Professional Report

BULLYING, HARASSMENT, AND INTIMIDATION

3313.666

Boards are required to adopt policies prohibiting bullying, violence within a dating relationship, harassment, and intimidation of students, and school employees are required to report such “prohibited incidents” to the school principal or designee. The district administration is required to report semiannually the number of all such incidents to the board of education president and to post them on the district web site (if it has one).

The policy must be included in student handbooks and in any publication containing the student code of conduct.

BULLYING, HARASSMENT, AND INTIMIDATION TRAINING

3313.667

To the extent that federal or state funds are appropriated for this special purpose, districts will provide training to staff on bullying, harassment, and intimidation and will educate students about this mandatory policy prohibiting such incidents. Districts are also authorized to form bullying prevention “task forces, programs, and other initiatives.” Boards of education may by resolution designate certain places as depots from which to gather children for transportation to school when such districts provide transportation. The places designated as depots shall be provided with a shelter and be made comfortable during cold and stormy weather. Superintendents are required to certify that bus drivers in local school districts under their jurisdiction are 18 years of age, of good moral character, and qualified physically and otherwise for the position. The boards also shall provide for an annual physical examination of bus drivers. (This certification and physical examination may be provided by an educational service center under an agreement authorized by ORC 3313.843 or 3313.845.) Physical exams may be provided by a physician licensed by another state or by an Ohio licensed nurse practitioner. A driver’s complete driving record must be checked at least semi-annually. Drivers are also required to have criminal records check through the FBI and BCII upon employment and every six years thereafter. However, if the driver has previously received a BCII background check and presents proof of five years of continuous Ohio residency prior to the date on which the person becomes subject to the background check, then only the FBI screening is required. If a bus driver’s background check indicates a potentially disqualifying event, the driver may be eligible for employment if he or she meets the rehabilitation standards prescribed for non-licensed staff members under rule 3301-20-03 of the Ohio Administrative Code. School districts are authorized to lease school buses to nonpublic schools so long as the activities to be supported by the use of the school buses would also be available to students in the public school district leasing the bus. School districts can also lease school buses to nonprofit senior citizen organizations (or to governmental agency providing programming for senior citizens). In such cases, the school district must purchase liability and property insurance.

BUS DEPOTS

3327.03

BUS DRIVERS’ CERTIFICATION

3327.10

BUS DRIVER REHABILITATION

3327.10 OAC 3301-20-03

BUS LEASING TO NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS AN TO SENIOR CITIZEN ORGANIZATIONS

3327.13

3327.14

In both cases, the charges shall not exceed the actual cost of providing the leased transportation.

BUS PURCHASES, INSURANCE, DRIVERS

3327.08 to 3327.10

Laws pertaining to bus purchases, insurance and driver qualifications are found here. In particular, ORC Section 3327.10 provides that each school bus or school van driver must have a certificate of operation, specifying that the individual is at least 18 years of age, is of good moral