The school bus is often the student’s first point of contact in the morning and the last point of contact in the evening. Your bus driver takes their responsibility very seriously and will always do our best to safely take your child/children to school and home.

Bus Information will be provided 1-2 weeks before the date students will be back in a classroom.  We will use the email addresses you provided to the school to contact you concerning location and approximate time for morning pickup.  We will also provide your driver’s name and cell phone number so you can text them on days when your students are not riding the bus that morning.

·         If your email address on file has changed, please use this link to fill out the form to share your information

   https://forms.gle/VP1dYm65QWEw198u9

Route Times

Route times are estimated and may fluctuate especially at opening of school. Times should stabilize after the first few days. Pick up times are estimated and could be changed or adjusted throughout the school year as necessary

School Bus Safety

Teach your children to be road safety alert, and be alert for any vehicles that may not stop when the bus is loading or unloading students. Unfortunately, each day, drivers carelessly run through the red flashing lights on school buses when buses are stopped to load or unload children. Please instruct your children to look before stepping off of the bus as well as before crossing roadways.

Support our safety efforts and remind your child / children that they should never touch the exterior of the school bus while the bus is in motion on the roadway; or when they are approaching the bus stop; or leaving the bus stop. Caution them to never try to retrieve any dropped item near or under the school bus, and notify the driver immediately for special instructions.

If you want to color with your student and teach them more about school bus safety, check out this activity book.

School Bus Behavior

Discuss with your child that it is a privilege to ride the school bus and help them understand how it helps your family and the education system. The attire and behavior on the school bus is the same in the classroom and is discussed further in the Student Code of Conduct. Students must be at the bus stop at least 5 minutes prior to an estimated pick up time.

In the interest of maintaining safety standards, the bus driver may issue discipline notices to any student, whom creates a disturbance or violates safety rules specified herein:

Illustrations of improper conduct:

1.    Failure to remain seated at all times except when entering or leaving the bus.

2.    Loud conversations, shouting, obscene language or gestures not properly suited to a classroom.

3.    Scuffing, fighting, jostling, or otherwise creating a disturbance or disorder.

4.    Extending hands, heads or objects from the bus.

5.    Throwing any object including paper or trash either within the bus or out of the bus.

6.    Creating any hazard, damage or unnecessary delay of the bus before entering, while on, or after leaving the bus.

7.    Physical or verbal abuse toward the bus driver.

8.    Tampering with any of the operating equipment including sitting in the driver’s seat or opening the emergency door.

Student Discipline

The first requirement for bus safety is an orderly bus. The school bus is considered as an extension of the classroom; rules, regulations and procedures are in place to assure a safe, courteous and efficient transportation service that is consistent with Bus Rider Contract. Temporary suspension of a student’s riding privileges because of improper conduct may be ordered by the Director of Transportation and / or the school principal and or designee.

Step 1

Each student will be given an opportunity to correct or adjust their behavior when receiving a verbal warning from the school bus driver.

Step 2

Failure to correct the behavior will result in a written warning from the school bus driver and generate notice to the home and school to initiate involvement.

Step 3

If similar behavior continues, the driver will report the activity on a second written warning. The student’s principal will determine and communicate the appropriate bus suspension consequences to the student and their parents.

Step 4

If the previous consequences prove ineffective and the disruptive or unsafe behavior continues, parent must arrange a conference with the student’s principal to determine if riding privileges will continue.

Step 5

If similar behavior continues, bus riding privileges will be revoked for the remainder of the school year and transportation to and from school will become parent responsibility.

Bus Video / Audio Monitoring

Audio video cameras on school buses are used to monitor behavior, to ensure safety for all passengers and the bus driver. Parents with concerns may contact Transportation to request that a USD 415 school official(s) review a particular bus ride event; however, USD 415 school officials are the only ones to review a video, as parents will not be authorized to do so.