1. PURPOSE AND PHILOSOPHY
   Weber School District is committed to ensuring students receive appropriate district transportation. The District is also committed to ensuring that students, parents, teachers, and transportation personnel understand the procedures for eligibility and procedures to secure district transportation, scheduling and routes, safety provisions, and behavior requirements for students riding District buses.
   
   
2. POLICY
   Weber School District students may be eligible for transportation. The Transportation Department shall be organized to provide school transportation service for eligible students based on safety, efficiency, adequacy, and economy.
   
   
3. PROCEDURES
   1. Bus Stops
      1. Bus stops must not be less than 3 tenths of a mile apart.
   2. Walking Distance from Home:
      1. Elementary students (Grades K-6) may be required to walk up to 1.5 miles and Secondary students (Grades 7-12) may be required to walk up to two miles from their registered address to a bus stop.
      2. Elementary students who live less than 1.5 miles from school and secondary students who live less than two miles from school are not eligible for transportation. State funding for transportation is not provided unless the state formula regarding student eligibility is followed. Parents should assume responsibility for getting students to and from school within the 1.5 and two-mile distances.
      3. Parents of elementary students who live beyond 1.5 miles from the established bus route and parents of secondary students who live beyond two miles from the established bus route may be reimbursed an amount determined by the Board of Education for transporting their students from their registered address to the nearest bus stop on the regular bus route.
      4. State reimbursement is available to parents who must drive more than one and one-half miles for elementary students and two miles for secondary students to their bus stop. It is the responsibility of the individual parent or guardian to seek reimbursement. Reimbursement requests must be received from eligible parents no later than May 31 of each school year. Forms after May 31 will not be accepted.
   3. Bus Routes
      1. Bus routes will be established at the beginning of each school year in accordance with the regulations listed above and in accordance with sound economical and safety practices. Buses will be routed in such a manner as to provide approved transportation services that are economically feasible, safe, and practical.
         1. The minimum number of general education students required to establish a route: 10.
         2. The minimum number of students with disabilities is 5.
   4. Bus Space Availability
      1. Available space means 80% of the seats available for students are assigned to students on the regular route. 
      2. If it is determined that there is space available on a school bus on a regular route, ineligible students living within the school's boundaries may be allowed to ride the bus. Priority is given to students who live the farthest distance from the school. Ineligible students must be given formal approval by the District Transportation Supervisor to use bus transportation. Students will be required to board the bus at the closest eligible bus stop to their registered address. This space available for transportation expires at the end of each school year and may be withdrawn at any time.  
      3. If it is determined that there is space available, application for transportation will be received by the Transportation Office. This application form can be found on the “Transportation” link under “Departments” on the District website (wsd.net). Applications for available space will be accepted from August 1st through September 15th. After that date, no applications will be accepted with the exception of new student enrollment.  New students will have two weeks to apply for bus space availability. 
      4. Prioritization will be given to eligible students throughout the year and if space is no longer available due to eligible students moving in after September 15, an ineligible student whose application was approved may lose their seat.
   5. Reimbursement
      1. State reimbursement is available to parents who must drive more than one and one-half miles for elementary students and two miles for secondary students to their bus stop. It is the responsibility of the individual parent or guardian to seek reimbursement. Reimbursement requests must be received from eligible parents no later than May 31 of each school year. Forms after May 31 will not be accepted.
      2. Parents of students in grades K through 6 living 1.5 miles or more from their assigned school and students in grades 7 through 12 living 2.0 miles or more from their assigned school are eligible to be paid a transportation allowance when school bus transportation is not provided. 
      3. Reimbursement will be paid for the distance between the student's home and the nearest point to which bus service is provided, less one and one-half miles for students K-6 and two miles for students 7-12. 
      4. The rate per mile will be the lesser of the IRS approved rate or any reimbursement rate that may be set by the State of Utah. The board may approve payment for two round trips per day per family for days the student attends school.  The reimbursement can be no greater than the allowance permitted by the Utah Department of Administrative Services for use of privately owned vehicles set forth in the Utah Travel Regulations, R277-600-1.
   6. Open Enrollment
      1. Open enrollment students are responsible for providing their own transportation. (Refer to disclosure statement on “Open Enrollment Application”)

Approved by the Board: March 2024