Rule 3301-83-13 | School bus routes and stops.
(A) Designation of school bus stops
It shall be the responsibility of the superintendent or designee to determine the location of all school bus stops which shall be approved annually by the districts' board of education. Authority to designate or relocate subsequent school bus stops may be delegated by the board of education to the superintendent or designee. Bus stops and a time schedule shall be adopted and put in force by the board not earlier than thirty days prior to and not later than ten days after the beginning of the school term.
(B) School bus stop location
Policies and procedures shall be developed by administrators and transportation personnel to ensure school bus stop locations are designated in safe locations and shall include the following:
(1) Pupils in grades kindergarten through eight may be required to walk up to one-half mile to a designated bus stop.
(2) School bus stop locations shall provide for the maximum safety of pupils giving consideration to distance from residence, traffic volume, physical characteristics, visibility and weather conditions.
(3) School bus stops shall be established on the residence side of all four-lane highways and on the residence side of other roadways posing potential hazards to students as determined by school bus owners.
(4) School bus stops shall be located at a distance from the crest of a hill or curve to allow motorists traveling at the posted speed to stop within the sight distance. If the line of sight is less than five hundred feet in either direction, a request shall be submitted to the appropriate authority to install an approved "school bus stop ahead" sign at least five hundred feet in advance of the school bus stop.
(5) Each pupil shall be assigned and required to use a specific school bus stop except in unusual circumstances as approved by the school bus owner or designee.
(6) Each pupil shall be assigned a designated place of safety on the residence side of the roadway on which the vehicle is scheduled to stop. Driver must account for each pupil at designated place of safety before leaving. Pupils are not to proceed to their residence until the school bus has departed.
(7) The school bus driver shall use the established route and make stops only at points designated by the school vehicle owner or the administrator who is authorized to designate such stops. School districts and community schools offering pupil transportation shall have a documented routing plan in place for all established routes.
(8) The school bus driver shall operate the bus on the time schedule for the established route and shall wait for pupils if ahead of schedule.
(C) School bus stop procedures
All school districts and bus owners shall develop policies and procedures for drivers making school bus stops for purposes of loading or unloading pupils in accordance with section 4511.75 of the Revised Code and with procedures described in the Ohio preservice driver training manual. The following shall be included in those policies and procedures:
(1) Student warning lights shall be activated approximately three-hundred feet prior to a stop whenever practical. A strobe light may be used if available and if conditions warrant.
(2) The bus shall be stopped near the right side of the paved or traveled portion of the roadway.
(3) The bus shall be stopped along the drive way entrance or along the curb when picking up or discharging passengers with special needs which require the use of special equipment.
(4) The parking brake shall be set at all stops whenever pupils are loading or unloading.
Operators of vehicles equipped with an approved brake interlock device are exempt from these requirements to set the parking brake
(5) The transmission shall be placed into the neutral gear for both manual and automatic transmissions.
(6) The driver must use an approved hand signal and eye contact with students outside the bus at any stop where students are in the process of loading and unloading.
(D) Each bus shall have a detailed route sheet on board which shall include the following:
(1) Direction to designated stops;
(2) Time schedule;
(3) Designated stop;
(4) Driver-designated place of safety;
(5) Number of riders at each stop location and residence side; and
(6) List identifying road hazards.
(E) If practical, each route shall have a responsible student designated to assist a substitute bus driver with each route.
Supplemental Information