§18-2E-5d. Standards for the duration of school bus transportation times for students to and from school.

(a) The high quality standards for transportation adopted by the state board pursuant to section five of this article shall include standards for the recommended duration of the one-way school bus transportation time for students to and from school under normal weather and operating conditions as follows:

(1) For elementary school students, thirty minutes;

(2) For middle school, intermediate school and junior high school students, forty-five minutes; and

(3) For high school students, sixty minutes.

(b) A county board may not create a new bus route for the transportation of students in any of the grade levels prekindergarten through grade five to and from any school included in a school closure, consolidation or new construction project approved after July 1, 2008, which exceeds by more than fifteen minutes the recommended duration of the one-way school bus transportation time for elementary students adopted by the state board in accordance with subsection (a) of this section unless:

(1) The county board adopts a separate motion to approve creation of the route and request written permission of the state board to create the route; and

(2) Receives the written permission of the state board to create the route.

(c) A county board may not create, nor may the state board permit, the creation of a new bus route for the transportation of students in any of the grade levels prekindergarten through grade five to and from any school included in a school closure, consolidation or new construction project approved after July 1, 2008, which exceeds by more than thirty minutes the recommended duration of the one-way school bus transportation time for elementary students adopted by the state board in accordance with subsection (a) of this section.

(d) The state board shall provide technical assistance to county boards with the objective of achieving school bus transportation routes for students which are within the recommended time durations established by the state board.