F.15 STUDENT CONDUCT ON SCHOOL BUSES
Policy:
The Red River Valley School Division Board of Trustees believes in the importance of safety on school buses, which includes students conducting themselves in an orderly fashion while waiting for the school bus and riding the school bus.
Protocol:
As per the Public Schools Act (Manitoba) ~ School Buses Regulation 465/88 R ~ 13(1), “The principal of a school whose pupils are being transported in the school bus has the same disciplinary authority over the conduct of the pupils during the period in which they are in, entering upon, or alighting from the school bus, as provided by the regulations under “The Education Administration Act”.
The school bus driver is responsible for maintaining reasonable discipline on his/her bus at all times. Serious misconduct shall be reported to the Principal of that student and the Transportation Supervisor.
Procedure:
The Transportation Supervisor shall prepare a handbook for all students who ride divisional buses, detailing our divisional rules regarding student conduct on school buses. This handbook will be distributed to all students in the fall of each school year.
As a normal course of action, the Principal will apply the following disciplinary procedures:
First Offence- The bus driver reports the discipline problem to the Principal in whose school the student is registered and to the Transportation Supervisor. The Principal investigates the report with the student and, at his/her discretion, may suspend the student from bus riding privileges for a period not to exceed two days. The Principal will notify the parent(s) of the reason for suspension as soon as possible.
Second Offence- The bus driver again reports to the Principal and Transportation Supervisor. After the Principal investigates the report, the Principal contacts the parent(s) to inform them of the offence. The student may be suspended from bus transportation privileges for a period not exceeding one week.
Third Offence- The bus driver again reports to the Principal and Transportation Supervisor. After the Principal investigates the report, the Principal may suspend bus transportation privileges of the student for a period not exceeding four weeks. The Principal will contact the parent(s) to inform them of the offence and the duration of the suspended transportation privileges as soon as possible.
Nothing in this policy shall be construed as limiting the normal authority of the Principal to deal with serious breaches of discipline occurring on the bus as if they had occurred within the school. At any time, if a serious breach does occur, and the Principal investigates the report, the Principal may recommend to the Board that the student’s bus privileges be withdrawn for a period greater than four weeks up to and including the remainder of the school year. If such a recommendation for action is made to the Board, the Principal will notify the parent(s) of such so that the parent(s) may have an opportunity to appear before the Board.
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