Policy No: 4121
Choosing to use a van instead of a school bus for transportation is placing students in a vehicle that is not as safe as a school bus with a driver that is not a professionally trained school bus driver.
The following guidelines are present as appropriate practices regarding vans used regularly or consistently for home to school transportation.
Per California Vehicle Code Section 545, a vehicle designed for carrying more than 10 persons used for home to school transportation must be a school bus and must comply with all regulations pertaining to school busses. Districts shall not use vans designed for carrying more than 10 persons for home to school transportation unless the van was manufactured as a school bus.
Per California Vehicle Code Section 34520.3, van drivers must be in a random drug pool consistent with the regulations required for the Federal DOT program.
If a district uses a van not designed to carry more than 10 persons, the following must occur:
- Each driver must be a licensed and certificated school bus driver.
- A vendor must be contracted to manage the non-DOT random drug pool.
- A Board Policy must be in place outlining the requirements and best practices of the program.
- Each driver will need to review the policy and the district must document that each employee has reviewed the policy.
- Each driver will need a pre-employment drug test.
- Each driver will be required to participate in the random drug pool.
- Each driver will need to be in the DMV pull program.
If a district chooses to use vans for home to school transportation that are not operated by a licensed commercial driver with a school bus endorsement and a claim occurs, the district will be responsible for the full member retained limit.
First Reading: Sept. 25, 2013
Adopted: Jan. 15, 2014
Revised: May 27, 2020
