S 1135 Session 111 (1995-1996)
S 1135 General Bill, By Reese
A Bill to amend Section 59-67-420, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976,
relating to the extent of transportation provided to children attending the
public schools, so as to reduce from one and one-half miles to one-half mile
the distance from a child's residence beyond which the State assumes the
obligation of transporting the child to school.
02/14/96 Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-9
02/14/96 Senate Referred to Committee on Education SJ-9
A BILL
TO AMEND SECTION 59-67-420, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH
CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE EXTENT OF
TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED TO CHILDREN ATTENDING
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SO AS TO REDUCE FROM ONE
AND ONE-HALF MILES TO ONE-HALF MILE THE
DISTANCE FROM A CHILD'S RESIDENCE BEYOND WHICH
THE STATE ASSUMES THE OBLIGATION OF
TRANSPORTING THE CHILD TO SCHOOL.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South
Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 59-67-420 of the 1976 Code is amended
to read:
"Section 59-67-420. The State, acting through the State
Board of Education, assumes no obligation to transport any child to
or from school who lives within one and one-half miles
one-half mile of the school he attends, nor to provide
transportation services extending within a one-half mile radius of
the residence of any child, nor to furnish transportation for any
child who attends a grade in a school outside the pupil's district
when the same grade is taught in an appropriate school that is
located within the school district in which the pupil lives. The cost
of transporting pupils to regularly organized instructional classes in
the district or attendance area for which school credit is given must
be borne by the State. The cost of transportation for new programs
conducted by the school districts must be borne by the school
district until such time as the program is approved by the State
Board of Education and adequate funding for the cost of
transportation for the programs is arranged.
The State may assume the obligation of transporting students
living within one and one-half miles one-half mile
of their schools and within a one-half mile radius of their residences
when it is for the health and safety of the children. In these cases,
the local school district may apply in writing to the State
Department of Education for the department to assume the
transportation for the health and safety of the children involved. In
its application, local school districts shall assign priority to its
requests for transportation on the basis of children's ages, with the
youngest children subject to hazardous conditions receiving the
highest priorities. After examining the request, the state department
shall render a decision on each application based on the location of
the schools in relation to students' homes, the traffic patterns on
adjacent roads, the existence of sidewalks, children's ages, and
other factors considered pertinent. The state department shall not
approve local district applications that have not assigned priority on
the basis of children's ages, with the youngest children receiving
highest priority.
Regardless of the provisions of the first paragraph of this section,
the State shall transport and bear the cost of transporting five-year
old children attending public school kindergarten programs to their
residences at the conclusion of a morning kindergarten session and
from their residences to an afternoon kindergarten session."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the
Governor.
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