FILE: EDB
BUSINESS AND PERSONNEL TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT
Significant risk to the East Feliciana Parish School Board results when any School Board employee drives any type of motor vehicle on School Board business. Therefore, every employee that may drive a vehicle on School Board business shall be expected to maintain an acceptable driving record.
SCHOOL BOARD-OWNED OR LEASED VEHICLES
The East Feliciana Parish School Board shall require that only authorized employees with valid drivers’ licenses be allowed to operate and drive vehicles owned or leased by the Board. Authorized employees shall be those employees whom the school system has authorized to drive Board-owned or leased vehicles after having their driving records and insurance qualifications examined for acceptability by School Board staff.
The School Board requires the highest possible standards of safety of its employees in the operation of vehicles owned or leased by the School Board. Accordingly, no person may be hired or employed for any position which includes duties involving the operation of a School Board owned or leased vehicle who has a motor vehicle record with violations for driving while intoxicated or under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, or other serious motor vehicle violations, nor whose driver’s license is suspended.
ARRESTS OR CITATIONS FOR MOTOR VEHICLE VIOLATIONS
A school bus operator shall report his/her arrest for violation of any law or local ordinance that prohibits operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or any abused substance or controlled dangerous substance set forth in the drug schedules enumerated in La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §40:964. School bus operator shall mean any employee of the School Board whose duty is to transport students in any school bus or activity bus to and from school or to and from any school-related activity.
The report shall be made by the operator to the Superintendent or his/her designee. Such report shall be made within twenty-four (24) hours of the arrest or prior to the operator next reporting for his/her work assignment as a school bus operator, whichever time period is shorter. Such report shall be made by the school bus operator regardless of who owns or leases the vehicle being driven at the time of the offense for which the operator was arrested and regardless of whether the operator was performing an official duty or responsibility at the time of the offense.
A school bus operator who fails to report his/her arrest for violations of operating a vehicle as noted above shall be terminated by the School Board if the operator is serving a probationary term of employment, or shall be subject to removal as provided for by state law if the operator is tenured. If the bus operator is tenured, written and signed charges alleging such failure to report violations shall be brought against the bus operator.
Any employee of the school system employed for any position which includes duties involving the operation of a School Board owned or leased vehicle, or operating a private vehicle while conducting Board-related business, shall report by telephone and in writing to the Supervisor of Transportation, any citation, summons, or arrest for driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident, driving while license is suspended, or other serious motor vehicle violations. Such report shall be required whether the usage is of a district owned or leased vehicle or a personal/private vehicle. Failure to report any such violations within twenty-four (24) hours after any arrest or citation shall be a violation of this policy and subject the employee to discipline including the possible termination of employment. All reports to the Supervisor of Transportation shall be forwarded to the personnel office for appropriate disciplinary action and reporting to the School Board's insurer. If denied coverage by the insurer, an employee may be terminated.
In the event a citation, summons or arrest involves the operation of a School Board owned or leased vehicle, the driving privileges of an employee may be immediately removed. For an employee whose primary duty is the driving of a School Board owned or leased vehicle, the employee may be suspended by the School Board with or without pay, or terminated if the violation results in conviction.
BUS ACCIDENT REPORTING PROCEDURES
The East Feliciana Parish School Board shall require all school bus accidents, no matter how minor, to be reported by the bus operator to the Supervisor of Transportation, who must ensure that all appropriate reporting procedures are followed. This reporting requirement applies to students who are injured while on board the bus, even if the bus is not in a collision or a near-collision. (Such accidents are called "on-board" accidents.) It applies whether or not bus passengers are injured or the bus is damaged as a result of the accident.
The Uniform School Bus Accident Report Form must be completed whether passengers are on board or not if the accident involves property damage, personal injury or fatality to:
Occupants in the bus (operator, students, other passengers);
Occupants of any other vehicle(s) involved in the accident;
Non-occupants of the school bus or other vehicle (e.g., student in the loading/unloading zone, pedestrian, bystander, etc.).
The bus operator is responsible for filling out and turning in the form, unless otherwise instructed by the Supervisor of Transportation, who then assumes responsibility for the procedure. All applicable items must be indicated on the form.
MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVING RECORD
The Supervisor of Transportation shall, at a minimum of twice a year, submit a list of employees who drive School Board owned or leased vehicles to the Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicles for verification of driving records and for updating information provided to the insurer.
For any employee that may drive any type of vehicle on School Board business, including personal vehicles, the Board shall require inspection by School Board personnel of the employee's motor vehicle driving record on a regular basis. In addition, the employee shall be required to notify the School Board immediately, but no later than ten (10) days after conviction, of any type of motor vehicle violation. Any motor vehicle violation shall be reviewed by the Superintendent or designee. Any motor vehicle accident shall be reviewed by a committee appointed by the Superintendent. A conference may be held with the employee, and if the review indicates that disciplinary action is warranted, any disciplinary action recommended shall be reviewed by the Superintendent for presentation to the Board. Disciplinary action up to and including termination may result from any motor vehicle violation or accident.
ASSIGNED ROAD VEHICLES
Driving logs shall be maintained by the assigned driver on each Board-owned vehicle other than school buses. Only the assigned driver shall be permitted to drive Board-owned vehicles. Personal use of any Board-owned vehicle shall be prohibited unless prior written permission has been given by the Superintendent or his/her designee. Unauthorized use of a Board-owned vehicle by any employee may result in disciplinary action.
Adopted: May 2, 2000
Revised and Re-Adopted: January 5, 2010
Re-Adopted: November 2, 2010
Re-Adopted: February 6, 2018
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§14:32.1, 14:32.8, 14:39.2, 14:98, 14:98.1, 14:98.2, 14:100, 17:81, 17:491.3, 17:493
Louisiana School Transportation Specifications and Procedures, Bulletin 119, §301, §2903, Louisiana Department of Education
Board minutes, 5-2-00, 1-5-10, 2-6-18
East Feliciana Parish School Board