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TO AMEND SECTION 59-67-420 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO THE EXTENT OF SCHOOL RELATED TRANSPORTATION TO BE PROVIDED TO STUDENTS BY THE STATE, TO REDUCE THE AREA FOR WHICH THE STATE ASSUMES NO OBLIGATION TO TRANSPORT ANY CHILD TO OR FROM SCHOOL FROM WITHIN ONE AND ONE-HALF MILES OF THE SCHOOL HE ATTENDS TO ONE-HALF OF A MILE.
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 of a 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 of a 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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