PURPOSE: The State Board of Education has the authority to adopt and enforce regulations for the operation of all school buses used for the transportation of schoolchildren when owned and operated by any school district or privately-owned and operated under contract with any school district in this state. This rule establishes guidelines for the safe, efficient and economical operation of school buses.

1. (1) General Requirements for Approval of School Bus Transportation.

   1. (A) All transportation of pupils furnished by a school district shall be authorized in accordance with the law.
   2. (B) School bus routes over which school buses travel shall be approved by public school district board of education action no later than the end of October for its initial approval and no later than the end of June for the final approval of modifications made during the school year.
   3. (C) All vehicles used for transporting pupils shall carry liability and property damage insurance.
   4. (D) There shall be on file in the appropriate school district office copies of current contracts, bonds, driver’s physical examination certificates, school bus permits and maps of school bus routes. Public school district boards of education shall require operators of school buses to conduct and prepare a record of the daily pretrip inspection for each school bus.

   5. (E) Public school district boards of education shall provide for proper accounting of pupil transportation data and shall prepare and submit to the State Board of Education necessary reports for apportioning state transportation aid and for statistical purposes.

      1. 1. A listing shall be made of pupils

scheduled to be transported on each board of education’s approved routes on the second Wednesday of the month for the months of October and February.

1. 2. The school district listing of pupils

scheduled to be transported by route must be signed and maintained by the superintendent of the schools or an appointed designee.

1. (F) No school district shall receive state transportation aid for any pupil transported in a vehicle or over a school bus route which has not been approved by the public school district board of education or for any pupil transported in a vehicle whose driver does not meet the school bus driver qualifications as stated in section (2) of this rule.
2. (G) If a lock is to be placed on an emergency exit of a school bus, it shall be designed in a manner so that the engine cannot be started with the emergency exit locked.
3. (H) Public school district boards of education shall forbid drivers to pull any type of trailer behind a school bus.
4. (I) Only those signs and lettering allowed by law or rule shall be written on or attached to a school bus, except for safety-related signs or lettering which, if used, shall be placed on the rear of the bus, in no way obstructing the driver’s view. An exception to the requirement of this subsection concerning rules may be granted by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
5. (J) Emergency evacuation drills on school buses shall be required for all students in grades kindergarten through six (K–6) at least once per semester. The first drill must be completed annually prior to October 31. The public school district board of education shall prescribe emergency evacuation drill requirements for all other students.
6. (K) Boards of education shall require operators of school buses to conduct and prepare a record of the daily pretrip inspection for each school bus.

1. (2) School Bus Driver Qualifications.

   1. (A) All school bus drivers shall be duly licensed in accordance with Missouri statutes and public school district board policy.

      1. 1. Be in good physical and mental

health;

1. 2. Undergo a physical examination

annually no more than ninety (90) days before the beginning of the school year by a medical examiner who is licensed, certified, and/or registered, in accordance with applicable Missouri laws and regulations, to perform physical examinations to determine whether they meet the requirements of section 302.272, RSMo, and present a signed physical examination certificate that they, in the medical examiner’s judgment, meet or exceed those requirements to the employer. The term medical examiner includes, but is not limited to, doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathy, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, and doctors of chiropractic. A school bus driver whose ability to safely operate a school bus has been impaired by a physical or mental injury or disease, as determined by the public school district board of education, must submit a release by the 5 CSR 30-261

attending physician prior to resuming school bus operation; and

1. 3. Undergo testing for drug and alcohol

use/abuse, in compliance with laws.

1. (3) Driver Operation.

   1. (A) A school bus driver shall—

      1. 1. Observe carefully all signs, signals

and rules of the road as provided by the Missouri Motor Vehicle Laws;

1. 2. Follow these loading and unloading

procedures—

1. A. If school bus is equipped with a

master switch, make sure the master switch is in the “on” position;

1. B. Activate prewarning amber flash-

ing lights at least five hundred feet (500') before a designated stop;

1. C. When stopping for a designated

stop, apply brakes hard enough to light up the brake lights so that vehicles behind the school bus will know it is slowing down;

1. D. Pull as far to the right as practica-

ble on the traveled portion of the roadway and at a location so that the school bus is visible for at least three hundred feet (300') in both directions. Check all mirrors to see that traffic is clear and it is safe to stop;

1. E. Approach waiting students with

extreme care, paying attention to the surface on which the school bus will stop (dry, slippery, slopes right, rough ground, and the like). Bring the school bus to a complete stop so that the closest part of the school bus is not less than six feet (6') and not more than ten feet (10') from the closest student;

1. F. Place the transmission in neutral

and set the parking brake as needed;

1. G. Deactivate the prewarning amber

flashing lights and activate the red flashing warning lights and the stop arm when opening the service door after stopping;

1. H. Check traffic in front and rear of

the school bus before you give the students a hand signal that it is okay to cross the road. Drivers should train students not to approach the school bus until given a signal and to check traffic before crossing the roadway;

1. I. Require students who must cross

the roadway after leaving the bus or before boarding the bus to cross a minimum of ten feet (10') in front of the bus and only upon a signal given by the driver, monitor or bus patrol when organized bus patrols are used; and

1. J. Have students go directly to their

seats. When students are seated, check traffic and close the front door to deactivate the red flashing warning lights and stop arm;

1. 3. Perform and prepare written docu-

mentation of the daily pretrip inspection which is to be submitted to the transportation administrator. Pretrip inspection of vehicle shall include brakes, steering components, lights, signaling devices, emergency door, tires and safety equipment, as a minimum. Any defects or deficiencies that may affect the safety of vehicle operation or result in mechanical breakdown shall be reported immediately in writing and driver shall not operate school bus until the defect or deficiency has been corrected;

1. 4. Activate the prewarning amber flash-

ing lights if a school bus stop must be made in close proximity to the crest of a hill or on curves with limited sight distance, approximately one hundred feet (100') before passing the crest so that vehicles following to the rear shall be made aware the bus is preparing to stop for the purpose of loading or unloading pupils;

1. 5. Assume control of all children while

they are being transported requiring respectable and orderly behavior from them. Particular attention should be given to the care and protection of the younger pupils. Any continued disorderly conduct should be reported to the proper school authorities;

1. 6. Not back school bus on school

grounds unless rear is guarded by school patrol or adult and driver is advised that the way is clear. Backing the bus at any time shall be avoided if at all possible;

1. 7. Follow these procedures when a

school bus is disabled—

1. A. Stop the bus as far to the right as

possible (on the shoulder, if available);

1. B. Secure the bus, activate

hazard/warning lights and set parking brake;

1. C. Keep children in bus. If location of

the bus is unsafe, remove the children to a safer location;

1. D. Place triangular reflectors a mini-

mum of one hundred feet (100’) in both the front and rear of the bus;

1. E. Telephone, radio or send capable

student to call authorities, giving bus location and description of breakdown; and

1. F. See that all pupils are delivered to

their destinations;

1. 8. Keep inside of vehicle clean and com-

fortable at all times;

1. 9. Keep lettering and lights on front and

rear of bus clean so that all markings are clearly visible;

1. 10. Keep service door closed at all times

when bus is in motion;

1. 11. Not leave a loaded bus while motor

is running;

1. 12. Fill the fuel tank only when there

are no children in the bus;

1. 13. Not allow animals on the school bus

except for seeing eye dogs or other specially trained animals necessary to furnishing special education services for handicapped children to comply with section 162.710, RSMo;

1. 14. Not allow weapons or explosive

material on the school bus;

1. 15. Not allow items carried on the

school bus to protrude into or block the aisle or be left in the driver or exit areas;

1. 16. Make and promptly file all daily,

weekly and monthly reports which may be required;

1. 17. Use seat belt whenever the bus is in

motion;

1. 18. Not drive any school bus for more

than—

1. A. Eight (8) consecutive hours. Hours

will be consecutive unless the individual ceases operation of the vehicle for at least sixty (60) minutes; or

1. B. An aggregate of twelve (12) hours

in a twenty-four (24)-hour period;

1. 19. Illuminate headlights whenever stu-

dents are being transported;

1. 20. Not use tobacco products at any

time in the school bus; and

1. 21. Not operate a school bus while

under the influence of intoxicants, narcotics or drugs.

1. (4) Reporting of School Bus Accidents. Any school bus accident which results in personal injury or total property damage in excess of five hundred dollars ($500) shall be reported on the School Bus Accident Report (3-260- 011) immediately following the accident.

2. (5) Public School District Route Approval General Definitions and Procedures.

   1. (A) General Definitions.

      1. 1. Eligible miles—Those miles traveled

from where the bus is kept at night until it returns to the same location after the pupils have been returned home, as long as it is used only to transport pupils to and from school, are eligible for state transportation aid.

1. 2. Ineligible miles—All miles that are

driven for any purpose other than transporting students to or from school during the school term are ineligible for state transportation aid. Field trips, athletic trips and other extracurricular activity trips are examples of ineligible miles. Miles traveled to rerun a route or part of a route to transport students participating in beforeor afterschool activities or training are also ineligible miles. All ineligible miles shall be recorded and subsequently reported on the application for state transportation aid.

1. 3. School bus route—A bus route begins

when a bus leaves a point (home, school, and the like) empty and proceeds on a predetermined route, picking up pupils and then traveling to a school(s) until the bus is empty; and returning the pupils to a designated point after school. If more than one (1) route is run by the same bus, each additional route begins when the bus is empty after discharging all the pupils from a previous route and proceeds along another predetermined route, picking up pupils and discharging all of them at their attendance center(s) and returning them home.

1. (B) Public School District Route Approval Procedures—Public school districts must adopt a policy implementing school bus route approval procedures for the annual approval of the routes needed for safe and cost efficient pupil transportation service which meets and may exceed the state board’s minimum requirements as described in this subsection.

   1. 1. Criteria for determining routes—

      1. A. Location of pupil’s residence;
      2. B. Grade and age of the pupils to be

transported;

1. C. Type and condition of roads;
2. D. Standard of service desired; and
3. E. Funds available for transportation

service.

1. 2. Safety considerations for establishing

school bus routes—

1. A. The general safety of all routes in

relation to hazards such as hills, intersections, railroad crossings, bridges, sharp curves, and obstructions to visibility;

1. B. The general safety of loading and

unloading stops in relation to the visibility of approaching motorists;

1. C. Walking distance to the bus stop in

relation to the age of the pupil; and

1. D. Walking route safety to loading

stop, from unloading stop, and loading zones.

1. 3. Administrative policy shall be adopt-

ed by the public school district board of education which describes the criteria, safety considerations and routing standards school officials must use when establishing or modifying school bus routes. Examples of administrative policy components include but are not limited to:

1. A. Duplication of route miles and

“deadheading” shall be avoided if at all possible;

1. B. School bus stops should be estab-

lished no less than five hundred feet (500') apart;

1. C. Multiple routes by a single school

bus should be used when possible;

1. D. Routes should be planned to avoid

dead-end streets or cul-de-sacs whenever possible;

1. E. Assign pupils to school buses so

that passenger loads do not exceed manufacturer vehicle passenger capacity and to avoid overloading;

1. F. All school buses should be loaded

as near their capacity as possible;

1. G. Buses should be used primarily to

transport pupils to and from school. Buses may be used to transport pupils on schoolsponsored activity trips, but such trips should not interfere with the transportation of pupils to and from school;

1. H. Each school district shall keep on

file an up-to-date map showing the location and length of each school bus route;

1. I. Bus routing and seating plans shall

be coordinated so that there are no standees and every passenger is provided a seat. The seating space provided each passenger must be sufficient to ensure that the back of each passenger may come into full contact with the seat back;

1. J. All vehicles used to transport

pupils shall comply with the requirements of the law and with standards and safety rules as adopted by the State Board of Education; and

1. K. School bus inspections shall not be

made more than sixty (60) days prior to operating the vehicles during the school year.

1. 4. School districts which transport non-

resident pupils not legally assigned or through an interdistrict contract shall not claim any additional miles as eligible miles and the pupils shall be reported as ineligible pupils.

1. A. High school pupils from elemen-

tary school districts—High school pupils residing in an elementary school district are to be claimed only by the elementary district. The elementary district shall claim mileage from where the bus enters the elementary district, including miles traveled within the elementary district and the most direct route to the school of attendance.

AUTHORITY: sections 163.161, RSMo Supp. 1999, and 304.060, RSMo 1994.* This rule was previously filed as 5 CSR 40-261.010. Original rule filed June 15, 1951, effective July 1, 1951. Amended: Filed Feb. 27, 1957, effective July 1, 1957. Amended: Filed Aug. 20, 1959, effective Sept. 1, 1959. Amended: Filed June 26, 1962, effective July 10, 1962. Amended: Filed July 25, 1966, effective Aug. 5, 1966. Amended: Filed April 5, 1967, effective July 1, 1967. Amended: Filed Nov. 22, 1972, effective Jan. 1, 1973. Amended: Filed Dec. 23, 1975, effective Jan. 5, 1976. Amended: Filed Dec. 14, 1976, effective May 16, 1977. Amended: Filed Feb. 27, 1979, effective June 15, 1979. Amended: Filed July 1, 1980, effective Nov. 14, 1980. Amended: Filed Feb. 27, 1981, effective July 1, 1981. Amended: Filed Aug. 11, 1983, effective Dec. 12, 1983. Amended: Filed May 23, 1988, effective Aug. 25, 1988. Amended: Filed Aug. 5 CSR 30-261 1, 1989, effective July 1, 1990. Amended: Filed Jan. 28, 1992, effective Aug. 6, 1992. Amended: Filed Dec. 21, 1992, effective July 8, 1993. Amended: June 21, 1996, effective Jan. 30, 1997. Amended: Filed Oct. 28, 1997, effective May 30, 1998. Amended: Filed July 31, 1998, effective Feb. 28, 1999. Amended: Filed Sept. 27, 2000, effective May 30, 2001.

*Original authority: 163.161, RSMo 1963, amended 1965, 1969, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1998; and 304.060, RSMo 1949, amended 1977, 1987, 1992. Op. Atty. Gen. No. 66, Neff (12-9-57). It is illegal for school districts to pay for transportation in vehicles not meeting rules adopted by State Board of Education, regardless of whether district receives state aid.