H 5027 Session 112 (1997-1998)
H 5027 General Bill, By M. Hines, Battle, J.M. Baxley, Breeland, G. Brown,
J. Hines, Howard, Jennings, M.H. Kinon, Lee, Lloyd, Mack, McGee, McKay and
McMahand
A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 59-67-420, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
RELATING TO THE EXTENT OF SCHOOL BUS TRANSPORTATION TO BE PROVIDED, SO AS TO
PROVIDE THAT THE STATE, ACTING THROUGH THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, MAY
ASSUME THE OBLIGATION OF TRANSPORTING STUDENTS LIVING WITHIN ONE-HALF MILE OF
THEIR SCHOOLS AND WITHIN A ONE-HALF MILE RADIUS OF THEIR RESIDENCES.
04/14/98 House Introduced and read first time HJ-22
04/14/98 House Referred to Committee on Education and Public
Works HJ-23
A BILL
TO AMEND SECTION 59-67-420, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH
CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE EXTENT OF SCHOOL
BUS TRANSPORTATION TO BE PROVIDED, SO AS TO
PROVIDE THAT THE STATE, ACTING THROUGH THE STATE
BOARD OF EDUCATION, MAY ASSUME THE OBLIGATION
OF TRANSPORTING STUDENTS LIVING WITHIN ONE-HALF
MILE OF THEIR SCHOOLS AND WITHIN A ONE-HALF MILE
RADIUS OF THEIR RESIDENCES.
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
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 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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