Defiance City School District
Administrative Guidelines
 

8650 - TRANSPORTATION BY SCHOOL VAN

The following guidelines are established to implement Board of Education policy on transportation of students by school van. In addition to complying with the general transportation policies and guidelines, including the bus safety procedures and bus driver procedures, individuals are required to adhere to the following procedures:
 

A.

Driver Qualifications
   
 

Drivers of school vans shall:
   
 

1.

be eighteen (18) years of age with a minimum of two (2) years driving experiences;
   
 

2.

maintain a semi-annual driving record check with:
   
 

a.

no more than six (6) points within the last twenty-four (24) months;
   
 

b.

no convictions for driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or a controlled substance during the last six (6) years (i.e., a violation of R.C. 4511.19);
     
 

c.

no more than one (1) of the following serious traffic violations as defined in R.C. 4506.01(DD)(1) through (DD)(7) during the last twenty-four (24) months:
   
 

1)

a single charge of any speed in excess of the posted speed limit by fifteen (15) miles per hour or more;
   
 

2)

violation of R.C. 4511.20 (i.e., operation in willful or wanton disregard of the safety of persons or property) or R.C. 4511.201 (i.e., operation off street or highway in willful or wanton disregard of the safety of persons or property) or any similar ordinance or resolution, or of any similar law of another state or political subdivision of another state;
   
 

3)

violation of a law of this state or an ordinance or resolution relating to traffic control, other than a parking violation, or of any similar law of another state or political subdivision of another state, that results in a fatal accident;
   
 

4)

violation of R.C. 4506.03 (i.e., commercial driver's license or temporary instruction requirements) or a substantially similar municipal ordinance or county or township resolution, or of any similar law of another state or political subdivision of another state, that involves the operation of a commercial motor vehicle without a valid commercial driver's license with the proper class or endorsement for the specific vehicle group being operated for the passengers or type of cargo being transported;
     
 

5)

violation of R.C. 4506.03 (i.e., commercial driver's license or temporary instruction requirements) or a substantially similar municipal ordinance or county or township resolution, or of any similar law of another state or political subdivision of another state, that involves the operation of a commercial motor vehicle without a valid commercial driver's license being in the person's possession;
   
 

6)

violation of R.C. 4511.33 (i.e., driving in marked lanes) or R.C. 4511.34 (i.e., space between moving vehicles) or any municipal ordinance or county or township resolution substantially similar to either of those sections, or any substantially similar law of another state or political subdivision of another state;
   
 

7)

violation of any other law of this state or ordinance or resolution relating to traffic control, other than a parking violation, that is determined to be a serious traffic violation by the United States Secretary of Transportation and the Director designates such by rule; and
   
 

d.

no railroad crossing violations during the last year (i.e., last twelve (12) month period);
   
 

e.

not received any violations that render the bus driver uninsurable by the District's Fleet Insurance Carrier as verified by a driving record obtained through the Ohio Department of Education (see also, Board Policy 8600.04 for bus driver certification requirements.) A driver having any of the above-referenced violations will be disqualified from operating a school van. The records obtained from the semi-annual records check will be maintained for a minimum of six (6) years.
     
 

3.

hold a valid driver's license;
   
 

4.

provide proof of financial responsibility or that s/he is insured by the Board to operate a school van and/or bus;
   
 

5.

receive a satisfactory BCII report every six (6) years;
   
 

A satisfactory BCII report shall be required prior to the hiring of an individual as a new van driver, along with an FBI background check (i.e., an FBI background check will also be required prior to hiring new employees (see Policy 4121 for criminal history record check requirements).
   
 

6.

be physically qualified to drive a school van (in the same manner as school bus drivers as determined by A.C. 3301-83-07).
   
 

7.

complete the following preservice training requirements:
   
 

a.

a four (4) hour minimum Ohio preservice driver curriculum (or other course approved by the Ohio Department of Education);
   
 

b.

a driving performance evaluation and review;
   
 

c.

provide evidence of training to the regional preservice instructor; and
   
 

d.

possess a certificate of acknowledgement of van driver training; or
   
 

e.

possess a current school bus driver certificate (which shall be considered at fulfilling the above requirements);
   
 

8.

complete two (2) hours of annual inservice training as required by the District. Failure to complete the required annual inservice training may result in the revocation of the school van driver's certificate.
   
 

B.

Van Requirements
   
 

Each school van shall meet the following requirements:
   
 

1.

The school van shall be equipped with safety equipment as follows: fire extinguisher; first-aid kit; body fluid cleanup kit; fuses and spare fuses; and emergency reflectors.
   
 

2.

The school van shall have a rooftop sign marked "School Transportation."
   
 

3.

The name of the District shall be clearly marked on the side of the school van.
 

4.

Each school van shall be inspected by a District mechanic at least twice a year. The inspection shall cover at the minimum all applicable requirements for the inspection of school buses, and periodic maintenance intervals must be established and implemented. Documentation and proof of such inspections and service procedures, in addition to all other required school vehicle records, shall be kept on file with the District's transportation department.
   
 

5.

School van drivers shall complete and document a daily pretrip inspection prior to operating the school van.
   
 

6.

Loading school vans shall be in compliance with the passenger, weight, and other associated restrictions as identified by the original equipment manufacturer.
 C.Van Driver Procedures
  Specific Responsibilities:
  1.conduct pretrip inspection of school van prior to every trip;
  2.prepare a trip ticket/travel certificate prior to transporting students

Approved 10/06
Revised 4/16/08