A new rideshare policy that allows children 13 or older to use a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft to leave school during the day with parental permission won Naperville District 203 School Board approval this week.
The need for a policy emerged about a month ago when district officials noticed an increase in the number of middle school students using a private transportation services to leave school grounds for a medical appointment or other reason, raising concerns about district liability.
While both Uber and Lyft offer specialized services for children who are 13 to 17, board members wanted to ensure the district’s policy set specific rules, including a minimum age of 13, should the private companies alter their age restrictions in the future.
Speaking at Monday night’s meeting, board member Holly Blastic said she appreciated adding the age restriction since many parents use their own rideshare app to call for a vehicle for their child.
The new policy also mandates that parents who want their children picked up during the school day sign a waiver every time a rideshare is requested. It must be submitted prior to the student’s departure and protects the district from being responsible for monitoring or screening rideshare services.
While such rides are infrequent, students may need them if they have to leave school for an appointment or due to illness or a discipline issue, district officials have said.
The board approved the policy with a 5-1 vote. Board member Melissa Kelley Black cast the dissenting vote, saying she would have liked to hear more feedback from parents and a better definition of what constitutes an emergency.
“It’s not that I oppose the concept,” she said. “I always appreciate when there’s feedback.”
Students would not be released to a rideshare if their parents do not sign a waiver, Superintendent Dan Bridges said.
“This is a policy that we saw a need for, and we wrote, and we had reviewed by legal counsel to ensure it did not conflict with any other policy that the board had or any law,” Bridges said.
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Officials are not encouraging students to use rideshare services, but having an emergency waiver policy will help parents who face transportation barriers or may not be able to leave work during school hours to pick up their children.
Board members wanted to have a policy in place before school resumes in the fall so parents have a clear understanding of the rules.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.