OEA Government Relations wanted to make field staff aware of new changes in law that impact school transportation. ORC 3327.01, below, requires school districts to drop off public and nonpublic students at school within 30 minutes of the school start time.
“The operator of every school bus or motor van owned and operated by any school district or educational service center or privately owned and operated under contract with any school district or service center in this state shall deliver students enrolled in preschool through twelfth grades to their respective public and nonpublic schools not sooner than thirty minutes prior to the beginning of school and to be available to pick them up not later than thirty minutes after the close of their respective schools each day.”
In accordance with the law, the Ohio Department of Education is required to monitor each school district’s compliance with the changes. School districts will have to complete the list of assurances found here. Additionally, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) is required to deduct a portion of a school district’s state transportation funding if they determine that the district has consistently, or for a prolonged period, been noncompliant with certain statutory obligations regarding student transportation.
OEA officers and government relations staff have heard that some school districts are proposing to make changes, including building start and stop time, to become compliant with the law. OEA Government Relations staff would like to gauge whether field staff is hearing concerns regarding this from members to assess if future legislative changes are warranted.