School Bus Rules and Parent Student Handbook

Parents and Guardians:
Please discuss these bus passenger rules and procedures with your child. Your child should appreciate the important part he/she plays in accomplishing SAFE and EFFICIENT District transportation.
Your child should understand that riding a school bus is a privilege, conditioned on appropriate, safe and respectful behavior. Unruly conduct on the bus is a very real risk to the safe operation of a school bus.
 

Fox C-6 strives to provide bus service to as many students as possible each school year. Bus routes will be determined based on the available staff and number of students who request transportation during the online registration process each spring. 

Enroute to the Bus Stop: Parents/guardians are encouraged to review their child’s walking route to the bus stop, advising about safety concerns, and chaperone their child at the stop while waiting for the bus. Drivers are encouraged whenever possible, to leave the BACK 2 SEATS on both sides of the bus empty to protect student safety in the event of rear impact.

Be Prompt: Please arrive at the assigned bus stop AT LEAST five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled bus arrival time. For safety, once bus doors are closed, driver may not be able to stop for late-arriving students.

At the Bus Stop: While waiting at the bus stop, students are expected to stand a safe distance from the street and avoid activities that could cause injury to themselves or others. Students are expected to respect the property of others. When the bus approaches, students must observe the instructions of the driver. This is particularly important in the winter months when slick road conditions exist.

Boarding/Departing Bus: Students must wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before approaching the bus or leaving their seat. It may be necessary to cross the road to board/depart the bus. Students are expected to observe the driver’s instructions and always cross in front of the bus with the aid of the flashing stop sign, lights and crossing arm. In this case make sure you FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS of your bus driver to cross safely. Often times, they have a much better view from the driver’s seat then the student has from the roadway.

For reasons of safety and health; and in order to comply with state law and District policies, the following are not allowed on a school bus:

• Glass objects of any kind; (bottles, jars, etc.);
• Open containers of food, drink, etc.;
• Inflated balloons;
• Live animals, bugs, worms, etc.
• Plants, dirt, sand or other growing projects;
• Oversized objects or instruments that cannot fit safely in the seat with the student;
• Weapons of ANY kind (guns, knives, razor blades, lighters, etc.), real or toy;
• Sports equipment that could endanger others;
• Skate boards;
• Any item which cannot be transported safely in the seat with the student, or which creates a safety concern;
• Distractive electronic devices or trading cards.

Please arrange for your own transportation if any of the above items need to go to or from school.

The driver has full authority over passengers on the bus, and has the option of assigning seats on the bus to assure passenger safety or order. If a student demonstrates inappropriate behavior, the parent will be contacted to assist the student to modify the behavior of concern.

Being transported on a Fox C-6 School District vehicle is a privilege, not a right. The District must assure that proper conduct is maintained in all vehicles for the health, safety and welfare of all students. The responsibility for the proper conduct on the bus rests with the parents and students. Responsibility for the administration of the procedures listed below rests with the building principal to which the students are assigned. The driver is in complete charge of the bus. Students who risk the safety of others by may lose the privilege of riding the bus. Safe, respectful conduct is expected of all passengers to ensure safety. 

Students being transported are expected to adhere to the following Code of Conduct & Safety.

Students Will:

• Arrive at the assigned bus stop approximately five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled bus arrival time.
• Wait to board the bus or leave their seat until the bus has come to a complete stop.
• Board and depart the bus in an orderly and safe manner – single file, with no running or pushing.
• Remain in their seats upon entering the bus and during the entire route until they are designated to depart by the bus driver.
• Ride only on their assigned bus – boarding and departing at their designated stop unless they have an approved bus pass from their school office.
• Maintain safe conditions within the bus at all times.
• Not extend hands, arms, etc. or objects out of the windows or door, or throw objects inside or from the bus.
• Not be allowed to use obscene or inappropriate language or any hurtful language directed at another student.
• Not be allowed to use electronic devices or radios that may be distracting to the driver.
• Not be allowed to transport large items that do not fit safely in the bus seat with them.
• Not be allowed to eat or drink on the bus. Water bottles that can be sealed are allowed on the bus.
• Obey the school bus driver at all times. In case of emergency, remain seated in the bus unless directed to do otherwise by the driver or individual in authority.
• Be required to pay for damages or replacement if a student damages seats or other parts of the bus.
• Not be allowed to transport live animals or other growing projects on the bus.

The District reserves the right to establish any other rules and regulations that protect the health, safety and welfare of the students.

If a student violates any of the above rules/regulations and loses their bus privilege, the student or his/her parents/guardians will be responsible for transportation to and from school during the time of the bus suspension. Even though bus privileges are lost/suspended, the law still required attendance at school per student attendance policy.

Unusual and extreme misbehavior may result in the formal charges being brought against the student relating to harassment, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and/or criminal trespass.

The District has adopted a progressive discipline policy which emphasized logical consequences for inappropriate behavior. The written tool for this is the “School Bus Conduct Report”. If warranted, your child will be issued a written notice for you to review and sign.

All Fox C-6 School District buses are equipped with digital video and audio recording systems. Student behavior may be monitored or observed from the video system.

Parents are encouraged to contact the school any time they have concerns. If appropriate, a conference with other parties, including the student and driver may be arranged. The District reserves the right to suspend transportation privileges for any student who demonstrates behavior unreasonably distracting to the driver, which may contribute to an unsafe operation.

When, in the opinion of the driver, a serious rule violation occurs or when the driver’s efforts to deal with less severe violations are unsuccessful or a pattern seems to have developed; a school bus incident report will be initiated. The intent is to maintain good order and a safe environment for students riding buses to and from school or school-sponsored activities, as well as to notify parents of the misconduct of their children.

The following are standard actions that will generally be applied uniformly:

1st Offense – Driver gives verbal warning to student.

2nd Offense – Driver submits written Bus Conduct Report to building principal.

3rd Offense –Driver submits 2nd Bus Conduct Report to building principal and provides student with assigned seat.

4th Offense – Driver submits 3rd Bus Conduct Report to building principal – possible bus suspension or parent meeting.

The Administration reserves the right, depending on the seriousness of the offense, to move to any step in the above process (1-4).

Note: Serious offenses, such as fighting, flagrant displays of disrespect toward a driver or other, or possession of drugs or alcohol will result in an immediate bus suspension. Assault on a bus driver will result in a bus suspension and may result in possible criminal charges.

For your information, the following instructions have been given to School Bus Drivers regarding Kindergarten students transported by District school buses:

• Drivers are instructed to allow the parents of Kindergarten students enough time to properly introduce themselves to the bus driver in order to continue our practice of ensuring the safe delivery of kindergarten-age students. It is the parent’s responsibility to communicate with the driver who will be the responsible party receiving their child and give a written note if it will be someone other than the parent of the child.
• Drivers are instructed to discharge students only at the designated bus stop.
• Drivers are instructed that NO  KINDERGARTEN  STUDENT is to be left at a bus stop unless a parent/guardian is at the stop to receive the child.
  • This rule remains in effect for a student's entire kindergarten year.
  • Parents/guardians should be out of their vehicles and visible to the bus driver. 
• Drivers are instructed NOT to leave Kindergarten students with a person other than the parent UNLESS they have a written note SIGNED by the parent.
• Drivers are instructed to RETURN kindergarten students to their elementary school if there is not a parent at the stop to receive the child.
• Please, do not put your child in this situation. Your help and cooperation are needed.

The Fox C-6 School District requires busing to be arranged to and from the student’s residence to the student’s home school of residence. However, the District recognizes it may become necessary to change busing to another address (example: childcare address; daycare address). The guidelines for alternate busing are as follows:

There will only be one alternate address allowed, in addition to the student’s home address.  The alternate address must be within the boundary area of the student’s current school, and there must be an existing stop for the alternate location.

If alternate busing is necessary and the above guidelines are met, please contact the Transportation Office to provide us the necessary information in order to properly assign your child’s bus routes.

In the case of inclement weather, information regarding school closures will be communicated by email/text message/phone call. Additionally, these announcements will be made on District social media accounts, and on channels 2 (KTVI), 4 (KMOV), and 5 (KSDK). 

Bus drivers are thoroughly trained in defensive driving techniques and buses are carefully maintained. Yet, given thousands of miles travelled annually, breakdowns can happen. All the buses have two-way radios and help can be just minutes away. One of the most important things to a bus driver in the event of an accident or breakdown is passenger cooperation.

Thank you for discussing this handbook with your child. Should you need the assistance of the Transportation Department, we can be contacted at 636-296-5331.