PE24 Use of Private Vehicles on School Business

District-Related Travel

Use of privately owned vehicles for official district travel must have prior approval from the appropriate supervisor(s). Approval is based on district travel that is directly related to the employee's job responsibility, or assignment.

1. Principals are eligible for reimbursement for private vehicle use on official school business during regular scheduled duty hours and on school business at other times when approved by the region office for parent meetings, supervision of school activities, investigation of break-ins, vandalism, etc.
2. Teachers, pursuant to the Negotiated Agreement (Article 22, 8.), are eligible for reimbursement for private vehicle use when required to use their own vehicles in the performance of their duties and when assigned to more than one (1) school per day.

Insurance Coverage

APS Employees who use their privately-owned vehicles in the course of their employment must have a valid driver’s license and must carry liability insurance for bodily injury and property damage to others that meets or exceeds requirements established by New Mexico state law. Current law requires proof of insurance in the following amounts:

1. twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident;
2. subject to this limit for one person, fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident;
3. ten thousand dollars ($10,000) because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident; and
4. if evidence is in the form of a surety bond or a cash deposit, the total amount shall be sixty thousand dollars ($60,000).

Should an employee become liable for damages caused by the operations of his/her vehicle on behalf of APS, the employee's own liability insurance carrier would be primarily responsible. Also, required repairs of the employee’s vehicle would be their financial responsibility.  Further, employees are responsible to pay any fines associated with citations or tickets – district funds may not be used for this purpose. 

Transporting Students

Everyone who transports students in their privately-owned vehicle must:

1. Have a valid drivers license;
2. Insure their vehicle is in safe operating condition; 
3. Carry liability insurance for bodily injury and property damage;  
4. Have seat belts or child restraint devices for every passenger as required by State law; 
5. Obey all traffic laws; and 
6. Sign a certification of compliance with A, B, C, D and E above, to be kept on file by the principal or other administrator in charge of the activity. 
1. The INS Form 72E should be used for this purpose.
7. Successfully pass a background check through APS Human Resources.
8. Students shall not be transported in private vehicles without prior authorization from the School Principal and from the student(s)’ parent/legal guardian.

In the event of a claim for damages arising out of an accident occurring while transporting students, the vehicle owner's liability insurance carrier would be primarily responsible.

No student shall be sent on school errands using any automobile.

Cross Ref.:

• Board Policy E.01
• Travel and Reimbursement directive

NSBA/NEPN Classification: EEBB

Revised: May 1995
Revised: April 1996
Revised: May 1997
Revised: September 2005

This page was last updated on: December 9, 2009.