Office of Transportation
Responsibilities for School Bus Safety
Getting to the Stop:
- Parents are responsible for assisting children to get to the stop and home from the stop. The district cannot provide a protected corridor from students’ homes to the bus stop any more than it can provide that service for students who are ineligible to ride buses to and from school.
- Parents are responsible to require their children to only ride on their assigned bus, and board and exit only at their assigned stop. This is an important safety protocol to ensure all students are accounted for, especially in an emergency.
- Being on time, but getting to the stop no more than 10 minutes before the scheduled arrival of the bus. Children should not wait inside their house for the bus.
Waiting for the bus:
- Observing the following safety precautions:
- Not playing in the road.
- Not pushing, pulling or chasing other pupils at the bus stop.
- Not bringing large, bulky items on the bus, i.e., musical instruments, animal cages, big displays.
- Not allowing younger, pre-school children or pets to accompany them to the bus stop.
- Wait for the bus in an orderly manner, being respectful of the private property.
- As the bus approaches, stay out of the Danger Zone. Not approaching the bus until it has stopped and the driver has opened the door. Not pushing others in line.
When boarding the bus:
- Have bus pass ready to show the driver.
- Board in an orderly manner and get seated quickly.
- Buckle seat belt.
- Follow the instructions of the bus driver.
When riding the bus:
- Share a seat with one or two others.
- Use seat belt.
- Cell phone use is not permitted on the bus.
- Don't sit on the seat backs.
- Don't smoke or vape, drink alcoholic beverages, or carry weapons, which are prohibited by law.
- Don't extend any part of the body out the window.
- No littering. Don't throw objects inside the bus or out windows.
- Don't change seats while the bus is moving.
- Eating or drinking is not permitted on the bus.
- Don't transport animals.
- Avoid shouting and excessive noise that might distract the driver.
- Avoid unnecessary conversation with the driver while the bus is in motion.
- Don't stand or sit in the door well or in the area adjacent to the driver.
- Be considerate and courteous to fellow riders.
- Understand that the bus driver is in authority and students are responsible to him/her.
When departing from the bus:
- Gather belongings before the stop approaches.
- Don't leave seats until the bus has come to a complete stop.
- Release the seat belt and pull the two ends straight across the cushion.
- Leave the bus promptly and in an orderly fashion, without pushing.
- Remember the Danger Zone.
- Walk 10 feet ahead of the bus at curbside and wait for the driver's signal to go, before crossing the street.
- Never cross behind the bus.
- Do not run.
- Carefully look left and right for cars that may be passing the bus illegally.
- Please be aware that the bus driver must have eye contact with a parent or adult caregiver before dropping off a kindergartener.
Disciplinary Procedures:
- Please make sure that your children understand that misbehavior on the school bus presents a serious safety hazard.
- Bus drivers have been instructed to enforce the safety rules and to report any student who does not cooperate.
- A student who does not follow driver instructions, safety rules, or causes a serious problem, may lose the privilege of riding the bus for a period to be determined by their building principal, the District, or the bus company.
The Bus Danger Zone
The Danger Zone is the area within 10 feet of the front, sides and back of a stopped school bus. In the Danger Zone, children are vulnerable both to illegally passing motorists (who ignore a stopped bus’s flashing red lights) and to the bus driver’s inability to see or hear what is going on in that area.
Bus safety rules emphasize staying out of the Danger Zone and boarding and leaving the bus in full view of the driver. Students should never stop in the danger zone for any reason, especially if they drop something. If a student drops something, the driver must be alerted before an adult retrieves the dropped item.
