GENERAL

It is necessary for the Knox County Schools to operate a fleet of vehicles to support the maintenance,
security, food service and various other operations of the school system. The Director of Schools will
establish appropriate procedures to ensure all Board of Education owned or leased vehicles are properly
maintained and safely operated in compliance with all applicable local, state and federal statutes and
regulations. Procedures developed by the Director of Schools should at a minimum address vehicle
maintenance, operation and driver training.

ASSIGNMENT AND USE OF VEHICLES

The Director of Schools or the Director’s designee may assign vehicles to employees, either solely for
use during normal working hours or in limited cases as a drive home vehicle, consistent with the criteria
as provided herein. District-owned or leased vehicles shall be used exclusively for the conduct of official
school business, and the use of such vehicles for personal purposes such as attending to personal affairs, social engagements or unapproved commuting is prohibited. If an employee is assigned a drive home vehicle, this shall be an employment condition. Any use of the drive home vehicle other than driving between the employee's residence and work locations shall be a limited use as provided herein.

District-owned or leased vehicles may be assigned to employees on the basis of their job duties and
responsibilities. However, the following criteria shall be considered in assigning an employee the
responsibility of driving a District-owned, leased, operated or controlled vehicle to his or her residence
after the duty day is concluded.

1. The employee is on-call and/or has emergency response duties during off duty hours.
2. The employee is assigned duties at multiple work sites.
3. If the employee qualifies under 1 or 2 above on a temporary basis, s/he may be assigned a
   District vehicle on a corresponding temporary basis.
4. If it will be more cost effective to the District to provide the employee with a vehicle, because
   the employee's mileage reimbursement consistently averages more than the cost of assigning
   a District-owned or leased vehicle to that employee.

COMPLIANCE WITH IRS RULES

Employees authorized to drive home District-owned or leased vehicles will be subject to applicable IRS
requirements. Pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code, the annual value of commuting will be included
on the employee's W-2 form at the end of each calendar year and shall be in accordance with IRS rules
and regulations. 

DE MINIMIS USE PERMITTED

Personal use of Drive-home vehicles is prohibited except for de minimis personal use such as commuting
to and from home to work; stopping for a personal errand on the way between a business location and the employee's home; or traveling to and from lunch, for medical appointments and personal errands.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF OPERATORS AND OCCUPANTS

All vehicles will be operated in a manner consistent with all applicable traffic laws and ordinances of the
jurisdiction in which they are operated.
Additionally, the following provisions shall apply to any employee operating a District-owned or leased
vehicle. Failure to comply with these provisions may subject the employee to disciplinary action up to
and including suspension or termination.

1. License. Employees who operate District-owned or leased vehicles for District business shall have
   a current and valid driver's license as required by law.
2. Business Purposes Only. The District-owned or leased vehicles furnished to employees, whether
   for use during duty hours or for take-home, are to be used exclusively for District business and
   shall not be used at any time for the operator's private, personal use or convenience, except as
   provided herein.
3. Used Only by Employee(s). Only employees may drive or operate District-owned or leased
   vehicles. Occupants of District-owned or leased vehicles shall be limited to personnel employed
   by the District or individuals whose business is directly related to District business.
4. Employees Responsible for Moving and Parking Citations. Employees are financially responsible
   for any moving violations and parking citations that may be incurred while using District-owned
   or leased vehicles. Failure of the driver to pay the fines may cause the loss of driving privileges
   of District-owned or leased vehicles. The use of cell phones, pagers, laptops or any other
   electronic equipment is prohibited while operating the vehicle.
5. Safe Driving Practices. Employees shall obey traffic regulations, exercise reasonable care and
   observe safe driving practices at all times while driving vehicles owned, leased, or rented by, or
   on loan to, the District.
6. Smoking or Tobacco Use Prohibited. Driver and passengers are prohibited from smoking or using
   tobacco in District-owned or leased vehicles.
7. Responsibility for Care and Maintenance. Employees using any District-owned or leased vehicle
   are responsible for its care and return in good condition. All employees assigned District-owned
   vehicles are responsible for meeting established vehicle maintenance schedules.
8. Reporting of Damage and Accidents. Employees must report any accident or damage involving a
   District-owned or leased vehicle to their direct supervisor, and the direct supervisor must contact
   both the Department Supervisor (if applicable) and the District Property Manager. In the event of
   an accident, the driver shall follow the steps outlined in the “Driver’s Report at Accident Scene
   Checklist” located inside the vehicle and submit the forms as directed on the packet envelope. The Department Supervisor and Property Management will decide the appropriate next course of
   action.
9. Compliance with Other Administrative Procedures. All employees who drive District-owned
   vehicles must comply with other administrative procedures as established by the Director of
   Schools.

Approved as to Legal Form
By Knox County Law Director 1/20/2023
/Gary T. Dupler/Deputy Law Director