FILE:  EDB

 

BUSINESS AND PERSONNEL TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

 

 

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board requires the highest possible standards of safety of its employees in the operation of vehicles owned or leased by the School Board. Accordingly, no person may be hired or employed for any position which includes duties involving the operation of a School Board owned or leased vehicle who has a motor vehicle record with violations for driving while intoxicated or under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, or other serious motor vehicle violations, nor whose driver’s license is suspended. 

 

The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board shall require that only authorized employees with valid drivers’ licenses be allowed to operate and drive vehicles owned or leased by the Board.  Authorized employees shall be those employees whom the school system has authorized to drive Board-owned vehicles after having their driving record and insurance qualifications examined for acceptability by School Board staff.

 

ARRESTS OR CITATIONS FOR MOTOR VEHICLE VIOLATIONS

 

A school bus operator shall report his/her arrest for violation of any law or local ordinance that prohibits operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or any abused substance or controlled dangerous substance set forth in the drug schedules enumerated in La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §40:964.  School bus operator shall mean any employee of the School Board whose duty is to transport students in any school bus or activity bus to and from school or to and from any school-related activity.

 

The report shall be made by the operator to the Superintendent or his/her designee.  Such report shall be made within twenty-four (24) hours of the arrest or prior to the operator next reporting for his/her work assignment as a school bus operator, whichever time period is shorter.  Such report shall be made by the school bus operator regardless of who owns or leases the vehicle being driven at the time of the offense for which the operator was arrested and regardless of whether the operator was performing an official duty or responsibility at the time of the offense.

 

A school bus operator who fails to report his/her arrest for violations of operating a vehicle as noted above shall be terminated by the School Board if the operator is serving a probationary term of employment, or shall be subject to removal as provided for by state law if the operator is tenured.  If the bus operator is tenured, written and signed charges alleging such failure to report violations shall be brought against the bus operator.

 

Any employee of the school system employed for any position which includes duties involving the operation of a School Board owned or leased vehicle, or operating a private vehicle while conducting Board-related business, shall report by telephone and in writing to the Transportation Supervisor, any citation, summons, or arrest for driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident, driving while license is suspended, or other serious motor vehicle violations.  Such report shall be required whether the usage is of a district owned or leased vehicle or a personal/private vehicle.  Failure to report any such violations within twenty-four (24) hours after any arrest or citation shall be a violation of this policy and subject the employee to discipline including the possible termination of employment.  All reports to the Supervisor of Transportation shall be forwarded to the personnel office for appropriate disciplinary action and reporting to the School Board's insurer.  If denied coverage by the insurer, an employee may be terminated.

 

In the event a citation, summons or arrest involves the operation of a School Board owned or leased vehicle, the driving privileges of an employee may be immediately removed.  For an employee whose primary duty is the driving of a School Board owned or leased vehicle, the employee may be suspended by the School Board with or without pay, or terminated if the violation results in conviction. 

 

In addition, the employee shall be required to notify, in writing, the School Board immediately but no later than forty-eight (48) hours after conviction of any type of motor vehicle moving violation.  If an offense involves a School Board vehicle, the operator shall also notify the Superintendent or his/her designee of conviction of any violation.  Moving violations include, but are not limited to:

 

 

Any motor vehicle driving violation shall be reviewed by the Superintendent or designee.  A conference may be held with the employee, and if the review indicates that disciplinary action is warranted, a recommendation shall be made to the School Board for disposition.  Disciplinary action up to and including termination may result from any motor vehicle moving violations.

 

USE OF SCHOOL BOARD OWNED NON-BUS VEHICLES

 

Significant risk to and exposure to liability to the St. John the Baptist Parish Board results when any School Board employee drives any type of motor vehicle owned or operated by the Board on School Board business.  Such an exposure requires the School Board to protect itself and employees by requiring the implementation of guidelines when employees use Board owned vehicles.

 

  1. All drivers of non-bus vehicles will have a current valid Louisiana Drivers License endorsed for the vehicle being driven.
     

  2. NO DRIVER SHALL DRIVE A SCHOOL BOARD OWNED VEHICLE WITHOUT BEING APPROVED BY THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.  This approval will be done annually just like bus drivers.  Driver histories will be requested from the state police.  If the Transportation Department denies approving an employee to drive a school board owned non-bus vehicle, the employee can appeal that decision to the Superintendent and then to the Board.

    Examples of possible denial of employee driving school board owned non-bus vehicles:

 

 

  1. It is the responsibility of all drivers to notify the Transportation Department and their Supervisor immediately if their license is suspended.
     

  2. It is the responsibility of all Supervisors to make sure that employees have been approved by the Transportation Department before assigning them to drive a School Board owned non-bus vehicle.

 

ACCIDENTS

 

Every driver is required to report promptly, on the appropriate form, to the Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicles and the Superintendent of Schools, any district owned vehicle accident involving death, injury, or property damage in excess of $100.  Any bus driver, while performing his/her official duties, shall be required to report any traffic violation or citation received to his/her immediate supervisor.  All accidents, regardless of the damage involved, must be reported to the transportation director.  Any part of the vehicle rubbing, scraping, or touching (other than bushes, overhanging limbs, etc.) other objects or vehicles in such a manner to cause damage to the vehicle or other objects constitutes an accident.
 

Reporting requirements are applicable to all employees, not just bus drivers.

 

MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVING RECORD

 

The Transportation Supervisor shall, at a minimum of twice a year, submit a list of employees who drive School Board owned or leased vehicles to the Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicles for verification of driving records and for updating information provided to the insurer.

 

Revised:  January, 2002

Revised:  December 2, 2010

 

 

Ref:     La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§14:32.1, 14:32.8, 14:39.2, 14:98, 14:98.1, 14:98.2, 14:100, 17:81, 17:491.3, 17:493

Louisiana School Transportation Specifications and Procedures, Bulletin 119, Louisiana Department of Education

Board minutes, 11-1-01, 12-2-10

 

St. John the Baptist Parish School Board