(1) The school bus driver shall require order and good behavior by all students being transported on school buses.

(2) The district school board shall require a system of progressive discipline of transported students for actions which are prohibited by the code of student conduct. Disciplinary actions, including suspension of students from riding on district school board owned or contracted school buses, shall be subject to district school board policies and procedures and may be imposed by the principal or the principal’s designee. The principal or the principal’s designee may delegate any disciplinary authority to school bus drivers except for suspension of students from riding the bus.

(3) The school bus driver shall control students during the time students are on the school bus, but shall not have such authority when students are waiting at the school bus stop or when students are en route to or from the school bus stop except when the bus is present at the bus stop.

(4) If an emergency should develop due to the conduct of students on the bus, the school bus driver may take such steps as are immediately necessary to protect the students on the bus.

(5) School bus drivers shall not be required to operate a bus under conditions in which one or more students pose a clear and present danger to the safety of the driver or other students, or the safety of the bus while in operation. The district school board shall have measures in place designed to protect the school bus driver from threats or physical injury from students.

(6) District school boards may use transportation, school safety, or FEFP funds to provide added security for buses transporting disruptive or delinquent students to and from school or other educational activities.

(7) In the case of a student having engaged in violent or blatantly unsafe actions while riding the school bus, the district school board shall take corrective measures to ensure, to the extent feasible, that such actions are not repeated prior to reassigning the student to the bus.

History.—s. 280, ch. 2002-387.