FILE:  EDBA

Cf:  EDC

RESPONSIBILITY FOR VEHICLE OPERATION

SCHOOL BOARD-OWNED OR LEASED VEHICLES

The Lafayette 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 School Board.  Authorized employees shall be those employees whom the school system has authorized to drive School Board-owned or leased vehicles after having their driving records and insurance qualifications examined for acceptability by School Board staff.

The School Board shall require the highest possible standards of safety of its employees in the operation of vehicles owned, operated, or leased by or on behalf of 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 Superintendent and/or his/her designee shall maintain pertinent administrative regulations and procedures governing the use, care, and operation of a School Board vehicle.

Take-Home Vehicles

School Board-owned vehicles may be assigned to employees who are required to be on twenty-four (24) hour call for emergency situations or have a specific job requirement which necessitates use of a School Board-owned vehicle.  Such vehicles shall be assigned by the Superintendent or his/her designee based upon the written recommendation of the employee’s departmental supervisor.  No assigned vehicle may be lent to or operated by another employee without prior written approval of the assigned employee’s departmental supervisor.

The employee to which the vehicle has been assigned shall sign a statement acknowledging that the only personal use of the vehicle allowed is travel to and from his/her assigned work station.  In addition, the statement shall also provide that no passengers shall be permitted in the vehicle except as may be pre-approved by the employee’s departmental supervisor.

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 or contract driver 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 Board employed for any position which includes duties involving the operation of a School Board owned or leased vehicle, or operating a private vehicle, at any time, shall report by telephone and in writing to the Superintendent or his/her designee, 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 Superintendent or his/her designee shall be forwarded to the personnel office for review as to any possible 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 accordance with School Board policy.

MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVING RECORD

The Superintendent or his/her designee shall, at a minimum of twice a year, submit a list of employees who drive School Board-owned or leased vehicles, as well as any employee whose duties require the use of a School Board or privately owned vehicle in the course and scope of their responsibilities, to the Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicles for verification of driving records and for updating information provided to the insurer.

USE OF SCHOOL BOARD-OWNED BUSES

At no time and under no circumstances shall Lafayette Parish School Board-owned buses be driven outside of Lafayette Parish without prior written approval of the Superintendent or his/her designee.  Bus operators who drive School Board-owned buses and reside outside of Lafayette Parish shall park their assigned buses at location(s) designated by the Lafayette Parish School Board Transportation Department at all times that said buses are not in route for the Lafayette Parish School Board business (e.g., between morning and evening routes and overnight).

Use of School Board-owned buses for running personal errands or any other personal use is strictly prohibited. School Board-owned buses shall be parked immediately upon completion of routes and shall not be driven again until it is time to begin running routes.  School Board-owned buses and/or other vehicles needed for summer activities will be assigned by the Superintendent or his/her designee and will be handled in a manner similar to during the regular school year.

Adopted:  November 4, 2015

Revised:  March 7, 2018

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, 11-4-15, 3-7-18

Lafayette Parish School Board