Transportation FAQs
Q. The bus drove right by my stop and my son/daughter was standing in the doorway.
The transportation department requires students to be visible and at the stop 5 minutes prior to scheduled pick up time. Doorways, porches and waiting in cars are not acceptable.
Q. My child attends daycare. How do I arrange for transportation to and from the daycare site?
The district accepts special transportation requests to daycare sites within a child’s school attendance boundary. The district will only accept special transportation requests to one other location. Click here to download the Transportation Information form.
Q. My child attends a private school outside of the school district. How do I arrange transportation from my home to the private school?
A. The district provides transportation to students enrolled in a private school located within 15 miles of the students home address. Parents must submit a written request for transportation by April 1st of every school year. For new residents of the district the written request must be received within 30 days of establishing residency. A new transportation request form must be submitted each year even if the student enrollment status has not changed. Click here to download the Private School transportation Request Form (LINK).
Q: I can’t see my child at the bus stop from my house. Why can’t the stop be at my house?
We make every effort to make our routes as efficient and safe as possible. Some students are expected to travel a certain distance to their bus stop, and it is the responsibility of the parent, not the district, to see that they get there safely.
Q: My child’s bus is late what should I do?
A: Routes may be delayed due to traffic, weather or breakdown. If the bus is more than 15- minutes late call the transportation office at 674-7070.
Q: Can a friend come home with my child on the bus?
A: No. We do no allow bus switching, unless it is an emergency or for child-care reasons.
Q: Do buses have assigned seats?
A: Yes the district requires that all students have assigned seats.
Q: Can children bring large items/instruments on the bus?
A: New York State Department of Transportation and federal regulations PROHIBIT bringing large items and musical instruments on school buses. All of the items that the child will be bringing to school should be packed in a carrying case, such as a tote bag or backpack, which must be small enough to be held on the student’s lap. Large items and food for class parties may not be transported by school bus.
The following items are a partial list of what is allowed on the bus if held on lap:
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Large items are not allowed on the bus – these include, but are not limited to:
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Other items not allowed on the bus include, but are not limited to: Any weapons, pets or any live animals, glass containers, and aerosol cans.
Q: Are skateboards allowed on the school bus?
A: No
Q: My child tells me that he is hearing inappropriate language and discussion in the back of the bus and the driver does nothing about it.
A: It is very likely the driver cannot hear what is going on. A bus is a very noisy environment, even considering the best behavior. It can be very difficult for the driver to hear any conversation past the first few rows of the bus. The best thing to do if this happens is to encourage your child to inform the driver that there is inappropriate language being said in the back of the bus. Once the driver is aware of the behavior, corrections can be made.
Q: What happens in the event of a bus accident?
A: In the event of a bus accident, our transportation department and the police are called immediately to investigate. Emergency medical personnel are called if necessary. Parents will notified, as soon as possible, to inform them of the incident. All accidents are reported to the New York State Departments of Transportation and Motor Vehicles. The bus must be checked by the N.Y.S. Department of Transportation before it can return to its route.
Q: Does my child need to wear the seat belt if they are riding in a van?
A: We require that all passengers riding in any of our district vans (small buses) properly wear their seat belts. We also encourage all kindergarten students to wear seat belts on large buses; however they must be able to operate the belts on their own.
Q: My child thinks he/ she left something on the bus, what should I do?
You should check with the driver the next time you are on the bus, or you can call the bus garage and we will contact the driver after the run to see if anything has been found. We refrain from using our two-way radio system for lost items.