285.5  Contracts for transportation.
  1.  a.  Contracts for school bus service with private parties shall be in writing and be for the transportation of children who attend public school and children who attend nonpublic school. Such contracts shall define the route, the length of time, service contracted for, the compensation, and the vehicle to be used. The contract shall prescribe the duties of the contractor and driver of the vehicles and shall provide that every person in charge of a vehicle conveying children to and from school shall be at all times subject to any rules said board shall adopt for the protection of the children, or to govern the conduct of the persons in charge of said conveyance. Contracts may be made for a period not to exceed three years.
  b.  The contract shall provide that the contractor will sell the equipment to the board should the contractor desire to terminate the contract, provided the board should desire to purchase said equipment, the price of the equipment to be determined by an appraisal board composed of one person appointed by the school board, one appointed by the owner of the equipment, and a third selected by these two.
  2.  The contractor shall operate the vehicle or provide a driver who must be approved by the board. The contractor and driver shall be subject to all laws and prescribed standards for school bus drivers. Failure to comply shall constitute grounds for dismissal of the driver or cancellation of the contract if the board so desires.
  3.  All vehicles of transportation provided by contractor shall be inspected, approved and certified before being put into operation.
  4.  All contracts may be terminated by either party on a ninety-day notice.
  5.  The director of the department of education shall prepare a uniform contract containing provisions not in conflict with this chapter which shall be used by all schools in contracting for transportation service.
  6.  All contractors shall carry liability insurance in amounts and kind as provided in the official contract.
  7.  All contracts for transportation service and for drivers of school-owned and operated buses shall be made with someone outside the board except where no other transportation service is available, a board member may transport the member’s own children.
  8.  Private buses other than common carriers not used exclusively in transportation of pupils while under contract to a school district shall meet all requirements for school-owned buses, as to construction and operation.
  9.  All bus drivers for school-owned equipment shall be under contract with the board. The director of the department of education shall prepare a uniform contract containing provision not in conflict with this chapter which shall be used by all school boards in contracting with drivers of school-owned vehicles.
[SS15, §2794-a; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §4182, 4183; C46, §276.30, 276.31; C50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §285.5]
85 Acts, ch 212, §21; 2010 Acts, ch 1061, §180; 2011 Acts, ch 25, §24
Referred to in §285.1, 285.2, 452A.17