School Bus Transportation

**IMPORTANT. PLEASE READ.**

Children are the responsibility of their parents/guardians until such time as they board the bus and after the student leaves the bus at the end of the day.

Dear Parents,

Although many of you are aware of the following important practices, the following serious reminders have to do with the safety and security and your supervision of your child.  Pelase attend to the following reminders.  Thank you.

Children are the responsibility of their parents/guardians until such time as they board the bus and after the student leaves the bus at the end of the day.

Please know that this is a very important safety matter for you as parents.

What this means is that it is up to the parent/guardian as to whether they need to be at the bus stop when their child boards or departs int he afternoon. It is not up to the bus driver or the school district to decide if you need to be there.

A) Student that disembarks at a stop by themselves at a single "house" or person stop:

Kindergarten through Grade 5

we will not drop the student off at a SINGLE DROP OFF STOP without seeing a parent or guardian. This also includes an adult that the driver may have never seen before at this single stop even if the child knows the person. The driver will continue on route.  You will be contacted before last drop off as to whether we will return child to stop; or for you to pick your child up at one of the elementary schools.

Exception-Parent notifies the school or terminal manager of a requested change to this protocol.

B) Student disembards at a "plat" or neighborhood stop with many other children:

Kindergarten students!

1) It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to be at a stop if they so choose when their child disembarks the bus with other students.  This includes parents waiting in cars.

2) In this situation, it cannot be the driver's responsibility to know or be responsible to "dismiss" a kindergarten student to a particular "approved" adult whether present or in a waiting vehicle in a group stop situation.

3) That being said, our drivers tend to "notice" what typical conditions for a kindergarten drop off are and use good judgment and common sense.  They may contact the terminal and inform them of the circumstances.  If no parent or guardian is at the bus stop when an adult is typically there, they may keep the child and continue on route and communicate with the terminal manager ont he situation.

C) What to do when your child does not arrive at the stop.

First, stay calm.  Occasionally, for various reasons, children may still be at school, on a different bus, or remained on the bus {see above|.  Contact your child's school to inform them.  If you cannot get through, contact First Student at 766-9208.  If either line is busy, keep trying until you get through.