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Transportation Rules
- Be on time at the designated bus stop. The bus must keep to schedules to ensure the safety of other students. Students should be at the bus stop 5-8 minutes prior to their scheduled time.
- A bus needs 200-300 feet to activate its lights correctly. There must be this distance between all bus stops.
- Every additional stop adds 3-4 minutes to a route. Our routes are tight with time and capacity. The buses do not have time to stop at every student's home.
- State law requires a student to be assigned "one" bus to and from their residence. Daycare is a courtesy and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- Students may only ride the bus to which they are assigned. Accountability is a major issue with transportation. We need to know what students are on every bus in case there should be an accident or emergency.
- Children who disregard the bus regulations will receive a Misconduct Report on Bus, issued by the driver. Continued disregard of regulations will lead to disciplinary action and quite possibly suspension from riding the bus. Should a child be suspended from bus privileges, his/her parents will have to find other means of transportation to and from school.
- If there is an emergency, you must contact your child's school for written approval to ride an alternate bus.
- There is no law on sidewalks. Students must walk to their cluster stops with or without sidewalks.
- A school bus is an extension of the school, but a school bus stop is not. It is the parent's responsibility to monitor their child at their bus stop.
- Being the only student at a bus stop does not qualify for a house stop. As stated above, there must be 200-300 feet in between stops, time restrictions, and safety issues which take precedence. "Cluster stops" must be maintained for students who are assigned a stop but do not normally ride, students who switch schools, or move into the area, etc.
- We are compassionate about parent work schedules and will work with you in providing a stop that meets all requirements, but we cannot change a stop due to parental time restrictions.
- Courtesy stops are against regulations. All stops must be approved through the transportation department. Please do not place your driver in a position where they could be disciplined.
- Bus stops are subject to change at any time due to time restrictions and locations.
- This is a computerized transportation program and errors do occur. Students in the same house are sometimes plotted at different stops. Please notify the transportation department, and we will notify bus companies and the drivers of the correction.
Parent pick up at bus stops: We have had numerous parents who are not at bus stops to pick up their students. Please note this causes chaos for other parents in the district. When a bus has to wait for a parent or make another attempt at dropping off a student, it makes the students on that bus as well as the next routes, late getting home. Also, if the student must be returned to school, there may not be certificated staff to watch your child. If a parent cannot be reached, the student may remain on the bus for additional runs to ensure their safety. We try to avoid this at all costs. Please make sure your contact information is correct in RealTime so that we can reach you.
Students who are in preschool and kindergarten must have a parent present at the bus stop. Grades 1-12 are allowed off the bus without a parent; please do not ask the driver to not release your student unless you are there. A sub-driver will not know you have this arrangement with your normal driver. Please teach your child how to get home in case this occurs.
NOTE: Please place all requests in writing. No phone calls will be accepted. All requests will be reviewed and a decision will be made within one week.
You may email transportation@jefftwp.org