An independent
				district extending its routes into an elementary district in this manner must
				notify the elementary district of its intent, and must also notify any
				independent district which is assigned a transportation area in which the
				district wishing to provide voluntary transportation to elementary district
				residents intends to load and unload students. Approval by the boards of
				education of the elementary and assigned independent districts is not required
				for an independent district to provide voluntary transportation to its own
				enrolled students who are residents of the elementary district. Nothing in this
				section should be interpreted to permit an independent district to load or
				unload students whose resident district does offer the grade they are entitled
				to pursue, even if a sibling qualifies for such transportation.
(9) A district not mandated by the State
				Department of Education to transport students in a high school transportation
				area, but which chooses to do so, must transport all students who reside in the
				transportation area who:
(A) Are entitled to
				pursue a grade not offered in their resident district; and
(B) Have transferred pursuant to 70 O.S.
				§
											8-101
				into the independent district offering voluntary transportation.
(10) A district which voluntarily
				provides transportation to its own enrolled students who are residents of an
				elementary district must agree to continue the transportation arrangement until
				students served under the arrangement graduate. If such a district chooses to
				discontinue its voluntary transportation service, it may refuse to add any new
				students to its voluntary transportation list, but must continue to transport
				those already served.
(11) An
				independent school district may cross a portion of another district for the
				purpose of loading and unloading students whose resident district does not
				provide the grade the students are entitled to pursue, provided the doors of
				the school bus are kept closed and the transporting district notifies the
				district(s) its bus(es) will pass through.