Policy 702-R Transportation When determining whether transportation or transportation assistance will be provided, the following guidelines shall apply. Eligible Riders School bus transportation will normally be provided free of charge to: (a)     A primary (K-3) student residing more than 4.0 km from his/her catchment area school; or (b)     A student in ~Grades 4 - 12 residing more than 4.8 km from his/her catchment area school. These distances shall be measured by the nearest passable road from a public school in which there is a grade and placement for the student(s). A student with a physical or mental handicap that prevents him/her from travelling to and from school safely by personal or public transportation may qualify for bus transportation or transportation assistance. The Superintendent or designate will determine when such arrangements are to be made under the advice of the student's physician and/or the district medical health officer. ~Whenever it is reasonable to do so, making the student independent of this special assistance will be an element of the Individual Education Plan. Board Approved Riders The Board may, by resolution, provide transportation or transportation assistance to students from a particular area under exceptional circumstances beyond the control of the students and their families that are not covered by this regulation. Courtesy Riders A courtesy rider is a student registered in the Richmond School District who is granted transportation to and from school despite being neither eligible as defined above nor subject to a Board resolution. Courtesy riders are approved, upon application, by the Superintendent or designate. Courtesy riders must apply using the approved form and must renew their application annually. Courtesy rides may be terminated at any time.  In this case, the Transportation Department will provide written notice as early as possible, and no less than two weeks before the ride is terminated. Courtesy rider seats may be provided on busses traveling established routes if those seats are not required for eligible or board approved riders.  Established bus routes and schedules will not be altered to accommodate courtesy riders. In the event that the number of requests for courtesy rides exceeds the number of available seats, the following guidelines will be considered in order to determine the allocation of seats. • Younger students will be given precedence over older students. • Students traveling greater distances will be given precedence over those traveling lesser distances. • Students with special needs that prevent him/her from traveling to and from school safely by personal or public transportation will be given precedence over students without such special needs. • Students who encounter safety hazards (e.g., lack of sidewalks) along the available routes to and from school will be given precedence over those who do not encounter such hazards. • Students with health issues that would be alleviated by a courtesy ride will be given precedence over those without such health issues. Transportation Assistance Transportation assistance refers to instances where the Board may, upon application from the parents, pay a transportation assistance allowance.  The allowance shall be determined by the Superintendent or designate and shall not exceed the BCSTA mileage rate. If a student attends a Kindergarten where in the opinion of the Board, the travelling time required for the conveyance of the student would be excessive, or the provision of conveyance for the students would be impractical, the Board may, in its discretion, provide transportation assistance. Any student residing in Richmond requiring special training or rehabilitation outside the district may qualify for transportation or transportation assistance.  The Superintendent or designate will determine when such arrangements are to be made. Annual Review All bus routes and schedules will be reviewed annually by the Superintendent or designate for efficiency and effectiveness.  All riders will be required to register annually no later than May 1st in order to ensure that the District has accurate information.  Subsequent to the review, all riders will be informed in writing of their status and the relevant scheduling information. Process for Dealing with Concerns Questions and concerns regarding ridership should be directed to the Administrator responsible for Transportation.  Unresolved concerns may be addressed to that administratorís supervisor and subsequently to the Superintendent or designate. Adopted: 07 December 2009