Section 3327.01 | Transportation of pupils.
Notwithstanding division (D) of section 3311.19 and division (D) of section 3311.52 of the Revised Code, this section and sections 3327.011, 3327.012, and 3327.02 of the Revised Code do not apply to any joint vocational or cooperative education school district.
In all city, local, and exempted village school districts where resident school pupils in grades kindergarten through eight live more than two miles from the school for which the director of education and workforce prescribes minimum standards pursuant to division (D) of section 3301.07 of the Revised Code and to which they are assigned by the board of education of the district of residence or to and from the nonpublic or community school which they attend, the board of education shall provide transportation for such pupils to and from that school except as provided in section 3327.02 of the Revised Code.
In all city, local, and exempted village school districts where pupil transportation is required under a career-technical plan approved by the department of education and workforce under section 3313.90 of the Revised Code, for any student attending a career-technical program operated by another school district, including a joint vocational school district, as prescribed under that section, the board of education of the student's district of residence shall provide transportation from the public high school operated by that district to which the student is assigned to the career-technical program.
In all city, local, and exempted village school districts, the board may provide transportation for resident school pupils in grades nine through twelve to and from the high school to which they are assigned by the board of education of the district of residence or to and from the nonpublic or community high school which they attend for which the director of education and workforce prescribes minimum standards pursuant to division (D) of section 3301.07 of the Revised Code.
A board of education shall not be required to transport elementary or high school pupils to and from a nonpublic or community school where such transportation would require more than thirty minutes of direct travel time as measured by school bus from the public school building to which the pupils would be assigned if attending the public school designated by the district of residence.
Where it is impractical to transport a pupil by school conveyance, a board of education may offer payment, in lieu of providing such transportation in accordance with section 3327.02 of the Revised Code.
A board of education shall provide transportation to students enrolled in a community school or nonpublic school in accordance with this section on each day in which that school is open for operation with students in attendance, regardless of whether the district's own schools are open for operation with students in attendance on that day. However, a board of education shall not be required to transport elementary or high school pupils to and from a nonpublic or community school on Saturday or Sunday, unless a board of education and a nonpublic or community school have an agreement in place to do so before the first day of July of the school year in which the agreement takes effect.
In all city, local, and exempted village school districts, the board shall provide transportation for all children who are so disabled that they are unable to walk to and from the school for which the director of education and workforce prescribes minimum standards pursuant to division (D) of section 3301.07 of the Revised Code and which they attend. In case of dispute whether the child is able to walk to and from the school, the health commissioner shall be the judge of such ability. In all city, exempted village, and local school districts, the board shall provide transportation to and from school or special education classes for mentally disabled children in accordance with standards adopted by the department of education and workforce.
When transportation of pupils is provided the conveyance shall be run on a time schedule that shall be adopted and put in force by the board not later than ten days after the beginning of the school term. The operator of every school bus or motor van owned and operated by any school district or educational service center or privately owned and operated under contract with any school district or service center in this state shall deliver students enrolled in preschool through twelfth grades to their respective public and nonpublic schools not sooner than thirty minutes prior to the beginning of school and to be available to pick them up not later than thirty minutes after the close of their respective schools each day. Further, operators shall not deliver students late to school.
The cost of any transportation service authorized by this section shall be paid first out of federal funds, if any, available for the purpose of pupil transportation, and secondly out of state appropriations, in accordance with regulations adopted by the department.
No transportation of any pupils shall be provided by any board of education to or from any school which in the selection of pupils, faculty members, or employees, practices discrimination against any person on the grounds of race, color, religion, or national origin.
A board of education shall provide transportation as a related service for all children with disabilities living in the school district who are enrolled in a nonpublic school if the school district is provided with supporting documentation from the child's individual education program developed pursuant to Chapter 3323. of the Revised Code or an individual service plan developed pursuant to section 5126.41 of the Revised Code.
Last updated September 11, 2023 at 4:47 PM
Available Versions of this Section
- September 29, 2013 – House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly [ View September 29, 2013 Version ]
- September 29, 2015 – House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly [ View September 29, 2015 Version ]
- September 30, 2021 – Amended by House Bill 110 - 134th General Assembly [ View September 30, 2021 Version ]
- October 3, 2023 – Amended by House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly [ View October 3, 2023 Version ]