Student Transportation Education Plan

School Bus Rules: 
Students will receive ongoing instruction in safe bus riding procedures. Bus drivers will explain expectations to students starting the first day of school and continue the teaching process throughout the year to enhance the safety of the children being transported. When the bus driver talks about the expected behaviors, they should offer practical examples to help them be more consistent. We encourage all parents to review these rules with their children and help instill in their children the importance of safe, orderly, and respectful bus behavior.

Students should follow the directions of their bus driver. (This demonstrates respect to those with authority who are trying to keep us safe or maintain order.)

Students should be at the bus stop 10 minutes before the bus arrives, waiting in a safe place, clear of traffic, and 12 feet from where the bus stops.

Students will wait in an orderly manner and avoid playing (when waiting at a property belonging to others, we should respect that property and take care to leave it undamaged.)

Students will cross the roadway in front of the bus after the bus has stopped, they have looked at the driver for a hand signal, and they have looked in both directions for traffic; left, right, left (This is a safe walking habit that protects students while traveling to their bus stop.)

Students will signal the driver with a waving motion if something is dropped and wait for the driver to give a signal before picking up the object (Never, ever lose sight of the driver or do anything that would make her/him lose sight of you! This is a procedure that can never be broken if we are to keep you safe.).

Students will go directly to their assigned seats when entering the bus and keep the aisles and exits clear (This is orderly behavior.  An orderly bus minimizes distractions and is safer for students a) walking down the aisle or b) in the case of a sudden stop or emergency evacuation.  This conduct also helps us to minimize inconvenience to the public.)

Students will remain properly seated, back against the back of the seat, bottom against the bottom of the seat (safely seated within the compartment,) and keep hands to themselves (respectful to others and their personal space.).

Students will not eat, drink, chew gum, or bring tobacco, alcohol, drugs, or any controlled substances on the bus (This helps us to maintain a neat and orderly environment and is consistent with the code of conduct which keeps us safe.)

Students will not carry animals, glass objects, nuisance items, hazardous materials, or weapons onto the bus (maintains a safe environment for all riders, even in case of an emergency or accident.)

Students may carry only objects that can be held in their laps (This helps us maintain an orderly environment and reduces safety issues that would occur in the event of a sudden stop or emergency evacuation.)

Students will refrain from using loud voices, profanity, and/or obscene gestures, and respect the rights and safety of others.

Students will not extend their arms, head, or objects out of the bus windows (This is important to student safety in every circumstance. This is a non-negotiable safety issue and a major offense when broken.)

Students will be totally silent at railroad crossings (The driver is required by law to look and listen after establishing silence on the bus. This is a non-negotiable safety issue and a major offense when broken.)

Students will stay seated until time to get off the bus. The driver will signal when to get up from the bus seat if you are at your stop. Use classroom voices until the unloading (or loading) process is complete. It is an orderly way to unload and increases safety by minimizing distractions.)

Students will help keep their bus clean and in a good, safe condition (This helps us maintain an orderly and safe bus and is respectful to the next group of riders who will use it.)

Intervention:

Bus drivers may use the interventions listed below during the intervention step of the process. A minor offense is considered inappropriate or unsafe student behavior that may be improved with minor assistance from the driver.

Documentation: Bus drivers will provide written documentation to the administration that will be maintained in a file for each bus route for the entire year.

Verbal Reminder: Bus drivers will remind the student of the bus rule(s) not being followed.

Seat Reassignment: A student's assigned seat may be changed by the bus driver when such change may help the student to demonstrate appropriate riding behaviors and/or allow the driver to monitor that student’s behavior more effectively. (The assignment of seats at the beginning of school is part of the prevention step.)

Talk individually with the student & Parent/Guardian courtesy call: Bus drivers will talk individually with the student to determine what steps could be taken to help the student demonstrate appropriate and safe riding behaviors. Bus drivers will also call the parents/guardian to notify them of the student’s inappropriate behavior, with a request for help to achieve appropriate behavior.

Parent/Guardian notified in writing: Bus drivers will complete a bus incident form, which includes written documentation of the student’s inappropriate behavior, with all steps taken by the driver documented on the form. The form will be taken home by the students to be signed by the parent/guardian and returned to the bus driver within two school days. A phone call to the parent/guardian should be made if the form is not returned by the second day.

Any or all of the above steps may be bypassed when a student’s actions are illegal or judged by the driver to be so unsafe or disrespectful that immediate corrective action is required.

Violations that should be considered major offenses include, but are not limited to the following:

drugs (includes alcohol, tobacco or vaping products, lighters)

throwing objects off the bus

fighting

weapons, dangerous instruments, and explosive/implosive devices

threats/bullying (verbal and physical threats)

sexual harassment

Such violations should be reported immediately to the School Administrator on a Bus Discipline Form.

Consequences

When student behavior escalates beyond a driver's control or is not improved after using the appropriate intervention steps, the bus driver will submit a bus discipline form to the school office.

Bus Discipline Form sent to School Administrator:

Reasons:

Behavior escalates beyond a driver's control or is not improved after using the appropriate intervention steps.

Major offense:

The School Administrator will assign appropriate consequences based on a) the severity of the misbehavior and b) the number and frequency of the student bus referrals.

The School Administrator may tailor consequences to account for individual circumstances in each situation. The goal of assigning consequences is to bring about the desired student behavior on the school bus and the Transportation Department supports any consequence that achieves that goal.