Policy 5026: Transportation for District-Sponsored Activities or Athletic Events
It is expected that, where the District provides transportation for students to a school sponsored field trip, athletic event, extracurricular activity, or any other similar event, students will travel to and from the activity or athletic competition with their team or group. The District shall provide transportation back to either the point of departure or to the appropriate school. Each student shall travel to and from the activity or event with the group or team unless:
- the student's parent/legal guardian provides the District with prior written notice authorizing an alternative form of transportation (criteria below) and this authorization is approved by an administrator; or
- intervening circumstances make such transportation impractical, in which case a representative of the District shall remain with the student until the student's parent/legal guardian has been contacted and informed of the intervening circumstances and the student is delivered to his/her parent/guardian.
A student must remain with the group or team at all times and may not leave the group to meet a parent/legal guardian elsewhere. If the child is not picked up by the designated individual when the bus is ready to depart, the student will return to the District site on the bus. Under no circumstances will student participants be permitted to drive themselves to or from a school sponsored event, in which they are participating and for which the District is providing transportation. This includes athletic practices that occur off-site, including but not limited to; skiing, bowling, swimming, tennis, golf and ice hockey.
At the start of the season or before a given event, the request for an alternative form of transportation home must be made (online registration software system for sports/using the appropriate CCSD form for extracurricular events) and submitted to the Athletic Office or School Administrative Office. In unavoidable situations, written authorization may be completed at the activity site by the parent and/or legal guardian and provided to the coach or activity supervisor prior to obtaining release of the student.
Individuals Authorized to Provide Transportation To Events
NYS Education Law 1709 (paragraph 41) was created to keep all students safe, and outlines restrictions on who can drive students to and from extracurricular events when CCSD provides transportation. Traveling to contests together as a team not only enables our coaches to plan more effectively, taking into account the team's composition on the bus, but also fosters a sense of community among our players.
Given this, when there is a significant discrepancy in start times between individual student athletes approximately 3 hours in length (on a weekend or a weekday event starting before 11am) or a unique conflict (e.g., a College Board assessment), an administrator may consider written requests from parents or legal guardians to drive students to contests themselves. These requests must be made in writing at least 48 hours in advance. August 29, 2024 Encl. 3.6
Statutory language prohibits alternative drivers (who are not the parents or legal guardians of the given student) from driving students to events when the District is providing transportation.
Individuals Authorized to Provide Transportation Home From Events
Only a child’s parent, guardian, or permanent caregiver may transport a student home from an away event. A parent or guardian may authorize an alternative driver who is a non-student adult to drive their child home from an event using the District-provided third-party permission slip/release form. This must be presented to the supervisor of the event at the time of dismissal from the activity.
Under extenuating circumstances, exceptions may be made to this procedure, by a District or building level administrator. This decision will be made under emergency circumstances and will be communicated directly to the activity supervisor or coach in writing prior to the conclusion of the event.
Adopted by Board of Education: November 14, 2012
Revised: December 13, 2023
First Reading: August 7, 2024
Second Reading: August 29, 2024
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