Use of School owned Transportation


USE OF SCHOOL EQUIPMENT, TRANSPORTATION

School uniforms and equipment may not be used in non-school competition involving junior high or high school students. School transportation may be leased or rented from the school for use in non-school competition involving junior high or high school students as per the guidelines listed below:

Iowa Code 285.10 (9) and (10) permits a school to lease busses for the purpose of transporting students in such situations. When school transportation is used for camps, clinics or non-school games, The local board shall charge and collect an amount sufficient to reimburse all costs of furnishing the bus and driver. In addition, if a school district leases a bus for this purpose, section 43.10(10)5 of the School Rules of Iowa must be complied with. This reads as follows:

43.10(5) School buses may be used by an organization of, or sponsoring activities for, senior citizens, children, handicapped, and other persons and groups, and for transportation of persons other than pupils to activities in which the pupils from the school are participants of or are attending the activity for which the school is a sponsor under the follow conditions:

a. The "school bus" signs shall be covered and the flashing warning lamps and stop arm are made inoperable when the bus is being used in a non-school sponsored activity.

b. Transportation outside the state of Iowa shall not be provided without approval of the Interstate Commerce Commission.

c. For adult groups, no more than two persons shall occupy a thirty-nine inch seat. Standees shall not be permitted.

d. A chaperone shall accompany each bus to assist the passengers in the boarding and disembarking from the bus and to aid them in case of injury or illness.

e. The driver of the bus shall be approved by the local board of education and must possess a chauffeur's license and a school bus driver's permit.

f. The driver of the bus shall observe the maximum speed limits for school buses at all times.

The Department of Education states, "Certainly we would agree that a district increases its liability exposure when it leases its buses for the purpose of transporting students to summer camps or for nonschool competition, but the law quite clearly gives them the authority to do so. We would certainly agree that the district should contact their insurance company before entering into any type of agreement to lease a bus."