Ohio Admin. Code 3301-83-05 - [Effective 7/1/2025] Administration

Responsibility for administration of pupil transportation operation and safety rules

(A) The state agencies responsible for pupil transportation may assist in pupil transportation operation and safety by providing:

(1) Leadership;

(2) Management;

(3) Safety programs;

(4) Training programs.

(B) The state agencies responsible for pupil transportation shall will assist in pupil transportation operation and safety by providing:

(1) Disbursement of state funding;

(2) Standards for school bus construction;

(3) Rules for pupil transportation operations;

(4) Forms and reports.

(C) All school bus owners may designate a transportation director/supervisor to administer the transportation program and be responsible for the management and supervision of:

(1) Personnel;

(2) Safety;

(3) Training;

(4) Operations;

(5) Maintenance.

(D) School bus owners will implement personnel policies and/or programs for bus drivers that include, but are not limited to:

(1) Opportunities for professional development as discussed in rule 3301-83-10 of the Administrative Code;

(2) Annual performance reviews, that are recommended to include driving evaluations, implemented no later than the next effective applicable collective bargaining unit agreement date;

(3) Implementing wellness support programming offered by the department of education and workforce and the department of public safety specific to bus drivers and encouraging drivers to utilize the programming.

(D)(E) The Ohio department of education and workforce shall will assist city, exempted, village and local school districts by performing official timings to determine whether pupils attending non-public or community schools are eligible for transportation in accordance with section 3327.01 of the Revised Code. In performing the timings, the department shall will use the procedures set forth in its the current version of the"Transportation Services for Chartered Nonpublic and Community School Students Handbook," located on the department's website (education.ohio.gov), including but not limited to:

(1) Eligibility shall will be determined by measuring the most direct route, which may include the interstate, by school bus from the public-school building to which the pupils would be assigned if attending the public school designated by the district of residence to the school bus loading area nearest and opposite the entrance door used by pupils transported at the attending non-public or community school;

(2) Timings shall will be conducted in a school bus, when both schools are in session, during the regular attendance times that the bus would travel to the school, and the bus should arrive at the building entrance or drop off location at the attending school at a reasonable time, based on the attending school's bell schedule; and

(3) Timings conducted by a department representative are final. A second timing will not be conducted unless it can be demonstrated that the conditions pertaining to the original timing have substantially changed and the department approves it. The department's determination regarding a second timing is final.

Notes

Ohio Admin. Code 3301-83-05

Effective: 7/1/2025
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 1/13/2025 and 07/01/2030
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 4511.76, 3301.07
Rule Amplifies: 4511.76
Prior Effective Dates: 10/22/1984, 07/01/1991, 10/05/1998, 02/20/2020