Bus Regulations
- Buses will start at such time that they will arrive at school on or before the first bell at each building site;
- Bus drivers will have the same control over pupils while riding buses as the teachers have while the pupils are in school;
- Please be on time at the bus stops;
- Any damage to a bus by a student may require the student/parent to pay the district for repairs;
- Every student should help to make the bus as safe as possible;
- Buses will let students off only at their homes or bus stops, not at businesses;
- All students must be seated while on the bus;
- Seats on buses cannot be reserved by students, although bus drivers or administrators may assign seats;
- There will be no smoking or use of any type of tobacco on buses;
- Students needing to ride a bus other than their own must have a parent/guardian call the transportation office prior to boarding the bus. Short term changes for a bus rider must be approved by the transportation office and shall be granted in cases of emergency and hardship only. Hand written notes will not be accepted. The transportation office will notify the bus driver of changes. Buses will not be delayed for any last minute approval of a change.
- No student is to leave school by any other means of transportation unless permission is given by the parent and is cleared through the principal’s office;
- Bus students are to ride the same bus both morning and evening unless special permission is given;
- Food and beverages, except water, will not be allowed on buses. Gum chewing is also not allowed. Students who litter bus will be responsible for cleaning bus.
Student Misconduct on School Buses
School bus transportation is a privilege provided for students who obey the bus rider rules. Failure of students to obey the rules could result in the bus driver’s attention being distracted. This in turn could result in a bus accident. Students are to obey the request of the bus driver as they would a teacher. Failure to follow the bus rider rules will be dealt with as follows:
1st Offense
Driver’s Warning - The driver will talk to the student and explain the importance of the bus rider rules.
2nd Offense
The student’s misconduct will be reported on an approved bus misconduct report to the Director of Transportation. A conference will be held with the Transportation Director, the student involved and the bus driver (if possible). The seriousness of the student’s actions and the disciplinary consequences that will occur if the misconduct is not curtailed will be explained. Parental contact will be made at this step.
3rd Offense
The student’s misconduct will be reported on an approved bus misconduct report through the Director of Transportation to the respective student’s building principal. Punishment at this level could include any or all of the following: removal of bus privileges for one to five school days, corporal punishment, or other disciplinary actions appropriate to the act of misconduct. Parental contact will be made at this step.
4th Offense
The student’s misconduct will be reported on an approved bus misconduct report through the Director of Transportation to the respective student’s building principal. Punishment at this step will include the student’s loss of bus riding privileges for not less than one school day nor more than 10 school days. A parental conference will be held.
5th Offense
The student’s misconduct will be reported on an approved bus misconduct report through the Director of Transportation to the respective student’s building principal. Punishment at this level will include the loss of bus riding privileges for not less than 20 school days nor more than 90 school days.
Note: The Director of Transportation or the building principal may omit any of the above steps and immediately suspend bus riding privileges of any student depending upon the seriousness of the offense. This does not preclude the student’s right to a hearing. It does, however, allow for the immediate removal of the student until such reasonable time that a hearing can be set ( not to exceed three school days ).