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    TITLE VIIICHAPTER 43PUPIL TRANSPORTATION[Prior to 9/7/88, see Public Instruction Department[670] Ch 22]DIVISION ITRANSPORTATION ROUTES281—43.1(285)  Intra-area education agency routes.    43.1(1)  Bus routes within the boundaries of transporting districts as well as within designated areas must be as efficient and economical as possible under existing conditions.   43.1(2)  The riding time, under normal conditions, from the designated stop to the attendance center, or on the return trip, shall not exceed 75 minutes for high school pupils or 60 minutes for elementary pupils. A school district may extend the riding time limits up to 15 minutes subsequent to a public hearing. (These limits may be waived upon request of the parents.)  43.1(3)  Pupils whose residence is within two miles of an established stop on a bus route are within the area served by the bus and are not eligible for parent or private transportation at public expense to the school served by the bus, except as follows:  a.  Bus is fully loaded.  b.  Physical disability makes bus transportation impractical.All parents or guardians who are required by their school district to furnish transportation for their children up to two miles to an established stop on a bus route shall be reimbursed pursuant to Iowa Code section 285.1(4).  43.1(4)  Transporting districts shall arrange routes to provide the greatest possible convenience to the pupils. The distance for pupils who are required to travel to meet the bus shall be kept to the minimum consistent with road conditions, uniform standards, and legal requirements for locating bus routes.  43.1(5)  Each bus route shall be reviewed annually by local transportation staff for safety hazards. A record of the annual review must be maintained.Related ARC(s): 4636C281—43.2(285)  Interarea education agency routes.    43.2(1)  Joint consultation shall be held by the area education agency boards involved. The initial steps may be undertaken by the area education agency administrators. If there are no difficulties and agreement is reached, the route is approved and no further action need be taken.  43.2(2)  If agreement is not reached in the initial attempt, the administrator of the area education agency in which the applying school is located shall advise the superintendent of reasons for failure to reach agreement and request that the superintendent revise the transportation plan to meet the objection and resubmit same.  43.2(3)  If the area education agency boards do not reach agreement on the route, the home area education agency administrator shall forward the complete record of the case together with disapproved transportation plan to the state department of education. Every effort should be made, however, to settle the matter locally.  43.2(4)  All legal provisions, standards and regulations applying to approval and operation of bus routes apply equally to interarea education agency bus routes.  43.2(5)  All interarea education agency bus routes must be approved each year. If there has been no change in the designations, nor in the proposed route, the transportation plan may be made and agreement indicated by letter.Related ARC(s): 4636CDIVISION IIPRIVATE CONTRACTORS281—43.3(285)  Contract required.  All private contractors wishing to transport pupils to and from school in privately owned vehicles must be under contract with the local board of education. This requirement does not apply to individuals who transport their own children or other children on a not-for-hire basis.The contract shall include, but not be limited to, all provisions prescribed by the department of education. Related ARC(s): 4636C281—43.4(285)  Uniform charge.  The contract must provide for a uniform charge for all pupils transported. No differentiations may be made between pupils of different districts except as provided in Iowa Code section 285.1(12). Nothing shall prohibit a private contractor from establishing variance in fees when differences in how transportation is provided are necessary in order to meet student needs.Related ARC(s): 4636C281—43.5(285)  Board must be party.  The contractor may not arrange with individual families for transportation. The contractor undertakes to transport only those families indicated by the board of education.281—43.6(285)  Contract with parents.  Parents, guardians, or custodians undertaking to transport other children for hire, in addition to their own, are private contractors. These individuals must be under contract, and must obtain an appropriate driver’s license and a school bus driver’s authorization.281—43.7(285)  Vehicle requirements.  Any vehicle used, other than that used by individuals to transport their own children or other children on a not-for-hire basis, is considered to be a school bus and must meet all requirements for the type of vehicle used, including semiannual inspection. This requirement is not intended to restrict the use of passenger vehicles during the time the vehicles are not actually engaged in transporting school pupils.Related ARC(s): 4636CDIVISION IIIFINANCIAL RECORDS AND REPORTS281—43.8(285)  Required charges.  Full pro rata costs must be charged and collected for the transportation of all nonresident pupils. No differentiation may be made in charges due to differences in distance or grade in school.281—43.9(285)  Activity trips deducted.  Transporting school districts which use their equipment for activity trips, or educational tours, or other types of transportation services as permitted in Iowa Code sections 285.10(9) and 285.10(10), must deduct the cost of trips from the total yearly transportation cost. These costs may not be included in the pro rata costs which determine the charge to sending districts.Transporting school districts must maintain accurate and complete accounting records so that the cost of transportation to and from school may be ascertained.Related ARC(s): 4636CDIVISION IVUSE OF SCHOOL BUSES OTHER THAN FOR ROUTES281—43.10(285)  Permitted uses listed.  School buses may be used to transport pupils under the following conditions:  43.10(1)  The program is a part of the regular or extracurricular program of a public school and has been so adopted and made a matter of record in the minutes of all the boards involved.  43.10(2)  The pupils are enrolled in a public school.  43.10(3)  The program or activity is sponsored by a school or group of schools cooperatively and is under the direct control of a qualified staff member of a school district.  a.  Several or all schools may engage the same staff member on a cooperative basis.  b.  In transporting pupils to Red Cross swimming classes a superintendent of schools may be designated by action of the district board as the supervisor or director of the activity and may use the Red Cross instructor to carry on the actual instruction in swimming.  c.  If the Red Cross instructor holds a regular teacher’s certificate issued by the board of educational examiners, the instructor can be named as general supervisor of the activity by the several schools.  43.10(4)  The bus shall be driven by an approved driver holding an appropriate driver’s license and a school bus driver’s authorization. In addition, the buses must be accompanied by a member of the faculty or other employee of the school or a parent or other adult volunteer as authorized by a school administrator who will be responsible for the conduct and the general supervision of the pupils on the bus and at the place of the activity. This person shall ride the bus. If the faculty member is an approved driver, that person can act both as a driver and faculty sponsor.  43.10(5)  School buses may be used by an organization of, or sponsoring activities for, senior citizens, children, individuals with disabilities, and other persons and groups, and for transportation of persons other than pupils to activities in which pupils from the school are participants or are attending the activity or for which the school is a sponsor under the following conditions:  a.  The “school bus” signs shall be covered and the flashing warning lamps and stop arm made inoperable when the bus is being used in a nonschool-sponsored activity.  b.  Transportation outside the state of Iowa shall not be provided without the approval of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration of the United States Department of Transportation.  c.  A chaperone shall ride each bus to assist the passengers in boarding and disembarking from the bus and to aid them in case of illness or injury.  d.  The driver of the bus shall be approved by the local board of education and must possess an appropriate driver’s license and a school bus driver’s authorization.  e.  The driver of the bus shall observe all motor vehicle laws for school buses at all times.  43.10(6)  The bus meets passenger seating requirements.  a.  Each passenger shall have a seat, with no part of the passenger’s body extending into the aisle.  b.  Student passengers shall have a minimum of 13 inches of allowable seating per person.  c.  For adult groups, no more than two persons shall occupy a 39-inch seat.  d.  Standees are prohibited in all situations, whether the bus is transporting students or adults.  e.  The maximum number of passengers shall never exceed the rated capacity of the vehicle as it is equipped.  f.  Districts with buses utilizing 3-point lap-shoulder belts shall adopt a board policy regarding use of these lap-shoulder belts by passengers.Related ARC(s): 4636C281—43.11(285)  Teacher transportation.  A public school teacher who is transported to or from the teacher’s school should be charged the pro rata cost by the transporting district.Related ARC(s): 4636CDIVISION VTHE BUS DRIVER281—43.12(285)  Driver qualifications.  General character and emotional stability are qualities which must be given careful consideration by boards of education in the selection of school bus drivers. Elements that should be considered in setting a character standard include, but are not limited to:
    1. Reliability or dependability.
    2. Initiative, self-reliance, and leadership.
    3. Ability to get along with others.
    4. Freedom from use of undesirable language.
    5. Personal habits of cleanliness.
    6. Moral conduct above reproach.
    7. Honesty.
    8. Freedom from addiction to narcotics or habit-forming drugs.
    9. Freedom from addiction to alcoholic beverages or liquors.
    Related ARC(s): 4636C281—43.13(285)  Stability factors.  Factors to be considered in determining emotional stability are:  43.13(1)  Patience.  43.13(2)  Considerateness.  43.13(3)  Even temperament.  43.13(4)  Calmness under stress.281—43.14(285)  Driver age.  School bus drivers must be at least 18 years of age on or before August 1 preceding the opening of the school year for which a school bus driver’s authorization is required.281—43.15(285)  Physical fitness.  Except for insulin-dependent diabetics, an applicant for a school bus driver’s authorization must undergo a biennial physical examination by a certified medical examiner who is listed on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. The applicant must submit annually to the applicant’s employer the signed medical examiner’s certificate pursuant to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations 49 CFR Sections 391.41 to 391.49, indicating, among other requirements, sufficient physical capacity to operate the bus effectively and to render assistance to the passengers in case of illness or injury and freedom from any communicable disease. At the discretion of the chief administrator or designee of the employer or prospective employer, the chief administrator or designee shall evaluate the applicant’s ability in operating a school bus, including all safety equipment, in providing assistance to passengers in evacuation of the school bus, and in performing other duties required of a school bus driver.Related ARC(s): 1661C, 4636C281—43.16(285)  Tests for tuberculosis.  Rescinded IAB 8/16/06, effective 9/20/06.281—43.17(285)  Insulin-dependent diabetics.  A person who is an insulin-dependent diabetic may qualify to be a school bus driver if the person meets all qualifications of Iowa Code subsection 321.375(3). Such driver is subject to an annual physical examination by a qualified medical examiner as listed in rule 281—43.15(285).281—43.18(285)  Authorization to be carried by driver.  Every school bus driver shall carry a copy of the driver’s school bus driver’s authorization at all times when the driver is acting in that capacity.281—43.19(285)  Vision requirements.  Rescinded IAB 12/8/04, effective 1/12/05.281—43.20(285)  Hearing requirements.  Rescinded IAB 12/8/04, effective 1/12/05.281—43.21(285)  Experience, traffic law knowledge and driving record.  No driver applicant shall be employed or allowed to transport students until the board determines that the applicant has an acceptable driving record, demonstrates the ability to safely operate the vehicle(s) representative of the vehicle(s) required to be operated during employment and is knowledgeable of traffic laws and regulations pertaining to the operation of a school bus. Each local district, or the district’s contracted transportation service, must, at a minimum, check the driving record of each applicant or renewing driver on the Iowa court information system available to the general public. The local district shall determine what an acceptable driving record is based upon the district’s review and must maintain records of the review of each driver. Nothing in this rule precludes the district from examining other records to determine whether the driver has an acceptable driving record nor does it restrict the district to such examinations only at the time of hiring and renewal.Related ARC(s): 0517C281—43.22(321)  Fee collection and distribution of funds.  The department of education shall assess a fee for semiannual school bus inspections for each school bus or allowable alternative vehicle (pursuant to rule 761—911.7(321)) inspected by the department. The department shall present for payment a fee statement to the owner of each school bus or allowable alternative vehicle inspected. For districts transporting pupils through a private contractor under rule 281—43.3(285), the fee statement shall be presented to the contracting district for payment.The department of education shall submit an annual budget request for an amount equal to 100 percent of the total projected fees to be collected during the next fiscal year, which shall be based on an amount equal to the number of school bus and allowable alternative vehicle inspections completed during the previous school year multiplied by the inspection fee authorized by statute.Related ARC(s): 4636C281—43.23(285)  Driver authorization.  The local board of education or its designee shall submit an application for the school bus driver’s authorization for each of the board’s drivers annually upon a form prescribed by the department of education.Related ARC(s): 4636C281—43.24(321)  Authorization denials and revocations.  A person who believes that a school bus driver who holds an authorization issued by the department of education or who seeks a school bus authorization has committed acts in violation of Iowa Code subsection 321.375(2) or rule 281—43.12(285) may file a complaint with the department against the driver or applicant. The department shall notify the driver or applicant that a complaint has been filed and shall provide the driver or applicant with a copy of the complaint. A hearing shall be set for the purpose of determining whether the bus driver’s authorization shall be denied, suspended, or revoked, or whether the bus driver should receive a reprimand or warning. Hearing procedures in 281—Chapter 6 shall be applicable to such proceedings. No school bus driver or applicant shall retain or obtain employment if the local district finds that the individual is listed on the sex offender registry under Iowa Code section 692A.121 available to the general public, the central registry for child abuse information established under Iowa Code section 235A.14, or the central registry for dependent adult abuse information established under Iowa Code section 235B.5. A hearing conducted pursuant to Iowa Code section 321.375(3) or 321.376 shall be limited to the question of whether the school bus driver or applicant was incorrectly listed on the registry. The driver or applicant shall not serve in the capacity of a school bus driver while the appeal process is being conducted.Related ARC(s): 0517CDIVISION VIPURCHASE OF BUSES281—43.25(285)  Local board procedure.  The board of education shall proceed as follows in purchasing school buses:  43.25(1)  Request bids unless the bus is a used or demonstrator bus.  43.25(2)  Notify dealers of intent to purchase school transportation equipment and request bids.  43.25(3)  Reserve right to reject all bids.  43.25(4)  Require all bids to be on comparable equipment which meets all state and federal requirements.  43.25(5)  Hold an open meeting for dealers to present merits of their equipment.  43.25(6)  Review bids, tabulate all bids, make a record of action taken.  43.25(7)  Sign contracts or orders for purchase of school transportation equipment. The purchase agreement must provide that the dealer will deliver equipment which will pass initial state inspection at no further cost to the school.  43.25(8)  Notify the department of education of purchase and date of delivery so that arrangements can be made for the initial school bus inspection. No school bus shall be put into service until it has passed a pre-use inspection conducted, documented, and reported by the local board of education or its designee on a form prescribed by the department of education. The initial school bus inspection will be conducted at the earliest possible time convenient to the school and the department of education.Related ARC(s): 9262B, 4636C281—43.26(285)  Financing.  The board of education may finance purchase of transportation equipment as follows:  43.26(1)  The board may pay all of the cost of each bus from funds on hand in the general fund or other funds allowed by statute.  43.26(2)  Bonds may be voted to purchase equipment, and funds so derived shall be used for that purpose.Related ARC(s): 4636C281—43.27    Reserved.281—43.28    Reserved.281—43.29    Reserved.DIVISION VIIMISCELLANEOUS REQUIREMENTS281—43.30(285)  Semiannual inspection.  To facilitate the semiannual inspection program, school and school district officials shall send their buses to inspection centers as scheduled. A sufficient number of drivers or other school personnel shall be available at the inspection to operate the equipment for the inspectors. The fee for each vehicle inspected shall be $40 effective July 3, 2013. Effective July 1, 2020, the fee for each vehicle inspected shall be $50.Related ARC(s): 0767C, 4636C281—43.31(285)  Maintenance record.  School officials shall cause the chassis of all buses and allowable alternative vehicles, whether publicly or privately owned, to be inspected annually and all necessary repairs made before the vehicle is put into service. The inspection and repairs shall be recorded on a form prescribed by the department of education. The completed form shall be signed by the mechanic and carried in the glove compartment of the bus.Related ARC(s): 4636C281—43.32(285)  Drivers’ schools.  All school bus drivers shall attend classes or schools of instruction as approved by the department of education and provided for in Iowa Code subsection 321.376(2). All new drivers shall, within the first six months of employment, successfully complete the “new driver STOP class” approved by the department. All current school bus drivers shall attend the annual course of instruction. Upon missing a year of instruction, a current driver shall successfully complete the course of instruction for new drivers prior to receiving an authorization. The employer of a school bus driver may impose additional training requirements for any new or current driver.Related ARC(s): 9472B281—43.33(285)  Insurance.  The board of education shall carry insurance on all school-owned buses and see that insurance is carried by all contractors engaged in transporting pupils for the district in the coverages and limits as determined by the board of education.281—43.34(285)  Contract—privately owned buses.  The board of education and a contractor who undertakes to transport school pupils for the board, in privately owned vehicles, shall sign a contract that contains, but is not limited to, the following provisions:  43.34(1)  To furnish and operate at the contractor’s own expense a legally approved vehicle of transportation transporting only children attending the school designated by the board of education.  43.34(2)  To comply with all legal and established uniform standards of operation as required by statute or by legally constituted authorities.  43.34(3)  To comply with all uniform standards established for protection of health and safety for pupils transported.  43.34(4)  To comply with all rules and regulations adopted by the board of education for the protection of the children, or to govern the conduct of the driver of bus.  43.34(5)  To keep bus in good mechanical condition and up to standards required by statutes or by legally constituted authorities.  43.34(6)  To take school bus to official inspection when held by state authorities with no additional expense to party of second part.  43.34(7)  Reserved.  43.34(8)  To use only drivers and substitute drivers who have been approved by the board of education and have received a school bus driver’s authorization.  43.34(9)  To furnish the board of education an approved certificate of medical examination for each person who is approved by the board of education to drive the bus.  43.34(10)  To attend a school of instruction for bus drivers as prescribed by the bureau of nutrition programs and school transportation of the department of education. (If the owner does not drive the bus, the regular approved driver of the bus shall attend.).  43.34(11)  To carry insurance on bus and pupils in the coverages and limits as determined by the board of education. Copy of policy to be filed with superintendent of schools.  43.34(12)  To make such reports as may be required by state department of education, area education agency board of education, and superintendent of schools.  43.34(13)  To use the school bus only for transporting regularly enrolled students to and from public school and to extracurricular activities approved and designated by the board of education and further to comply with all legal restrictions on use of bus.  43.34(14)  To obtain, if possible, the license plate numbers of all vehicles violating the school bus passing law, Iowa Code section 321.372, and file information for prosecution.  43.34(15)  To reserve the right of the board of education to change routing of the bus and, if additional mileage is required, allow for an extra cost.  43.34(16)  To ensure immoral conduct or the use of alcoholic beverages by the contractor or driver employed by the contractor shall result in appropriate sanctions as provided in Iowa Code section 321.375.  43.34(17)  To allow the contract to be terminated on 90-day notice by either party as provided by Iowa Code section 285.5(4).  43.34(18)  An agreement that, if the contractor desires to terminate the contract, the school bus will be sold to the board of education at its request as provided in Iowa Code section 285.5(1). This requirement does not apply to a passenger vehicle used as a school bus.Related ARC(s): 9262B, 4636C281—43.35(285)  Contract—district-owned buses.  The board of education and a private individual undertaking to transport school pupils for the board in school district-owned vehicles shall sign a contract substantially similar to that prescribed by the department of education. The contract shall contain the following provisions:  43.35(1)  To conform to all rules of the board of education in and for the district adopted for the protection of the children and to govern the conduct of the person in charge of the conveyance.  43.35(2)  To make reports as may be required by the department of education, area education agency, or superintendent of schools.  43.35(3)  To conform to all standards for operation of the school buses as required by statute or by legally constituted authorities.  43.35(4)  That the employee shall be entitled to benefits as outlined in the school board policy for the school district.  43.35(5)  To attend a school of instruction for bus drivers as prescribed by the department of education.  43.35(6)  That the employer can terminate the contract and dismiss the employee for failure to conform to all laws of the state of Iowa and rules promulgated by the Iowa department of education applicable to drivers of school buses.  43.35(7)  That the contract shall not be in force until the driver presents an official school bus driver’s authorization.Related ARC(s): 4636C281—43.36(285)  Accident reports.  Rescinded ARC 4636C, IAB 8/28/19, effective 10/2/19. 281—43.37(285)  Railroad crossings.  The driver of any school bus shall bring the bus to a complete stop within 50 feet, but not less than 15 feet, from railroad crossings, as required in Iowa Code section 321.343, regardless of whether or not there are any pupils in the bus, and regardless of whether or not there is an automatic signal at the crossing. After stopping, the driver shall open the entrance door, shall look and listen for approaching trains, and shall not proceed to cross the tracks until it is safe to do so.Related ARC(s): 4636C281—43.38(285)  Driver restrictions.    43.38(1)  The driver of a school vehicle shall not smoke in the vehicle or on any school property.  43.38(2)  The driver shall not permit firearms or other weapons, nor ammunition, to be carried in the passenger compartment of any school vehicle transporting pupils.  43.38(3)  The driver shall not fill the fuel tank while the motor is running or when there are passengers in the vehicle.  43.38(4)  The driver shall ensure that aisles and exits are not blocked.Related ARC(s): 9262B, 4636C281—43.39(285)  Civil defense projects.  Civil defense projects may be recognized by the board of directors of any school district as an authorized extracurricular activity under the following conditions:  43.39(1)  Such activity may take the form of, but need not be restricted to:  a.  First-aid classes.  b.  Study and distribution of materials relating to community survival, fallout shelters, radiation detection, and other pertinent disaster measures.  c.  Exercises and field trips related to the above matters.  d.  Cooperation with local, state and national authorities, both civil and military, and interested organizations, in carrying out civil defense exercises and in planning and making preparations for passive defense in time of actual emergency.  43.39(2)  The use of school buses for field trips and exercises, and the planned use of school buses in connection with actual emergency procedures to be carried on in cooperation with local, state or national authorities, civil or military, is hereby defined as properly incident to such authorized extracurricular activity.  43.39(3)  The bus shall be driven by an approved driver holding an appropriate driver’s license and a school bus driver’s authorization except that in actual emergency situations, where approved drivers are not available, other drivers, including students and teachers, may be used if allowed by local school board policy. Related ARC(s): 4636C281—43.40(285)  Pupil instruction.  At least twice during each school year, once in the fall and once in the spring, each pupil who is transported in a school vehicle shall be instructed in safe riding practices and participate in emergency evacuation drills. Documentation of these drills shall be maintained locally for five years and made available upon request.Related ARC(s): 4636C281—43.41(285)  Trip inspections.    43.41(1)  A pretrip inspection of each school vehicle shall be performed and recorded prior to each trip to determine if any defects or deficiencies exist that may affect the safety of the vehicle’s operation or result in its mechanical breakdown. The pretrip inspection report shall be signed by the driver and submitted promptly to the superintendent of schools, transportation supervisor, school bus mechanic, or other person charged with the responsibility for the school transportation program. Any defects or deficiencies that merit an OOS (out of service) rating pursuant to department of education school bus inspection guidelines must be repaired prior to use of the vehicle. All other defects or deficiencies should be repaired as soon as possible but do not prohibit the use of the vehicle.  43.41(2)  A posttrip inspection of the interior of the school vehicle shall be performed after each trip to ensure no passengers remain.Related ARC(s): 4636C281—43.42(285)  Loading and unloading areas.  Restricted loading and unloading areas shall be established for school buses at or near schools.Related ARC(s): 4636C281—43.43(285)  Communication equipment.  Each school bus shall have a communications system capable of communication between the driver of the bus and the school’s base of operations for school transportation.Related ARC(s): 4636CDIVISION VIIICOMMON CARRIERS281—43.44(285)  Standards for common carriers.  These standards are intended to apply to any vehicle operated by a common carrier when used exclusively for student transportation to and from school. “Common carrier” refers to a person or entity in the business of transporting goods or people for hire as a public service.  43.44(1)    Vehicles.    a.  The vehicles need not be painted yellow and black as required for conventional school buses.  b.  The vehicles shall, while transporting children to and from school, be equipped with temporary signs, located conspicuously on the front and back of the vehicle. The sign on the front shall have the words “School Bus” printed in black letters not less than six inches high, on a background of National School Bus Yellow. The sign on the rear shall be at least ten square feet in size and shall be painted National School Bus Yellow, and have the words “School Bus” printed in black letters not less than eight inches high. The colors shall conform to those described within 281—subrule 44.3(10).  43.44(2)    Drivers.    a.  The driver shall have an appropriate driver’s license issued by the Iowa department of transportation.  b.  The driver shall possess a school bus driver’s authorization issued by the Iowa department of education.  c.  The driver shall receive training in accordance with state requirements for school bus drivers.  43.44(3)    Seating.  Each passenger shall have a seat; standees are prohibited. No passenger shall be present in the bed of a pickup when the vehicle is being operated.  43.44(4)    Loading and unloading procedures.    a.  The vehicle shall pull close enough to the curb to prevent another vehicle from passing on its right side.  b.  If the vehicle is not equipped with flashing warning lights and stop arm, or if use of this equipment is prohibited by law, the pupils, on unloading, shall be instructed to remain at the curb until the bus has pulled away and it is safe for them to cross the street.  43.44(5)    Inspection of vehicles.    a.  Drivers shall be required to perform pretrip inspections of their vehicles to determine if any defects or deficiencies exist that may affect the safety of the vehicle’s operation or result in its mechanical breakdown. The pretrip inspection report shall be submitted promptly to the person charged with maintenance of the vehicle. Any defects or deficiencies that merit an OOS (out of service) rating pursuant to department of education school bus inspection guidelines must be repaired prior to use of the vehicle. All other defects or deficiencies should be repaired as soon as possible but do not prohibit the use of the vehicle.  b.  Vehicles shall be inspected semiannually by personnel of the department of education in accordance with the provisions of Iowa Code section 285.8(4).  43.44(6)    Other requirements.    a.  Local school officials shall provide the carrier with passenger conduct rules and the driver shall abide by the policies and procedures established by the local district.  b.  Student instruction for passenger safety shall be the responsibility of the local school district as specified in rule 281—43.40(285).Related ARC(s): 4636CThese rules are intended to implement Iowa Code chapter 285.    Related ARC(s): 9262B, 9472B, 0517C, 0767C, 1661C, 4636C