Last modified: Aprile 8, 2025

Policy 6625 P1 Private Vehicle Transportation: Students

Download Policy 6625 P1 Private Vehicle Transportation: Students

Student Welfare

To ensure the protection of staff and students, staff members should not transport students by private vehicle except under exceptional circumstances during standard working hours or when situational incidents occur during non-working hours. Unmonitored one-on-one transportation arrangement involving a student and a PCSD staff member is prohibited.

Exceptional circumstances include but are not limited to:

A family emergency requiring immediate transportation of the student

Situational incidents include but are not limited to the need to transport students home:

After a school sponsored event (dance, game, etc.)
After a field trip, an away athletic event, or other school activity that returns students to the school outside of the regular school hours.

The staff member should follow the steps listed below and document compliance with this procedure:

Assist the student in access to a telephone for contacting the parent or guardian.
Review the child’s emergency contact information and attempt to make contact with those individuals listed.
Ask the student for other possible contacts who could provide transportation (friends, neighbors, pastors, relatives, etc.).
Request that the school resource officer transport the student.
In the event that all of the above steps have still not resulted in a ride home for the student, the employee in charge may deem it necessary to transport the student.

The staff member assigned to transport the student must be an authorized vehicle user as defined in Policy 6650 (District Vehicle Accountability) and should be accompanied by a district volunteer or another staff member. Use of seat belts is mandatory. Form 6625 F2 – Employee Authorization to Transport Students, must be completed and filed with the school office.

The adult driver must be accompanied by another adult to avoid an unsupervised situation.
If no other adult is available, the adult driver will telephone his/her direct supervisor (or that person’s supervisor, etc.) and maintain an open cell phone connection until delivery of the student to the student’s residence.
If the student is unable to enter the residence, the staff member will call 911 for assistance.
The driver/staff member in charge must provide a written summary of the events to his/her supervisor within two working days of this occurrence.

Generally, it would likely not be beneficial to contact 911, unless transporting the student would jeopardize the safety of the student or staff member. In the event of such a safety concern, local emergency agencies should be contacted. However, it is not usually reasonable to expect local law enforcement agencies to transport students stranded at school. Further, the safety of the student is no more certain if a taxi or public transit option is utilized.

The following preventive measures should be in place to ensure that exceptional circumstances and situational emergencies are minimized:

Coaches, teachers, and activity advisors should check with students prior to departing for an event to confirm that students will have a ride home upon return. Permission forms and parent notices must include an arrival time.
Upon departure for any form of field trip, all relevant permission forms and student emergency information must be in the possession of the staff person in charge.
Ensure that the staff member in charge has a listing of telephone contact information of his/her direct supervisor and the chain of persons above in the event that telephone calls must be made per the strategies noted earlier in this procedure.

In-Lieu of Transportation

The transportation supervisor may approve “in-lieu of transportation” for a specific student’s transportation when it is deemed advantageous to the district. “In lieu of transportation” will be used when district transportation vehicles and staff cannot safely and economically transport a student. All “in lieu of transportation” arrangements must be approved by the transportation director prior to starting. No reimbursement will be retroactive (before the agreement is signed).

The parent/guardian will enter into a consultant agreement with the district for monthly reimbursement of mileage. Reimbursement shall be at a per-mile rate calculated by the Internal Revenue Service. Round trip mileage using the straightest route from the student’s residence to school will be determined as the route in which payment will be processed.

The transportation director or designee will review the mileage compensation request and verify student attendance prior to payment by accounts payable.

Non-employee Volunteer Drivers

All volunteers must be approved by the Superintendent or his/her authorized representative or by the office of personnel. Form 6625 F1 – Volunteer Authorization to Transport Students, must be completed and filed with the school office.

All volunteers must also undergo a background check to confirm they are currently licensed to drive and to facilitate a review their driving record. They must also take the defensive driving course that is approved by the Division of Risk Management.

Volunteers who transport minor children must also undergo a criminal background check. All volunteers should be at least 21 years of age, with preference to those who are 25 or older. No students may drive entity vehicles under any circumstances. No 12- or 15-passenger vans may be used under any circumstances.

Under NO circumstances should a volunteer driver be alone with any student.

Legal References and Regulations:

PCSD Policy 6625 Private Vehicle Transportation

PCSD Form 6625 F1 Volunteer Authorization to Transport Student

Approvato dal Consiglio d'istruzione

11 marzo 2014 Rivisto: July 31, 2014