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Ohio Laws and Rules
The following are authorized vehicles for the transportation of pupils to and from school and school-related events:
(A) School buses
All vehicles designed to carry more than nine passengers, not including the driver, and used to transport students to or from school or school-related events shall meet or exceed all applicable federal regulations and the Ohio school bus construction standards. Refer to division (F) of section 4511.01 of the Revised Code and rules 4501-5-01 to 4501-5-10 of the Administrative Code.
(B) Public transit vehicles
Public transit vehicles includes vehicles owned and operated by regional transit authorities or community transit authorities, or which are privately owned, under contract with a board of education or county board of mental retardation and developmental disabilities and operated on routes designed for the purpose of transporting fare-paying passengers and eligible students simultaneously.
(C) Board-owned, leased, or contracted vehicles other than school buses
These include vehicles, originally designed and constructed at the factory for nine passengers or less, not including the driver, to be used when a school district, in its discretion, determines that it cannot reasonably provide school bus transportation. However, these vehicles shall not be routinely used for service between home and regularly scheduled school sessions except for preschool children, special needs children, children inaccessible to school buses, and students placed in alternative schools. Use of these vehicles must comply with paragraph (F) of this rule.
(D) Commercial carriers
Commercial carriers include carriers that are licensed and inspected by the appropriate government agencies to transport passengers for hire. Examples would include railroads, airlines, commercial watercraft, or commercial buses, but excluding twelve to fifteen passenger vans.
(E) Vehicles not meeting the definitions listed in paragraphs (A) to (D) of this rule do not conform to state and federal law/rule and shall not be used for transportation of pupils to or from school or or school related events.
(F) Guidelines for all board-owned, board-operated, or board-contracted vehicles other than school buses, originally designed and constructed at the factory for nine passengers or less, not including the driver.
(1) The vehicle shall be equipped with safety equipment as follows: fire extinguisher, first-aid kit, body fluid cleanup kit, fusees, spare fuses, and emergency reflectors.
(2) The vehicle shall have a rooftop sign marked “School Transportation.”
(3) The name of the school district, or the name of the contractor if applicable, shall be clearly marked on the side of the vehicle.
(4) These vehicles shall be inspected by a qualified mechanic no less than two times per year. This inspection shall cover at the minimum all applicable sections of the school bus inspection detailed in paragraph (B) of rule 3301-83-11 of the Administrative Code. In addition, periodic maintenance intervals must be established and implemented. Documentation and proof of these inspections and service procedures, in addition to all other vehicle records required under rule 3301-83-14 of the Administrative Code, shall be kept on file with the school district transportation department.
(5) It is the responsibility of each vehicle driver to complete and document a daily pretrip inspection. The vehicle owner may designate another qualified individual to complete and record portions of the stationary inspection in lieu of the vehicle driver.
(6) Loading of these vehicles shall be in compliance with the passenger, weight, and other associated restrictions as identified by the original equipment manufacturer.
(G) Taxicabs
Taxicabs may be used for transportation of pupils when the use of other modes of transportation as described above are not reasonable as determined by the public school district.
These vehicles must be originally designed and constructed at the factory for nine passengers or less, not including the driver, and must comply with paragraph (F) of this rule, except for the rooftop sign marked “school transportation” is not required.
The owner operator of these vehicles must provide documentation to the school district attesting that they comply with this Chapter.
The owner or operator of these vehicles must provide proof of insurance to the school district in the amounts as specified in section 3327.09 of the Revised Code for vehicles used in the transportation of school children.
Effective: 02/25/2007
R.C. 119.032 review dates: 11/29/2006 and 02/25/2012
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 3301.07, 4511.76
Rule Amplifies: 3327.08, 3327.09, 4511.76
Prior Effective Dates: 10/22/84, 7/1/91, 10/5/98, 8/17/01 (Emer.), 11/13/01