School Bus Transport topics

SchoolDocs provides policies for schools that have daily school buses and technology buses using Ministry funding, and schools that have privately funded bus transport. See School Bus Transport for an overview of the types of bus service delivery and the corresponding policies.

Daily School Bus (Ministry Managed)

Daily School Bus (Directly Resourced - School Contracted)

Daily School Bus (Directly Resourced - School Operated)

• These topics were previously called "School Bus Transport". The topic name has been changed to distinguish between other types of school bus transport (e.g. technology bus, EOTC).
• Schools that have daily school buses funded by the Ministry of Education have one of these topics, according to different types of service delivery.

Updates include:

• added a section about health and safety responsibilities
• added a section about coordination and delivery responsibilities, with reference to the Ministry's School Transport Rules and Responsibilities Guide
• added information about bus controllers to this topic, including optional wording to specify who the bus controller is and who might work with them to manage their responsibilities
• added optional wording about head schools
• added optional wording about how schools manage students who are not eligible for student transport assistance
• added optional wording for directly resourced schools about contracting a transport administrator
• added a section about financial responsibilities for directly resourced schools.

School Bus Controller (Retired)

This topic has been retired.

• Information about bus controllers and their responsibilities is now covered in the Daily School Bus topic.

Eligibility for School Bus Transport (Retired)

This topic has been retired.

• Information about eligibility is now provided in the Daily School Bus topic with a direct link to the Ministry of Education's criteria.

Bus Safety, Behaviour, and Incidents (Ministry Managed)

Bus Safety, Behaviour, and Incidents (Directly Resourced School Contracted)

Bus Safety, Behaviour, and Incidents (Directly Resourced School Operated)

• These topics were previously called "Bus Incidents". The name has been changed to reflect wider content around safety and behaviour.
• Reordered the content in this topic and added more information about risk management and safety checking (Ministry-managed only), staff conduct (directly resourced only) and the process for managing student behaviour, bus accidents and incidents, and concerns and complaints (all service types).
• Added relevant related topics, legislation, and resources.

Monitoring and Auditing School Bus Contractors (Directly Resourced - School Contracted)

Monitoring and Auditing School-Operated Bus Service (Directly Resourced - School Operated)

• These topics were previously called "Monitoring and Auditing School Bus". The name has been changed to be more specific.
• Added sections on risk management and safety checking and monthly reporting.
• Clarified that auditing should happen once a year (rather than twice yearly) in person, and have updated the audit checklists.
• Added a separate section on Ministry audits.
• Added relevant related topics, legislation, and resources.

School Bus Code of Conduct (Retired)

This topic has been retired.

• A SchoolDocs code of conduct template is no longer offered. Instead, schools have the Ministry template by default.
• Schools that have provided their own code of conduct (with school logo, etc) will have this attached to their Bus Safety, Behaviour, and Incidents topic (see above).

Daily School Bus (Privately Funded)

Bus Safety, Behaviour, and Incidents (Privately Funded)

Monitoring and Auditing School Bus Contractors (Privately Funded)

These are new topics for schools that have a privately funded bus service operated by a contracted bus provider. They cover:

• health and safety responsibilities
• bus controller responsibilities
• policy on student behaviour and procedure for managing bus accidents and incidents and concerns and complaints
• policy on risk management and safety checking, regular reporting, and auditing the bus service.

Technology Bus

• This new topic is for schools that use a Ministry-funded technology bus.

Self-Review and Board Assurances

• This topic has been updated to reflect two new and two updated board assurances:
  • NEW (For schools with a Ministry-run bus service) The principal assures the board at least once a year that the bus service provided for the school by the Ministry of Education meets our responsibilities as a PCBU, and our responsibilities to ensure student safety.
  • Updated (For directly resourced schools that contract a bus service or operate their own bus service) The principal assures the board at least once a year that all operational and health and safety requirements have been met, monthly reporting and the annual audit are satisfactory, and staff and/or contractors involved with the school bus are following appropriate policies and procedures.
  • Updated (For schools that have a privately funded bus service) The principal assures the board at least once a year that all operational and health and safety requirements have been met, and staff and/or contractors involved with the school bus are following appropriate policies and procedures to meet our responsibilities as a PCBU, and our responsibilities to ensure student safety.
  • NEW (For schools with a privately-funded bus service) The principal assures the board at least once a year that all operational and health and safety requirements have been met, and staff and/or contractors involved with the school bus are following appropriate policies and procedures to meet our responsibilities as a PCBU, and our responsibilities to ensure student safety.

Safety Management System

• All schools that have the bus transport policies have the new wording referring to school bus transport.

Child Protection

• Directly resourced schools that contract a bus service or operate their own bus service have the new wording that refers to bus employees.

Alcohol, Drugs, and other Harmful Substances Policy

• Directly resourced schools that contract a bus service or operate their own bus service have the new wording that covers drug and alcohol testing for bus drivers.

Staff Breaches of the Alcohol, Drugs, and other Harmful Substances Policy

• Directly resourced schools that contract a bus service or operate their own bus service have the new wording in that covers drug and alcohol testing for bus drivers.