Service Parameters

 Eligibility

Transportation is available for children who live two miles or more from their assigned school. The distance a student lives from their assigned school is determined by measuring from the curb at the front of the school to the curb in front of their home using the closest paved street. Students residing within two miles of their assigned school may have transportation available if their neighborhood qualifies as hazardous under the district's hazardous transportation rating system.

Special education students are eligible for transportation if need is established through the Admission, Review, and Dismissal process.

Pick Up Time Criteria

Regular transportation attempts to arrive at every bus stop on time. Due to the variances between individual clocks, students are asked to arrive at the bus stop 10 minutes prior to the scheduled arrival time. Buses will load students and depart the stop. Regular buses do not wait for late students under most circumstances. Special needs transportation follows much the same criteria but will wait up to 3 minutes at the stop for the student to load. All buses will wait 7 minutes at the school in the afternoon for students to board. Students are expected to proceed immediately to the buses. Bus drivers are instructed not to stop or open the door for late students due to safety concerns having students too close to moving bus wheels.

Daily Service Criteria

Regular transportation is scheduled to provide service to student riders. Bus stops that do not have riders for 3 days may be suspended temporarily for lack of ridership to conserve district resources. Infrequent riders should contact the Transportation Department stating their wish to ride when service is needed if their bus stop has historically low ridership to verify stop time and location.

Bus Route Criteria

Route Design

Bus routes are created to enhance student safety while maximizing vehicle efficiency. Stops are created that allow students to wait off the main roadway for the bus if at all possible. Stops are also created to minimize students walking in highly traveled roadways for long distances without sidewalks. Stops are not placed in dead end streets whenever possible to minimize bus accidents while backing (Backing is a very dangerous maneuver for a school bus). Stops are spread as far apart as criteria will allow in order to decrease the number of stops each bus will make on its route thus minimizing riding time for the students.

Elementary students may be required to walk up to 1/4 of a mile to a bus stop. Secondary students may be required to walk up to 1/2 of a mile. Bus routes are designed limit student ride time to no more than 45 minutes one-way if at all possible, however, most students ride under 30 minutes one-way.

Bus Ridership Capacities

School buses are rated by manufacturers to have a capacities based on three riders per seat.