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Colchester Public Schools Transportation Form for the 2019-2020 School Year
*Attention Parents/Guardians of Grades 3, 4 & 5 Office Use Only:
students, please read below:
I consent to allow my student to be dropped off AM: ___ AMW: ___
unattended. (check yes or no): ___ yes ___ no PM: ___ PMW: ___
Colchester Public Schools Policy: Students in Grades K – 2 must have a parent/adult present at the bus stop in order to be let off the bus.
Name of Student: _____________________________________________________________________ Grade: _____ Date: _________
Home Address: ________________________________________________________________________ Phone: __________________
PRIMARY BUS: This is the primary location where the student will be picked up and dropped off
MORNING:
Every day or select days: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Name of Location: ___________________________________________________________________ Phone #: ________________
Location Address (if different from home address): __________________________________________________________________
AFTERNOON:
Every day or select days: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Name of Location: ____________________________________________________________________ Phone #: _______________
Location Address (if different from home address): __________________________________________________________________
SECONDARY (Daycare) BUS: Only fill out this info if your student travels to a secondary location.
MORNING:
Every day or select days: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Name of Location: _____________________________________________________________________ Phone _________________
Location Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
AFTERNOON:
Every day or select days: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Name of Location: _____________________________________________________________________ Phone__________________
Location Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
PARENT/GUARDIAN TRANSPORT: If you will be transporting your student to and/or from school on specific days on a
PERMANENT basis, please check applicable days below.
AM Drop off: Every day or select days: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
PM Pick up: Every day or select days: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Please list all people by name who will be picking up your student (including yourself):
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This form will allow two consistent bus stops solely for daycare due to parent/guardians’ employment or continuing education. Students will
not be assigned to more than a total of two buses. Transportation forms will be valid for one school year providing that all requirements
are continuously met.
I have read the guidelines regarding Daycare Transportation and agree to follow the policy:
Parent/Guardian Signature:_____ _________Date: _______________Effective date: _______________
Office Use Only:
Received by: _________________ ____ Approved ____ Denied ___ Sent to Director of Educational Operations ____ Sent to Bus Company
Revised AT 08 28/19
COLCHESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
3541.3P
BUSINESS/NON-INSTRUCTIONAL OPERATIONS
TRANSPORTATION
Second Reading 4/20/22 (NEW - CABE Model Policy)
Routes and Services
1. Definitions:
A. "School transportation" means the procedure, program, or fully effective and
implemented plan by which a student is conveyed, at public expense, whether by use of
publicly owned equipment or by contract to or from his/her residence to or from the
school in which he/she is enrolled by the board.
B. "Walking distance" means the linear measure of a prescribed or authorized pedestrian
route between the student's residence and his/her school from a point at the curb or
edge of a public road or highway nearest the student's residence to the nearest allowable
access of the school, or the bus pickup area; or the route from the point on the public
thoroughfare nearest the residence to the school bus (or vehicle) or embarkation point
(bus stop) established by the board.
C. "One mile walking distance" means a reasonable measurement of a route to be traversed
extending from the point of measurement at least 5,280 feet.
D. "Grades Pre-K and K" mean respectively kindergarten, or a school program appropriate
to a beginning student under age six, and pre-kindergarten, or a school program for a
preschool student under grade five.
E. "Raised walk area" means (1) a sidewalk or (2) a portion of the right of way at least three
feet wide, usually parallel to the traffic lanes, which may be paved or unpaved,
distinguished by some elevation above the street pavement level, and marked by curbing,
drainage ditch, grass area, and fencing, apart from and independent of any white line
safety markings along the street pavement.
F. "Walking route" means the most direct route which the child would normally be
expected to travel between his/her residence and the school to which he/she is assigned
by the board.
G. "Hazard" means (1) inappropriate exposure to molestation which would be considered
morally degrading or physically harmful, or (2) an unsafe thing or condition or a possible
source of peril, danger, duress, or difficulty presenting a problem, the solution of which
is beyond the ordinary capability of a child of a given age or attainment — including
specifically the following:
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COLCHESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
(1) A walking route along a street or road having an adjacent or paralleled raised walk
area is a hazard where any of the following conditions exist along said walking
route:
(a) Speed limits for motor vehicles are in excess of forty miles per hour and
there are no pedestrian crossing lights or crossing guards or other safety
provisions at points where students must cross said street or road in
going to and from school;
(b) The usual or frequent presence of any nuisance, such as open manholes
or construction; snow plowed or piled on the raised walk area making
such areas unusable; loading zones where delivery trucks are permitted
to park in alleys; commercial entrances and exits where cars are crossing
raised walk areas at speeds in excess of five (5) miles per hour, and the
like, including such nuisance which is dangerous or attractive to normal
children;
(c) For students under age ten, or enrolled in grade K through 3, absence of
pedestrian crossing light, or crossing guard where three or more streets
intersect, and at a street crossing where there are no stop signs or
crossing guards; and,
(d) For students over age ten, or enrolled in grades 4 through 12, absence of
a traffic light, or stop sign, or crossing guard at street crossings where
three or more streets intersect, and have an average traffic count which
exceeds 120 vehicles per hour during the time that children are walking
to and from school.
(2) Any street, road, or highway which has no sidewalks or raised walk areas shall be
deemed unduly hazardous for students enrolled in grades K through 8, unless all
of the following conditions are met:
(a) There exists no line-of-site obstruction caused by a hill, curve, structure,
out-cropping, land form, planting, snowbank, or other obscuring object
or structure which may be safely negotiated by vehicles only at speeds
under fifteen miles per hour.
(b) The line-of-sight visibility together with posted speed limits permit
vehicular braking/stopping distances in accordance with the Connecticut
Driver's Manual.
(c) Man-made hazards including attractive nuisances are absent.
(d) The roadway available to vehicles, when plowed free of snow
accumulation, has a minimum width of twenty (20) feet.
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COLCHESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
(3) Any walkway or path in an area adjacent to, and paralleled to railroad tracks
shall be considered a hazard, unless suitable physical barriers along the walking
routes are present and fixed between the tracks and the walking route (such as
guard railings). Tracks that carry moving trains during hours that students are
walking to or from school will be deemed hazardous unless the following
conditions exist:
(a) A crossing guard is present; or,
(b) An automatic control bar is present at crossings used by children under
age ten, or a bar, or red flashing signal light is operational when the
crossing is used for students over ten years of age.
(4) A lake, stream, culvert or waterway will be deemed a hazard in the absence of a
fence or other suitable barrier fixed between the walking route and the water.
(5) Any street, road, walkway or path designed as a walking route for school students
which passes through an area which has a history of aggressive acts or
molestation resulting in actual or threatened physical harm, or moral
degradation, during the hours when students ordinarily walk to and from school.
(6) A situation shall be considered hazardous wherein students under the age of
twelve, or enrolled in a grade kindergarten through grade six, are required to walk
to or from school or to or from a bus stop at any time prior to one-half hour before
sunrise or after one-half hour after sunset.
2. Eligibility for School Transportation. Students will be eligible for school transportation if one or
more of the following criteria is present:
A. The walking distance for the student, either to school or to the nearest bus stop, is in
excess of the guidelines established by the board which shall not exceed the following
maximum distances:
(1) For students enrolled in grades K through 3, up to one half (.5) mile;
(2) For students enrolled in the equivalent of grades 4 through 8, at middle schools
or junior high school, up to one (1) mile; and,
(3) For students enrolled in grades 9 through 12, up to two (2) miles.
B. The walking route does not exceed the limits set forth in subparagraph 2. (1) above, but
presents a hazard which the Board cannot reasonably eliminate or adequately abate.
C. The student is physically handicapped, or mentally retarded, or a preschool student.
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COLCHESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Reasonable transportation or prescribed walking routes or the sum of both shall not exceed one
hour each way from home to school or returning.
3. Eligibility for Out-of-Town Transportation:
A. Any resident of the school district under twenty-one years of age who is not a high school
or vocational school graduate and who is attending a state vocational school shall be
eligible for transportation.
B. A student who is placed by a Planning and Placement Team for special education reasons
in either a public or private educational institution out-of-town shall be provided the
necessary transportation.
4. Appeals
Any parent, guardian, student at majority, or any agent or officer whose duty it is to compel the
observance of the laws concerning attendance at school may appeal any administrative decision
concerning school transportation in the following manner:
A. Discuss the matter with the Principal of the school to which the student is assigned.
B. If no resolution is reached under (1) above, discuss the matter with the coordinator of
transportation or designee.
C. If no resolution is reached under (2) above, discuss the matter with the Superintendent
of Schools.
Any parent, guardian, student at majority, or officer whose duty it is to compel the observance of
attendance laws who believes that the Superintendent, or his/her designee, is not furnishing
school accommodations, by transportation or otherwise, to himself or herself or to his/her child
in a manner consistent with the laws of the State of Connecticut or Board of Education policy or
regulations may, in writing, request a hearing before the board to show the Board the manner in
which the Superintendent has allegedly failed to furnish such required accommodations.
The Board shall hold a hearing within ten (10) days following receipt of such request. The hearing
before the Board will be in compliance with the provisions of Section 4-177 to 4-180 inclusive of
the Connecticut General Statutes.
A stenographic record or tape recording shall be made of such hearing.
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COLCHESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
10-76d re transportation for special education program services.
10-97 Transportation to vocational schools.
10-186 Duties of local and regional boards of education re school attendance.
Hearings. Appeals to state board. Establishment of hearing board.
10-220 Duties of boards of education.
10-220c Transportation of children over private roads. Immunity from liability.
10-273a Reimbursement for transportation to and from elementary and
secondary schools.
10-280a Transportation for students in non-profit private schools outside school
district.
10-281 Transportation for students in non-profit private schools within school
district.
14-275a Use of standard school bus required, when.
14-275b Transportation of handicapped students.
14-275c Regulations re school buses and motor vehicles used to transport special
education students.
14-280 Letters and signals to be concealed when not used in transporting
children. Signs on other vehicles.
Policy adopted: April 10, 2001
Policy revised: May 15, 2007
Policy revised; June 19, 2002
Policy revised: October 12, 2010
Policy revised:
TRANSPORTATION Page 5 of 6
COLCHESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
3541.3R
BUSINESS/NON-INSTRUCTIONAL OPERATIONS
TRANSPORTATION ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION
Routes and Services
By August 15th each year following consultation with bus contractors/transportation supervisors, student
school bus schedules and stops will be developed by an administrator assigned by the Superintendent of
Schools. These schedules and stops shall be in writing, as will any adjustments made during the year, and
shall be published in local area newspapers prior to the opening of schools and posted at appropriate
locations throughout the town.
All school buses have a definite approved seating capacity which cannot be exceeded. Because school
buses are scheduled for maximum use of stated capacity, students must ride to and from school on buses
to which they are assigned. For special circumstances and events, exceptions permitting students to ride
different buses to different locations, or the same buses to different locations, from their residences will
be made only upon parental request and approval of the school Principal or his/her designee providing:
1. space is available on the route;
2. different student destinations do not alter any existing routes.
Special events include, but are not be limited to: scouts; church functions; within district, music and
athletic events; home care/child care arrangements, including occasional social visits to homes of other
children; and others as approved by Principals.
Parental requests for temporary changes in bus assignments should be in writing, but, although not
encouraged, in emergency situations Principals may approve telephone requests from parents or
guardians. Schools will maintain daily logs, with appropriate detail, of requested and approved changes
to student bus assignments and school bus drivers will be notified in writing by the student’s teacher, or
by the Principal’s office staff, of any changes in a student’s normal bus schedule.
Within budgetary constraints, late buses shall be provided for secondary school students remaining after
school hours for extracurricular activities, extra-help sessions, or detention.
It shall be the responsibility of the individual school Principal to ensure that buses are not overloaded as
a result of special event approvals.
(cf. - 5131.1 Bus Conduct)
Regulation approved:
TRANSPORTATION Page 6 of 6