Transportation Policies

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The following policies can be found in the BVP Scholar/Family Handbook

Arrival and Dismissal

An on-time arrival is crucial to laying the foundation for academic success. Being on time also communicates an important value. We expect all of our scholars to value punctuality and adopt the belief that being on time demonstrates accountability, discipline, and respect. Scholars are always expected to arrive on time for school and school events. At each grade level there are consequences for tardiness. Please refer to your individual school supplement for school specific arrival and dismissal times.

Late Arrivals

On-time arrival is critical in setting the tone for the rest of the day. In order to ensure a safe arrival, if a scholar arrives after the official start of the day, he/she may be asked to wait to enter the building. Families will need to escort their scholar into the main office to sign in. At our Middle and High schools, scholars may be permitted to sign themselves in at the main office, but additional consequences may result. School-specific late arrival consequences are included in the Individual School Supplement.

Transportation Policies

As a regional public charter school, BVP will provide transportation to scholars. Scholars will be assigned to depot stops within their communities with designated times for daily pick-up and dropoff. Buses are not provided to scholars in grades 9-12 who live within 1.5 miles of the campus, or scholars in grades 5-8 who live within 1 mile of campus. BVP and its transportation vendor accept responsibility for scholars during their time traveling on school buses to and from BVP schools. Parents/guardians are responsible for the supervision and safety of their scholars before boarding the bus in the morning and after departing from the bus in the afternoon. For scholars in grades kindergarten-fourth grade, a parent/guardian or designee must be at the bus stop in the afternoon to greet their scholar. Anyone picking up an elementary school scholar at a bus stop must have a BVP issued placard to pick up their scholar in the afternoon and need to be out of their car to greet the bus.

Registration

Families may register for any bus that services their scholar’s campus. To ensure space on buses for as many scholars as possible, families may not register any scholar for more than one bus. Registration requests may take up to two school weeks to process. The school will notify families when the bus change has either been approved or when a scholar has been placed on the bus wait list.

Scholars may not ride a bus for which they are not registered. Families may not register for more than one bus, due to capacity issues. After the beginning of the year, all requests are subject to seat availability. If a bus reaches capacity, a waitlist will be created for families interested in riding that bus. Families are encouraged to register for transportation before the start of the school year.

Active Ridership Policy

To be considered an active rider, a scholar must consistently ride the bus for which he/she is registered at least one day a week. In the case that a bus is at capacity and a waitlist for ridership exists, scholars who do not consistently ride the bus for which they are registered may be contacted by the school. If, after documented communication with the family, it is determined by BVP that the scholar does not have plans to begin riding the bus consistently, then he/she may be unregistered and placed at the end of the waitlist.

Middle and High School scholars will be provided with a Student ID card that will also act as a bus pass. School administrators will mark the ID/Bus Pass to indicate the bus number for which a scholar is registered, and scholars will be responsible to show their ID/Bus Pass with the correct marking to board the bus.

BVP will maintain responsibility and records to ensure that no registered scholar is denied access to their assigned bus should they forget their ID/bus pass. However, families of scholars who repeatedly forget their ID/Bus Pass may lose riding privileges. Scholars who have lost their ID/Bus Pass should notify their school office immediately. ID/Bus Pass cards will be replaced for a fee of $5.00. If a scholar requests a bus change that is confirmed as described above, they should present their ID/Bus Pass to the main office to have it updated appropriately.

Late Pick-Up Policy

For scholars in grades K-4, if a parent/guardian or designee is not present at the time of pick-up, the scholar will remain on the bus for the duration of the route, and will be brought to the YMCA program at either ES1 or ES2. This policy also applies to scholars at schools with an on-site YMCA program who are not picked up at the designated school dismissal time. Scholars in grades 5-8 will be dropped off at their designated bus stop, regardless of a parent/guardian being present at the time of drop off. A scholar may refuse to get off at their stop if a parent or guardian is not present, in which case he/she will be brought to the YMCA program at ES2. The family of any scholar checked into the YMCA after school hours will be responsible for any charges accrued according to YMCA policies.

Bus Discipline Policy

Riding the school bus is a privilege not a right and the school may revoke this privilege for safety and discipline infractions. Scholars who ride the school bus may do so only if they display safe and reasonable behavior. Choosing and/or continuing to follow unacceptable behavior will result in loss of bus service. The bus driver and monitor are responsible for the safety and discipline of the scholars on the bus. The scholar’s Head of School, in accordance with this policy, will determine the consequences of misbehavior and the reinstatement of bus service for the offending scholar(s) should a suspension become necessary. A suspension applies to all buses (daily transportation, sports, etc.)

Code of Behavior

• Scholars shall conduct themselves in an orderly and respectful manner consistent with BVP’s PRIDE values. The school bus is a classroom on wheels. Scholars should act on a school bus as they do in the classroom.

• BVP does not allow shouting, or loud talking/laughing on the bus.

• BVP does not allow scholars to use radios or other electronic devices, unless headphones are used and the driver and bus monitor have given permission (when approved, headphones can only be used in one ear so that scholars can still hear directions from the driver and monitor).

• BVP does not allow scholars to take or place calls on cell phones while on the bus.

• BVP does not allow food, candy, drinks, or tobacco products on the bus or at the bus stop.

• The Head of School and/or driver may assign scholars a seat. Scholars will remain in this seat at all times unless permission to change is given.

• No scholar, at any time, shall extend his or her head, hands, or arms out of the bus windows, whether the bus is in motion or standing still.

• No scholar shall throw or drop any item out of the bus windows.

• No scholar shall open a window on the school bus without first getting permission from the bus driver.

• Scholars must leave the bus in an orderly manner, and obey the orders of the school bus driver and monitor.

Parents and guardians are responsible for explaining to their scholar what are considered safe school bus ridership practices. Violations of the school bus code of behavior, or any other action not specifically listed which interferes with or threatens the safe operation of the school bus, shall constitute grounds for suspension of bus privileges. In the event of a suspension of bus privileges, the parent or guardian will provide transportation for their scholar. Scholars’ misconduct on a school bus will be sufficient reason to discontinue providing bus transportation to those scholars involved.

BVP considers parents and guardians an extension of the scholar who must conduct themselves with BVP’s PRIDE values. In the event that a parent or guardian witnesses misconduct on a school bus, they are to report it to the appropriate authorities. Parents and guardians should report any incidents to their respective Head of School.

Examples of Unacceptable Behavior

• Shouting or otherwise making loud noise on the bus creating a distraction to the driver

• Moving about within the bus while the bus is in motion

• Opening the windows of the bus without the driver’s permission

• Blocking of aisles

• Eating or drinking on the bus

• Spitting on the bus

• Fighting or assault on the bus

• Possessing or using illicit drugs or alcohol

• Smoking or lighting flammable objects

• Insulting or exhibiting unseemly behavior towards the driver, bus monitor, or fellow scholars

• Causing a disturbance by teasing or threatening the driver, bus monitor, or fellow scholars

• Damaging school bus property and/or personal property (it will be the responsibility of the parent or guardian of those scholars involved for proper reimbursement of the school or bus company)

• Tampering with or using the emergency door without the permission of the driver

• Throwing an object or objects at or from the bus

Consequences of Unacceptable Behavior

In the event that a scholar exhibits unacceptable behavior on the school bus, or walking to/from school, potential consequences include written warnings, short or long-term bus suspensions, community service, loss of participation in extracurricular activities and athletics, or other schoolbased discipline as appropriate.

After-school Buses

During the year, our Middle & High School campuses offer after-school activities, including enrichment, sports, and academic support. When after-school activities are in session, after-school buses will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Bus routes are pre-determined and operate one or two depot stops in each of our four communities.

For sports activities, busing will be provided to the event or game if it is off-site, but families are responsible for securing transportation after the event. Refer to your scholar’s coach or our Athletic Director for more specifics on sports transportation.

Scholar Drivers

If a scholar wishes to drive a vehicle to school he/she must follow scholar parking regulations. Only those scholar-operated vehicles for which car permits (a numbered, decal sticker) have been issued may be parked in the designated scholar areas. The price of a parking permit is $15. The criteria for determining eligibility for a parking permit will be determined by the Chief Executive Officer. Scholars may not park in non-scholar spaces of BVP parking lots, or park on the streets surrounding the school. Failure to park in the proper area will result in the scholar’s car being towed at his/her expense. All scholar operated motor vehicles driven to school and parked in the designated area must be in safe operating condition and each driver must certify that the vehicle for which a car permit is requested is legally and properly insured and that the driver has a valid license.

The parking lot is an extension of the school building and all school rules apply. Scholars are not to loiter in their cars at any time during the day, including before and after school hours. Scholars are not permitted to access their cars once they enter the school building for the day prior to dismissal. All vehicles parked in BVP parking lots are subject for search by school administrators and police. Scholar parking permits may be revoked at any time, including for disciplinary reasons not related to driving to school.

SCHOOL CANCELLATIONS & DELAYS

Blackstone Valley Prep will announce school closings on public media, identified as “Rhode Island Mayoral Academy-Blackstone Valley” or “Blackstone Valley Prep.” When possible, the school will communicate using ParentSquare, and social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).

Whenever possible, BVP will run buses through all four sending communities, but please note that buses for Central Falls, Cumberland, Pawtucket, and Lincoln may follow the delay or cancellation schedule for those districts. For example, if BVP has a regular day, but Lincoln cancels, it is possible there will be no Lincoln busing, but BVP will still have school. Please carefully read any closing or delay announcement for special busing considerations.

To sign up for text alerts on weather updates through RI BroadcastersTo sign up for text alerts on weather updates through RI Broadcasters Association, use the link here: http://www.turnto10.com/category/256735/closings-and-delays.