13-29-1
District operation of buses permitted--Purposes for which used.
13-29-1.1
School board may allow nonprofit civic organizations to use buses--Use by
other organizations.
13-29-1.2
Transportation for nonpublic school students--Conditions.
13-29-2
Establishment of bus routes within district--Rules prescribed by state board.
13-29-3
Bus service provided students of another district--Contract.
13-29-4
Regulation of bus routes crossing school district boundaries--Appeal to state
board and courts.
13-29-5
Repealed.
13-29-6
Annual inspection of school buses--Issuance and display of certificate--Operation without certificate as petty offense.
13-29-6.1
School bus inspectors--Inspection without approval as misdemeanor.
13-29-7 to 13-29-12.
Repealed.
13-29-13 to 13-29-18.
Repealed.
13-29-19
Fee for students within five miles--Amount.
13-29-20
School districts prohibited from bidding to provide student transportation
services.
13-29-21
School bus driver training.
13-29-1. District operation of buses permitted--Purposes for which used.
The school board of any school district may acquire, own, operate, or hire buses for the transportation of students to and from its schools either from within or without the district or for transportation to and from athletic, musical, speech, and other interscholastic contests in which participation is authorized by the school board. The school district may contract with a federally regulated charter bus operation to provide charter bus service for transportation of students, chaperones, and employees to and from athletic, musical, speech, other interscholastic contests, and special events in which participation is authorized by the school board. Buses used for this purpose need not meet requirements of a school bus unless such buses are used for the daily transportation of students to and from schools either from within or without the district.
Source: SDC 1939, § 15.3404; SL 1947, ch 70; SL 1949, ch 54, §§ 1, 2; SL 1953, ch 55, § 2; SL 1955, ch 41, ch 13, § 12; SDC Supp 1960, § 15.3312; SL 1975, ch 128, § 199; SL 1981, ch 249, §§ 2, 6; SL 1983, ch 237, § 1; SL 1985, ch 15, § 30; SL 2000, ch 85, § 1; ch 86, § 1.
13-29-1.1. School board may allow nonprofit civic organizations to use buses--Use by other organizations.
A school board may allow nonprofit civic organizations or other government entities to use vehicles owned by the school district to transport persons to various activities deemed by the school board to be in the public interest. A school board may adopt policies for the use of its vehicles by other organizations.
Source: SL 2000, ch 86, § 2.
13-29-1.2. Transportation for nonpublic school students--Conditions.
School districts may provide transportation to nonpublic school students if no additional public funds are expended to provide the transportation. No school district, however, is required under this section to provide transportation to nonpublic school students. This section does not affect the transportation of any eligible student pursuant to an individualized education plan.
Source: SL 2003, ch 102, § 1.
13-29-2. Establishment of bus routes within district--Rules prescribed by state board.
The school board shall also have authority to establish the school bus routes within its own school district. Such bus service shall be subject to the rules for buses and bus routes as prescribed by the South Dakota Board of Education Standards.
Source: SDC 1939, § 15.3404; SL 1955, ch 41, ch 13, § 12; SDC Supp 1960, § 15.3312; SL 1975, ch 128, § 200; SL 2017, ch 81, § 57.
13-29-3. Bus service provided students of another district--Contract.
Bus service may also be provided for the students of one district by entering into a contract with another school district to furnish said bus service.
Source: SL 1955, ch 41, ch 13, § 12; SDC Supp 1960, § 15.3312.
13-29-4. Regulation of bus routes crossing school district boundaries--Appeal to state board and courts.
If the buses operated by a school district cross the boundaries of another school district to transport students to and from school, the school board of such other district or districts shall have the authority to designate which school district operating such buses shall be authorized to transport the students of that district and to regulate the routes of buses picking up students within that district, and that the school districts operating buses shall not violate the routes so designated, except that any person aggrieved by the decision of any such school board shall have a right to appeal to the South Dakota Board of Education Standards and to the courts as provided in chapter 13-46.
Source: SL 1955, ch 41, ch 13, § 12; SDC Supp 1960, § 15.3312; SL 1974, ch 131, § 1; SL 2017, ch 81, § 57.
13-29-6. Annual inspection of school buses--Issuance and display of certificate--Operation without certificate as petty offense.
Each school bus used for the transportation of school children which is owned by a school district, a nonpublic school or alternative education program or privately owned and operated under a contract with a school board or nonpublic school or alternative instruction program shall be inspected before the beginning of each school year by an inspector approved by the Division of Highway Patrol pursuant to § 13-29-6.1 to certify that the vehicle complies with state law, and rules of the South Dakota Board of Education Standards, the Department of Public Safety, and the Division of Highway Patrol. However, if a school bus is purchased from a licensed motor vehicle dealer during the school year, the dealer may inspect and certify that the vehicle complies with such law and rules. The owner of any bus certified by a dealer shall have the bus inspected by an approved inspector before the beginning of the next school year. The owner of the bus shall display a certificate certifying that the school bus has successfully passed inspection issued by the Division of Highway Patrol or the dealer in a form prescribed by the Division of Highway Patrol in the vehicle above the windshield. Any school board, contractor, or person operating a school bus that has not been certified commits a petty offense. This section does not apply to federally regulated charter bus service operations.
Source: SL 1955, ch 41, ch 13, § 13; SDC Supp 1960, § 15.3313; SL 1961, ch 82, § 1; SL 1968, ch 53; SL 1975, ch 128, § 201; SL 1979, ch 220, § 4; SL 1982, ch 86, § 142; SL 1986, ch 132, § 1; SL 1992, ch 158, § 94; SL 1998, ch 94, § 1; SL 2000, ch 85, § 2; SL 2004, ch 17, § 26; SL 2013, ch 78, § 1; SL 2017, ch 81, § 57.
13-29-6.1. School bus inspectors--Inspection without approval as misdemeanor.
The Division of Highway Patrol may promulgate rules pursuant to chapter 1-26, to establish specific standards and requirements for approval of school bus inspectors. The Division of Highway Patrol may approve inspectors subject to these rules. Any person that performs a school bus inspection without being approved by the Division of Highway Patrol is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Source: SL 2013, ch 78, § 2.
13-29-19. Fee for students within five miles--Amount.
A school district may charge a nominal fee for providing school bus transportation services to students whose residence is less than five miles from the school.
The fee authorized by this section may be charged only to those parents who request school bus transportation services for their children. The amount of the fee shall be established by the local school board.
Source: SL 1994, ch 124, §§ 1, 2; SL 1998, ch 95, § 1.
13-29-20. School districts prohibited from bidding to provide student transportation services.
No school district may participate as a bidder in the public bidding conducted for the purpose of providing transportation services for students to attend school in the district.
Source: SL 1994, ch 123; SL 1996, ch 110, § 19.
13-29-21. School bus driver training.
Each school bus driver shall receive appropriate training at least once every five years, and the school bus driver shall pay any fees charged for the training. The training shall include classroom instruction in first aid, bus safety, and the management of passengers, and also behind-the-wheel training to enable the safe and efficient operation of the bus.
Source: SL 2011, ch 87, § 3.
