District Policy
7020 - Field and Activity Transportation
Transportation Management Washington County School District-Approved 9-12-06. 5-13-08, Revised 12-09-14; Revised 12-14-21.
1. Purpose:
Safe travel to and from student activities is a District priority.
2. Policy:
School buses, public transportation, or insured commercial transportation are the preferred choices for all school-sponsored activities involving student travel and shall be planned and approved as directed under the provisions of this policy.
3. Procedure:
3.1. Activities, Volunteers, Bus Drivers, Advisors, and Students:
3.1.1. An activity trip is the transportation of passengers to an activity, athletic event, educational event, or any other event/activity approved by administration, other than to and from school transportation.
3.1.2. Volunteer Supervisor must be at least 21 years old. Any volunteer with unsupervised access to students must pass a criminal background check prior to performing bus transit supervisory duties. Additional information about volunteers is available in District Policy 1105, https://procedure.washk12.org/policy/1000/1105.
3.1.3. Responsibilities of the bus driver:
The driver's primary focus should be on driving, not student supervision. The advisor has the responsibility of supervising students. Drivers must be aware of safety issues with students. If students are not in compliance with safety guidelines, the driver should make the advisor aware of it so that the problem can be solved and if necessary, safely stop the bus until safe to drive. The driver should not be making personal trips that add to the mileage expense while working. The driver is the only person authorized to open the under-storage bins and emergency exits except in the event of an actual emergency.
3.1.4. Responsibility of the advisor:
• A school advisor is present while students are on the bus and is responsible for the welfare of the students while traveling. He/she has the responsibility of making sure the students follow safety guidelines.
• It is the advisor's responsibility, not the bus driver's, to correct students that are out of line. Advisors should not ask drivers to supervise students.
• The advisor will not ask the driver to go beyond travel indicated on the travel request.
• The advisor will ensure that trash and extra items are removed from the bus at the end of each trip.
3.1.5. Responsibility of Students:
Students must:
• Be respectful of the bus driver;
• Remain seated when the bus is moving;
• Not play loud music with external speakers, boomboxes, or phones with external speakers while traveling;
• Behave appropriately and comply with advisor's instructions;
• Be on time for bus departures; and,
• Notify the adviser of any inappropriate conduct on the bus.
Students are subject to suspension of transportation privileges for misconduct during an activity trip pursuant to District Policy 7100, Rules and Regulations Regarding Pupil Transportation.
3.2. Written permission should be received from parents allowing students to participate in activity trips.
3.3. All activity transportation must have sufficient adult supervision. Each adult supervisor must be positioned on the bus to maximize observable oversight.
3.3.1. Refer to policy 3635 for rules specific to supervision of overnight travel activities.
3.3.2. One adult supervisor is allowed for non-bus district travel such as travel using a suburban.
3.3.3. Grade K-7 activity trips must be supervised by at least two adults per bus. One adult must be the teacher or activity advisor, the other adult may be a volunteer.
3.3.4. Grade 8-12 activity trips that occur within the boundaries of the Washington county School District may be supervised by one adult instructor, coach, or activity advisor per bus. All trips outside of WCSD boundaries require two adult supervisors per bus. At least one supervisor must be an instructor, coach, or activity advisor. An adult volunteer may act as a second supervisor.
3.4. Senior Trips. High schools will be permitted one day a year to schedule a senior activity day.
3.5. Elementary (K-7) activity trips shall be limited to not more than 150 one way. No overnight trips are permitted. Exceptions must be approved by the Superintendent or designee.
3.6. Coordinating Bus Rides. When requests are received from schools to attend various functions, coordination of buses will be done on the District level where two or more schools could be asked to travel in the same bus to the same function.
3.7. Junior varsity, sophomore, and freshman teams traveling independent of the varsity will be restricted to region boundaries or 150-mile limit.
3.8. Travel to clinics, camps, workshops, etc. will not be subsidized by District funds.