Florida Statutes (FS), Florida Administrative Code (FAC) and Citrus County School Board Policies Related to the Establishment of School Bus Stops
Chapter 234.01, FS instructs Florida school boards to provide transportation for students whose homes are more than a “reasonable walking distance” from the student’s assigned school.
Chapter 6A-3.001, FAC defines a reasonable walking distance as “any distance not more than two (2) miles between the home and school or one and one-half (1 1/2) miles between the home and the assigned bus stop.”
Citrus County School Board Policy 3.21(1), School Bus Scheduling and Routing is the basis for the establishment of stops within our district. These guidelines are:
- Buses will be filled to maximize capacity
- Stops will be only on roads with conditions and bridges which will support the bus
- Stops will not be scheduled any closer than two tenths miles (.2) apart
- Routes will not be extended to accommodate students within a reasonable walking distance from the school
- School bus routes will be restricted to main thoroughfares and all-weather roads
- Spur routes are defined as roads where the bus is required to leave the main thoroughfare for less than five tenths (.5) of a mile to make a stop and then make a turnaround and return to the main thoroughfare and are not within the scope of the policy
- Spur routes will not cause poor scheduling, such as causing students to leave home at an unreasonable time
- When a route necessitates a turnaround, a suitable turning area must be available for the bus
- Changes in routes must be made by the Transportation Supervisor