N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:27-7.8

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 6A:27-7.8 - Use of school buses other than to and from school and school-related activities

(a) The following words and terms shall have the prescribed meanings when used in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Contiguous school district" means a school district adjoining and adjacent to another school district and sharing in some part a common boundary within the State. For a regional school district, a contiguous school district shall be an adjoining and adjacent school district that shares in some part a common boundary with the total regional school district.

"Group" means 10 or more persons.

"Senior citizens" means State residents who are 60 years of age or older and their spouses. Spouses of senior citizens may be less than 60 years of age.

(b) The district board of education may permit the use of school buses, owned or leased by the school district, for the purposes in (b)1, 2, and 3 below. Events shall include, but not be limited to, civic, social, cultural, educational, recreational, nutritional, and health programs and activities.

1. Transporting senior citizens' groups to and from events within the school district or in any contiguous school district;

2. Transporting disabled citizens in any school district; and

3. Transporting children and adults participating in a recreation or other program operated by the municipality(ies) in which the school district is located or the municipality in which any constituent school district of a regional school district is located.

(c) The district board of education shall adopt a policy addressing the transportation of the groups in (b) above. The policy shall require groups seeking the use of school buses to pay all or part of any costs incurred by the district board of education in permitting such use. The costs shall include, but not be limited to, fuel, driver salaries, insurance, and depreciation.

(d) The district board of education may approve the use of school buses by the groups, at (b) above. Such use shall not interfere with the transportation of school students.

(e) Buses shall be operated only by a person having a valid commercial driver's license with appropriate endorsement(s) required by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.

(f) School bus warning lamps shall not be used when transporting the groups at (b) above.

(g) School buses, when used to transport the groups in (b) above, shall load and unload off the public roadway so as not to interfere with traffic.

(h) District boards of education using buses for the transportation of the groups at (b) above shall maintain proof of insurance coverage for such transportation. Insurance coverage shall include liability for bodily injury and property damage in the minimum amount of $ 1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence for all vehicles used for this purpose.

N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:27-7.8

Amended by R.2005 d.259, effective 8/1/2005.
See: 37 N.J.R. 851(a), 37 N.J.R. 2865(b).
In (a) and (b), added "school" preceding "district" throughout; in (e), substituted "Motor Vehicle Commission" for "Department of Transportation".
Amended by R.2013 d.121, effective 10/7/2013.
See: 45 N.J.R. 606(a), 45 N.J.R. 2245(a).
Rewrote the introductory paragraph of (a), and (b) and (d); in (a), in definition "Contiguous school district", deleted "of New Jersey" following "State", and substituted "that" for "which", and in definition "Senior citizens", substituted "State residents" for "those people of the State of New Jersey"; in (f) and (g), substituted "the" for "these"; and in (h), substituted the second occurrence of "the" for "these".

Amended by 53 N.J.R. 163(a), effective 2/1/2021