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BUS LOST & FOUND

There is a box located at the District Office containing all items found on buses and vans.  Please stop by to check if your student is missing any items between the hours of 8am and 4:00pm Monday thru Friday.  Any items remaining will be donated at the end of each school year.

School Pupil Activity Bus (SPAB)

A vehicle that is designed to carry 10 or more passengers and will be carrying a student to and/or from any school sponsored event must have a School Pupil Activity Bus (SPAB) Certification.  The driver of the SPAB Certified vehicle also must have a School Pupil Activity Bus (SPAB) Certification. 

If your student may ride in any vehicle that would meet the above criteria you are required to check the vehicle certification and driver certification to ensure that they are both SPAB Certified.  You need to ask these questions up front, as this should determine if you would still be utilizing the particular transportation services. 

This regulation is for the safety of the students.  It is required that all parents/guardians and/or students comply with this regulation.  We want to ensure the safety of all Ripon Unified School District students. 

If you have any questions please contact Sue DaBranca in the Transportation Department at 209-599-2131. 

Students Board Policy
5131.1
BUS CONDUCT   Bus transportation is a privilege extended only to students who display good conduct while preparing to ride, riding or leaving the bus. Continued disorderly conduct or persistent refusal to submit to the authority of the driver shall be sufficient reason for a student to be denied transportation.

The Superintendent or designee shall establish regulations related to bus conduct, bus driver authority, and the suspension of riding privileges. The Governing Board shall make these rules available to parents/ guardians and students. (Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 14103)

(cf. 3540 - Transportation)
(cf. 3541.2 - Transportation for Students with Disabilities)
(cf. 3543 - Transportation Safety and Emergencies)

Video cameras may be used on school buses to monitor student behavior while traveling to and from school and school activities. The Board believes that such monitoring will deter misconduct and help to ensure the safety of students and staff. Students found to be in violation of the district's bus conduct rules shall be subject to discipline in accordance with district policy and regulations.

(cf. 3515.4 - Recovery for Property Loss or Damage)
(cf. 5144 - Discipline)

At the discretion of the Superintendent or designee, school bus video recordings also may be used to resolve complaints by students and/or parents/guardians and to help employees maintain discipline.

Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
35160 Authority of governing boards
39800 Transportation
44808 Duty to supervise conduct of students
48918 Expulsion procedures
49061 Definition of student records
49073-49079 Privacy of student records
GOVERNMENT CODE
6253 Public records open to inspection
6254 Records exempt from disclosure
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
14103 Authority of the driver
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
1232g Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

RIPON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Ripon, California
Policy adopted: September 14, 1998

Students Administrative Regulation
5131.1(a)
BUS CONDUCT

Because school bus passengers' behavior can directly affect their safety and the safety of others, the following regulations apply at all times when students are riding a school bus, including school activity trips.

1. Riders shall follow the instructions and directions of the bus driver at all times.

(cf. 3542 - School Bus Drivers)

2. Riders should arrive at the bus stop on time and stand in a safe place to wait quietly for the bus.

3. Riders shall enter the bus in an orderly manner and go directly to their seats.

4. Riders shall remain seated while the bus is in motion and shall not obstruct the aisle with their legs, feet, or other objects. When reaching their destination, riders shall remain seated until the bus stops and only then enter the aisle and go directly to the exit.

5. Riders should be courteous to the driver and to fellow passengers.

6. Because serious safety hazards can result from noise or behavior that distracts the driver, loud talking, laughing, yelling, singing, whistling, scuffling, throwing objects, smoking, eating, drinking, standing and changing seats are prohibited actions which may lead to suspension of riding privileges.

7. No part of the body, hands, arms or head should be put out of the window. Nothing should be thrown from the bus.

8. Riders shall help keep the bus and the area around the bus stop clean. Riders shall not damage or deface the bus or tamper with bus equipment.

9. No animals shall be allowed on the bus without express permission from the principal or designee.

10. A student intending to leave the bus at other than the designated stop must have a pass from the school office.

11. Students shall not argue with the driver or debate rules and regulations while the bus is in operation. Students may discuss procedures with the driver before and after the bus runs.

12. Enforcement of these rules shall include a warning to the student, notification of the parents/guardians, and suspension of bus service for various lengths of time as determined by the driver and the supervisor of transportation.

13. Riders should be alert for traffic when leaving the bus.

If the rules are broken, the following shall be followed:

1. The driver is expected to warn the student that a rule is not being followed and that continued violation may result in assigned seats, parent/principal notification and/or loss of bus service.

2. If there is a second violation, the driver should report the incident to the transportation supervisor and to the principal after which one or both will counsel with student and notify the parents/guardians of a problem.

3. A third violation will cause a formal written complaint to be filed with the principal who will notify the parent/guardian in writing of the problem(s) and the corrective steps taken.

4. Repeated incidents will be reported to the principal who in cooperation with the transportation supervisor will withdraw bus service for periods of time commensurate with the problem.

Corrective action which may be taken may include:

• assigned seats
• service accompanied by a parent/guardian, brother, sister, etc.
• detention time before or after school
• assigned work, washing windows, cleaning the bus, etc.
• parent/guardian conferences at home and/or school
• restitution of damaged or destroyed property
• single or multiple day suspension of bus service
• long term suspension of bus service
• suspension from school

If, in the judgment of the transportation supervisor or Superintendent, the incident of student misbehavior is considered threatening to the safe conduct of students or safety of the driver, these rules may be set aside and the student immediately suspended from riding the bus. The administration and transportation supervisor shall then meet to determine the length of the suspension of bus service.

Video Camera Surveillance

The Superintendent or designee shall supervise the use and maintenance of video cameras.

Students and staff shall not tamper or interfere with video camera equipment on school buses.

Camera supports shall be installed in all buses, and cameras shall be rotated among the buses and activated at the discretion of the Superintendent or designee.

The Superintendent or designee shall notify students, parents/ guardians and staff that video surveillance may occur on any school bus and that video recordings may be used in student disciplinary proceedings. This notification shall include a copy of the district's policy and regulation on bus conduct. In addition, a prominent notice shall be placed in each bus, stating that the bus is equipped with a video monitoring system.

The Superintendent or designee shall routinely review videotapes taken on school buses and shall document any evidence of student misconduct. Two weeks after this review, the Superintendent or designee may erase any tapes that do not show incidents of misconduct.

Tapes retained as part of an individual student's disciplinary record shall be maintained in accordance with law and Board policy governing the access, review and release of student records. Tapes retained as part of an expulsion record are nonprivileged, disclosable public records pursuant to Education Code 48918.

(cf. 5125 - Student Records)

Videotapes may be viewed by persons other than the Superintendent or designee under the following conditions:

1. When student misconduct is revealed as a result of a school bus videotape or reported to the Superintendent or designee by a student, staff member or parent/guardian, students involved in the incident and their parents/guardians may ask the Superintendent or designee for an opportunity to view the videotape.

a. Requests for viewing must be made within five school days of receiving notification that misconduct occurred.

b. A viewing shall be provided or denied within five days of the request.

c. Viewing will be limited to those frames containing the incident of misconduct.

2. Bus drivers and school administrators may ask to view a videotape in order to observe a specific problem and work toward its solution.

3. Viewing shall occur only at a school-related site and in the presence of the Superintendent or designee.

4. All persons who view a tape shall be identified in a written log.