General Information for Parents

The bus route schedules will help you identify the bus your children will ride to and from school this year and their approximate pickup time. Buses leave the District Transportation Center on Lakehill Road at the time indicated for each route and make their pickups along district roads in the order indicated.

Please call your child's school with any questions about bus schedules. Schedules and routes may change, particularly during the first month of school.

Please discuss the importance of bus safety rules (below) with your children. Students will also take part in bus safety drills at each school in September, November and April.

Please note: We use only bus symbols (rather than symbols and numbers) on our regular bus routes. Symbols are easier for small children in particular to remember, and they can be consistently maintained when buses need to be off the road temporarily for inspections or repairs.

District Transportation Policies

Bus transportation is provided for all children. Bus stops for kindergartners will be within 1/10 mile of the child's home where turn-around space is available to a regularly scheduled bus. All elementary children living on roads with posted speed limits of 40 m.p.h. or greater will be picked up and discharged at the beginning of the nearest driveway or dead end street. Other students may be required to walk up to 6/10 mile to a bus stop.

Any change in bus assignment must be approved by the building principal and transportation supervisor. No one may enter a school bus except students and authorized personnel. To avoid safety problems, buses will not transport children to non-school activities or friends' homes after school except in emergency circumstances. Bus drivers will not accept directions for emergency transportation from anyone except the building principal.

Parents may request that children be regularly transported to a babysitter's home within the child's school attendance area or to a state-licensed day care center anywhere within district boundaries. A request should be made in writing to the building principal either before July 13 (July 2 for kindergarten pupils) or after Sept. 21. Use the Bus Stop Change Form to make this request, and turn it in to your main school office.

Bus Safety Guidelines

Safety is a shared practice involving the driver, students, parents and school administrators. Once students are on board, the driver has complete responsibility. The bus is an extension of the classroom; students are required to conduct themselves according to established standards of classroom behavior. Disciplinary problems will be handled in a progressive manner starting with a verbal warning. Children who become a serious disciplinary problem may have their riding privileges suspended by the school principal. Students should:

	Be on time at the bus stop -- five to 10 minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
	Wait at least 15 feet from where the bus will stop, away from traffic, where the driver can see them clearly.
	Wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before crossing the road, boarding, or exiting.
	Cross the road at least 10 feet in front of the bus, making sure they see the driver & the driver sees them.
	Properly secure their seat belts and remain seated.
	Keep hands, etc., inside the bus, and never throw anything out the window.
	Not eat on the bus.
	Be sure all personal items, book bags, etc., can fit on their laps or directly under their seat.
	Be courteous to one another.