The School Board shall delegate to the Superintendent of Schools or his designee the responsibility for management of all School District transportation needs and care of all buses and equipment. The School Board places the safety of all pupils and others who may be riding school buses as the foremost concern of the School District transportation program. All transportation services provided by the School District shall comply fully with state and federal laws and regulations.

In Arkansas, there is no requirement that a district provide bus transportation for any of its students; however, the district chooses to provide bus transportation to students within its boundaries when it is in the district’s best interest to do so. In some isolated cases, the district may even choose to provide transportation to students living outside the district’s boundaries. Unfortunately, the district may not be able to transport some students living in isolated areas or terrain that cannot be accessed by the district’s buses or will extend a route too far, so it may become necessary for other arrangements to be made up to and including the parent or legal guardian providing their student transportation to school. At the beginning of each school year, the superintendent and the district’s transportation supervisor will establish routes for the year and will consider any requests for modifications on an individual basis.

The District’s Student Code of conduct applies to students while traveling to and from school or to and from a school activity to the same extent as if the students were on school grounds. Appropriate disciplinary actions may be taken against commuting students who violate the District’s Student Code of Conduct.

The preceding paragraph also applies to student conduct while on school buses. Students shall be instructed in safe riding practices. The driver of a school bus shall not operate the school bus until every passenger is seated. In addition to other disciplinary measures provided for violations of the District’s Student Code of Conduct, the student’s bus transportation privileges may be suspended or terminated for violations of the Student Code of Conduct related to bus behavior.

The transportation to and from school of students who have lost their bus transportation privileges is the responsibility of the student’s parent or legal guardian.