Elementary and middle school students living more than two miles from their designated school attendance centers and high school students living more than three miles from their designated attendance centers are entitled to transportation to and from their attendance center at the expense of the school district.
Transportation of students who require special education services will generally be provided as for other students, when appropriate. Specialized transportation of a student to and from a special education instructional service is a function of that service and, therefore, an appropriate expenditure of special education instructional funds generated through the weighting plan.
Transportation of a student to and from a special education support service is a function of that service and is specified, when necessary, in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) or the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). When the IEP or IFSP team determines that unique transportation arrangements are required, and the arrangements are specified in the IEP or IFSP, the district will provide one or more of the following transportation arrangements for instructional services and the area education association (AEA) for support services:
- Transportation from the student’s residence to the location of the special education program and back to the student’s residence or childcare placement.
- Special assistance or adaptations in getting the student to and from and on and off the vehicle en-route to and from the special education program.
- Reimbursement of the actual costs of transportation when, by mutual agreement, the parents provide transportation for the student to and from the special education program. Reimbursement of actual cost will be based on the rate set by the State of Iowa.
The district is not required to provide reimbursement to parents who elect to provide transportation in lieu of school-provided transportation.
A student may be required, at the school board’s discretion, to meet a school vehicle without reimbursement up to three-fourths of a mile. The board may require parents to transport their student up to two miles to connect with school transportation at the expense of the district, when conditions deem it advisable. It is within the discretion of the board to determine such conditions. Parents of students who live where transportation by school vehicles is impracticable or unavailable may be required to furnish transportation to and from the designated attendance center at the expense of the district. Parents who transport their student at the expense of the district are reimbursed at the rate per mile set by the State of Iowa.
Transportation arrangements made by agreement with a neighboring school district will follow the terms of the agreement. Students who choose to attend a school in a district other than their resident school district will provide transportation to and from the school at their own expense.
Students who have been granted an attendance exception request (AER) from their attendance center school to another school must provide their own transportation to the selected school.
The school board authorizes the superintendent [or designee] to establish bus routes for the district in accordance with this policy. Consideration of safe walkways, speed limits, and traffic density will be reviewed prior to the establishment of bus routes. When route changes are made the district will notify families, if possible, no later than six months prior to the change. If route changes are caused by construction, another entity, or a force majeure; the administration reserves the right to issue notice on a condensed timeline.
Adopted: 6/70
Reviewed: 10/12; 4/15; 11/18
Revised: 10/10; 9/11; 11/13; 8/14; 9/21; 2/24
Legal Reference (Code of Iowa): 20 USC §§ 1401-1701; 34 CFR Pt 300; 356B.4; 285; 321; 281 IAC 41.412
IASB Reference: 711.01