EEA: STUDENT TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
The Kittery School Department will provide transportation at the beginning and end of the school day for all K-12 students living beyond a reasonable distance from their school or from a scheduled bus stop, as approved by the School Committee. The School Committee has determined that the distances for each age/grade level are as follows:
• K-8 - up to ½ mile*
• 9-12- up to 2 miles*
*The distances may be reviewed annually based on safety issues and budgetary constraints.
Distance shall be measured by the shortest public road from the student’s residence to the designated bus stop or school door. In cases questioned, distance will be measured and established by the Superintendent.
Exceptions may be made for the following reasons:
A. For students with disabilities, as required by their IEP or 504 Plan. Exceptions may also be made to accommodate a student’s need for transportation, with written documentation from the student’s physician;
B. When a student would be exposed to hazardous walking conditions, defined as
those that would place a child of a given age in a situation of greater than normal or average danger.
The School Department’s transportation program will be under the direction of Superintendent in cooperation with the School Department’s transportation services/bus contractor.
It is the intent of the School Committee that transportation be scheduled and routed in a way that best serves the educational interests of students and the operations of the school.
Authorized bus stops will be developed so as to load and unload students with the priority on student safety as determined by road conditions. The distance between stops may vary according to safety factors. If possible, students will be loaded and unloaded so that it is not necessary for them to cross a main highway to reach their homes. When approved by the Superintendent, bus stops may be consolidated to reduce student transit time.
A parent/legal guardian may submit a written request for a change in bus stop location to the Superintendent, who will review the request, consulting with the transportation contractor as necessary. The Superintendent’s decision shall be final.
BUS OPERATIONS
A. School buses shall operate only on town-approved or maintained roads.
B. It is the parents’/legal guardians’ responsibility to make arrangements for
getting the student to the bus stop before the scheduled pick up.
C. Parents/legal guardian are responsible for their child’s conduct and safety at
the designated bus stop. The Kittery School Department assumes responsibility
for a student only when they are on board the bus.
D. On any given school day, students assigned to a school bus are expected to ride
from their designated bus stop to school and from school to their designated bus
stop. Requests for changes in assignment to bus stops to accommodate day care
arrangements, employment situations or family/custody arrangements must be
made in writing and approved by the building administrator.
Adopted: July 5, 1994
Revised: June 21, 2005; March 16, 2006; October 6, 2009; December 6, 2011
Reviewed by PC: January 5, 2023
Cross Reference: JICC - Student Conduct on School Buses
Legal Reference: 20-A MRSA § 5401