PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLES

In recommending arrangements for pupil transportation to and from school- related activities, the chief school administrator shall consider the type of activity, the total number of pupils involved, and the availability of appropriate vehicles. Groups of pupils too small in number to make economical use of Type I or Type II vehicles may be transported in privately owned passenger vehicles driven by qualified school personnel, state employees and parents/guardians.

Transportation by Volunteer Drivers

The (school business administrator) (chief school administrator) shall supplement the transportation resources of the district by identifying qualified school personnel, state employees and parents/guardians who are willing to provide transportation for district pupils to and from school-related activities.

Qualifications shall include:

A. A valid New Jersey (or other) driver’s license with no convictions for moving violations;

B. A private passenger vehicle of eight or fewer capacity, with a current New Jersey or other
inspection sticker; and

C. Evidence of at least the statutorily required insurance coverage.

The (school business administrator) (chief school administrator) shall develop and the board shall
adopt detailed regulations to ensure:

A. District approval of activities involved;
B. District determination of drivers and assignment of pupils to them;
C. Pupil safety in pickup, transit and drop-off;
D. Adequate supervision of pupils at the activity.

**Mandated only if the board wishes to do this.
Transportation of Pupils by District Employees as Part of Assigned Duties

District employees who transport pupils in a private vehicle during working hours as part of their
assigned duties shall:

A. Have a current New Jersey (or other) driver’s license with no convictions for moving violations;

B. Use a privately owned passenger vehicle of eight or fewer capacity with evidence of at least the
statutorily required insurance coverage. The vehicle must have a current inspection sticker;

C. Conform to all safety practices set forth in the regulations to this policy.
Implementation of this section shall be in conformity with applicable negotiated agreement.

Key Words

Privately Owned Vehicles, Auxiliary Pupil Transportation, Pupil Transportation, Student Transportation

Legal References: N.J.S.A. 18A:16-6 Indemnity of officers and employees against civil actions
N.J.S.A. 18A:39-20.1 Transportation to and from related school activities in private vehicle with
capacity of eight or less; authorization of qualified school personnel, state employees or parents
N.J.A.C. 6A:27-1.7 Insurance
N.J.A.C. 6A:27-7.6 Transportation to and from related school activities
N.J.A.C. 6A:27-7.7 Parent transporting his or her own child or children

Possible
Cross References: *5020 Role of parents/guardians
*6145 Extracurricular activities
*6145.1/6145.2 Intramural competition; interscholastic competition
*6153 Field trips

*Indicates policy is included in the Critical Policy Reference Manual.

PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLES

Volunteer Driver Pool

A. By September 30 of each school year, the school business administrator will send home to parents/guardians a form on which to indicate willingness to provide school-related transportation.
The form should be accompanied by a brief explanation of the pattern of liability under New Jersey’s No Fault Law.

The form shall include spaces for:

1. Name, address, phone number and willingness to drive;

2. Driver’s license number and statement that the driver has received no moving violations;

3. Make, model, year and mileage of car to be used;

4. Insurance coverage and name of carrier;

5. Hours during which the parent/guardian is generally available;

6. Schools and grades of children, their activities or other interests;

7. Any particular interests of the parents/guardians not reflected in their children’s
participation;

8. Restrictions, such as number of children or grade levels that the parent/guardian is willing to
transport.

Forms are to be returned to the homeroom teacher and forwarded to the school business administrator
to be sorted and collated.

B. By September 30 of each school year, forms will be put in each teacher’s and administrator’s
mailbox.

Form will include:

1. Name, address, home phone, willingness to drive;

2. Driver’s license number and statement that the driver has received no moving violations;.

3. Make, model, year and mileage of car to be used;

4. Insurance coverage and name of carrier;

5. Times at which teacher/administrator will be available;

6. Activities supervised or in which teacher/administrator has an interest;

7. Restrictions, such as number of children or grade levels the staff member is willing to
transport.

Forms will be returned to the school business administrator to be sorted and collated.
Transportation of Pupils by District Personnel as Part of Assigned Duties

A card shall be kept on file in the school business administrator’s office for each employee who transports pupils in a passenger vehicle as part of his/her assigned duties. Information on the card shall include:

A. Name, address, home phone number;

B. Driver’s license number and statement that the driver has received no moving violations;

C. Make, model, year and mileage of car to be used;

D. Insurance coverage and name of carrier.

Approval of Activities; Supervision of Pupils at Activities

A. Board approval

B. At the time of approval, a determination should be made as to whether volunteer transportation
will be used.

All volunteers must be from the school business administrator’s master list.

C. Supervision of pupils at activity

1. When the pupils will become part of a larger group on arrival at their destination, the driver will deliver them to the faculty member or other chaperone in charge, who will be responsible for
the pupils at the activity. If the driver is one of the faculty members or chaperones, he/she will assume those duties on joining the group.

2. When the driver is the sole adult, he/she shall remain with the group for the entire period.

Selection of Volunteer Drivers and Assignment of Pupils

When the school business administrator has confirmed the date of the event and the number of pupils, he/she will attempt to secure drivers to accommodate them.

In assigning pupils to volunteer drivers, the school business administrator will take into account:

A. Grade level and number of pupils if driver has expressed limitations;

B. Location of pupil residences in relation to driver if pupils are to be delivered home.

Safety in Pickup, Transit and Drop-off

When the school business administrator has assigned the pupils to their drivers, he/she shall prepare a sheet for each driver listing the pupils, the pickup time and place, the activity time
and place, directions to the activity, arrangements for drop-off, arrangements for supervision of the pupils at the activity, arrangements for picking up the pupils after the activity, instructions
as to time and place of final drop-off, and a copy of the district’s policy/regulations on pupil bus conduct. The sheet shall include emergency telephone numbers at which the driver can reach an administrator of the school, and, if possible, other persons at the activity, should it become necessary.

A. Pickup place will in most instances be the school. It will be the responsibility of the pupils’ parents/ guardians to deliver the pupils to the assigned pickup place at the proper time.
Parents/guardians are responsible for supervision of their children until the driver arrives, unless the children are being loaded during school hours, in which case appropriate faculty will be
responsible until the vehicle departs. When children are being transported in more than one private vehicle or a combination of district and private vehicles, the faculty member in charge of the
expedition is responsible for accounting for all the children. No child shall enter a vehicle on the traffic side.

B. In transit, the driver shall keep the doors locked and the windows at a safe level. All pupils shall use seat belts. General rules of pupil conduct will be those of the district’s regular policy
on bus conduct.

On arrival at the activity, the driver will drop off the pupils according to directions. In no event shall a pupil exit from a vehicle on the traffic side.

On leaving the activity, the driver shall be sure he/she has all of the same children he/she started with. At activities where faculty and chaperones are in charge of a large group, the
faculty member in charge shall be responsible for ensuring that all pupils are accounted for at time of departure.

C. Final drop-off place shall usually be the school. Parents/guardians will have been informed of the time of the drop-off, and will be responsible for providing transportation home for their own
child. In the event that pupils are to be delivered to their door, the driver should wait until the pupil has entered the outer door before driving off.

Reimbursement

All tolls for highways, bridges, tunnels, etc., will be reimbursable on presentation of a receipt. Parking charges are reimbursable on presentation of either the lot ticket or a voucher, if a meter
was used. The district will reimburse for mileage on volunteer trips.

**Mandated only if the board wishes to do this.