Transportation Routes and Services
BP 3541.00
TRANSPORTATION ROUTES AND SERVICES
| Note: Effective July 25, 2014, the Department of Education and Early Development amended and added regulations 4 AAC 27.006-951, establishing regular and special education transportation routes, allowing in-lieu-of agreements, establishing hazardous routes and requiring transportation reports to be filed. A regular transportation route may be established where 8 or more students reside more than one and one-half miles from school, and the entire route is over regularly maintained roads under the supervision and maintenance of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, a public utility district, a municipality, a borough service area or other agency supported by public funds, and the route provides adequate turnaround space for transportation vehicles. 4 AAC 27.011. |
The School Board shall approve transportation routes and services based upon student needs and a continuing assessment of financial resources, including district funds and state reimbursements. Districts will use the most cost efficient methods when developing and establishing regular and special education routes and engaging in other transportation related services. Transportation shall be provided for students living at least one and one-half miles from school. Special education routes will be established without regard to distance.
| Note: Pursuant to 4 AAC 27.036, the Board may designate hazardous routes within one and one-half mile from school. The designation must be by resolution which must state the nature and potential duration of the hazard and is only valid for one year. |
The Board may designate hazardous transportation routes within the minimum walking distance when such routes are unsafe.
| Note: A district may establish in-lieu-of agreements with parents to provide reimbursement for transporting their children to the nearest attendance center if: 1) the student’s residence is more than one and one-half miles from the regular bus route and the pupil’s attendance center (unless the child is a special education student); 2) the per-mile rate does not exceed the maximum mileage reimbursement rate paid by the district to administrative employees; and 3) reimbursement is based on the actual miles traveled, not the number of students. |
Instead of extending existing transportation routes or establishing new routes, the District may establish in-lieu-of agreements to reimburse parents for transporting their children at approved rates and under approved conditions.
(cf. 3540 – Transportation)
| Note: 4 AAC 27.056 requires that each district that receives pupil transportation funds from the department submit pupil transportation reports on prescribed forms. The pupil transportation annual report shall be submitted by October 1 of each year. The pupil transportation quarterly report shall be submitted not later than 15 days after the end of each quarter of the fiscal year. The final report is due by July 15 of each year, unless the district is offering summer school transportation services, in which case it is due by August 15. Any school bus accident reports must be submitted not later than 10 days after the end of each month in which a reportable school bus accident occurs. |
The District will timely submit to the Department of Education and Early Development all transportation reports required by law.
| Note: 4 AAC 27.086 establishes minimum standards for requests for proposals (“RFP”). Districts must ensure that an RFP commences six months before the expiration date of the current contract. Pre-bid conferences shall be held 30 days after the release of the RFP. Proposals are due to the district 14 days after the pre-bid conference and shall be opened that day in public at the hour and place stated in the RFP. The School Board shall forward a copy of the written proposed contract and successful proposal to the Department of Education and Early Development, not later than April 15 of the fiscal year preceding the first year of the contract. A copy of the final signed contract shall be forwarded to the Department not later than the first day of the contract. Each District with an ADM of 4,500 or more shall work with the Department to align, bid and remain on the same five-year term cycle. |
All contracts for pupil transportation awarded by the School Board will be based on the competitive proposal process and meet minimum standards as required by law.
(cf. 3541.2 - Transportation for Special Education Students)
(cf. 3541.5 - Alternative Transportation Arrangements)
Legal References:
UNITED STATES CODE
49 U.S.C. §§ 30101, et seq.
ALASKA STATUTES
14.09.010 Transportation of pupils
ALASKA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
4 AAC 27.006-27.951 Pupil transportation
KETCHIKAN GATEWAY BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Revision Date: 3/24/04
Revision Date: 7/15/2015
Reviewed (Transportation Committee): September 10, 2020