Edmonds School District No. 15
Lynnwood, WA 98036-5789
8245-R2 - PROCEDURES FOR DISCIPLINE OF STUDENT SCHOOL BUS PASSENGER
Adopted
9/4/79
Revised
10/6/80
8/25/92
10/1/96
4/21/98
The following procedures have been developed for school district personnel to clearly identify the progressive steps that will generally be followed in school bus discipline for students. The district reserves the right to skip any steps where in its sole judgement the student's behavior warrants more serious corrective action.
Other than at their regular bus stops or as defined below, students may not be left on the roadside or in an unsupervised situation unless they are presenting a significant, clear, and present danger to others on the bus. The bus driver must immediately notify the Transportation Department of what happened. The Transportation Department will immediately notify the appropriate school district administrator.
STEP 1. WARNING TO STUDENT
When a breach of appropriate behavior occurs, the driver shall initially attempt various forms of intervention with the student, depending on the severity of the behavior. This may include talking to the student, changing the student's seat or other forms of intervention. The driver shall also begin developing a case history of repeated inappropriate behaviors including dates of incidents and action taken to help the student to modify his/her behavior.
STEP 2. PARENT CONTACT BY DRIVER
If action taken in step #1 fails to result in adequate behavior modification, the driver will notify the parent by telephone. A copy of the "Driver's Telephone Report" is sent to the student's school administrator. After repeated unsuccessful attempts to reach the parents/guardians at home or work, the driver shall send a "Notice to Parents" through the mail with a copy to the student's school administrator. At this step, the driver will identify the desired appropriate behavior and outline potential consequences for continued inappropriate behavior. Depending on circumstances, the driver may choose to use this step one or more times.
STEP 3. DISCIPLINE ACTION DETERMINATION BY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR
If actions taken in steps #1 and #2 fail to resolve the situation, the driver shall send a "School Bus Student Misconduct Notice" to the student's school administrator with a copy to the Transportation Department. This notice shall contain a recommended disciplinary action from the driver. The school administrator will consider the driver's recommendation when determining appropriate action. The action may consist of revoking bus riding privileges, or alternative(s) to the revocation of the student's bus riding privileges and/or school suspension (see A and B below).
In cases of emergency, a student may be immediately barred from riding the bus. When a student is uncontrollable and/or endangering the safety of herself/himself, other passengers, and/or the driver, she or he may be left at the school if deemed necessary by the driver and the school administrator. It shall then be the school administrator's responsibility to contact the student's parent/guardian to notify them of the situation and their need to arrange alternative transportation for their student. Should it be necessary to remove a student from the bus, the driver will notify the Transportation Department immediately and complete a "School Bus Student Misconduct Notice."
A. REVOKE BUS PRIVILEGES
The school administrator will send a "Notice of Discipline Action" to notify the parents/guardians and the driver of the action taken. If a student's riding privileges are suspended the school administrator will also call the parents/guardians to notify them of the action taken. The school administrator may require a conference with the student, parents/guardians, driver, and/or transportation department representative.
B. SCHOOL SUSPENSION and REVOKE BUS PRIVILEGES
The behavior/s involved with the bus incident can warrant not only the revocation of bus privileges, but also a suspension from school. The student may be suspended or expelled as determined by the school administrator upon verification of the events leading to the "School Bus Student Misconduct Notice." The school administrator will send the "Notice of Short Term Suspension", "Notice of Long Term Suspension" or "Notice of Expulsion" form to the parents/guardians and call the parents/guardians to notify them of the action taken.
If the student was responsible for damage to a school bus, their bus riding privileges will be revoked and they will receive a school suspension, until such time that either payment is made in full or an alternative solution is lieu of the payment of monetary damages is reached.
The school administrator shall also notify the driver of the dates of the suspension. In order for the student to regain bus riding privileges, a conference between the parents/guardians, the student, the school administrator, the driver, and a transportation department representative may be required.