Parents/Guardians play the obvious integral role in assisting us in all areas concerning transportation. We value you as the main influencer in the life of your child/children and seek to partner with you to make your child/children's bus ride as pleasant as possible. Please feel free to call with questions or concerns and we will address each to the best of our ability keeping your child/children's best interest at heart. Review the information and material below to aid us in keeping your child/children safe and comfortable.
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We use the live feed notifications to alert parents to bus schedule changes on a daily basis if needed. You can use this to view any bus schedule change in the district. Check it daily to stay up to date.
PARENT PAGE LINKS
PARENT PAGE LINKS
BUS RULES 2025-26
BUS RULES 2025-26
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HOW DO I MAKE SURE MY CHILD IS PLACED ON THE BUS?
HOW DO I MAKE SURE MY CHILD IS PLACED ON THE BUS?
If you are moving, or enrolling a student, please make sure you fill out the transportation enrollment form at the school so that we can make sure you have the correct information to put your child on a bus. Please see your school administrator to fill out this form. The school will then contact the transportation department to request a bus for your child/children.
Bus rules are in place for safety. Please review these rules with your child and make sure they understand them. This will assist us in keeping your child safe and comfortable to and from schools.
DROP OFF PERMISSION FORM
DROP OFF PERMISSION FORM
Students cannot be allowed to exit the bus if they are under 12 years old without a parent being present or in the company of a sibling who is 12 years old. If you desire to have your child dropped off without a parent or sibling, please see your school administrator to fill out the form. This will give the school and driver permission to drop off your child who is under the age of 12.
ALTERNATE STOP CARD
ALTERNATE STOP CARD
If your student needs to be dropped off occasionally at another stop, please see your school adminstrator to fill out the Alternate Stop Card. You will complete this card to give authorization for you student to be dropped off at another address other than the primary. All parties on this card MUST be on the school emergency contact card.
PARENTS/GUARDIANS NEED TO KNOW
PARENTS/GUARDIANS NEED TO KNOW
1. Your child/children's safety is our top concern.
2. Parents/guardians are required to provide a transportation emergency card in addition to the one that is given to them at school. Emergency cards are to be given to the bus driver.
3. If a child is to be dropped off at a location other than the primary residence an alternate stop card is required with principal signature to have that student dropped off.
4. Your child/children's information must be correct at the school to be dropped off. Please communicate to the school any address change and keep your emergency card contacts updated. We cannot release a student to someone who is not on the emergency card. A picture ID is required for verification when being dropped off.
5. We cannot drop off a student who is under 12 without seeing a parent/guardian. Younger siblings or children in the same household can be dropped off with a sibling or household member 12 or older. Please see form below.
6. If your child is suspended from transportation, we cannot transport them.
7. If you move or your child/children or are a new enrollment, please go to the school to fill out the transportation enrollment form. Enrollment is not provided by the transportation department. We cannot put your child on a bus by calling us. The school will give us the proper information to place your child/children on a bus. You will obtain bus information from the school.
8. If your child/children receives a discipline referral, please call the principal with questions about the bus referral. Our drivers are trained to report discipline issues and principals decide the disciplinary action for the student.
9. Bus drivers have the right to assign students to a seat according to state law.
10. 68% of all behavior issues are solved by students staying in their seat. - University of Oregon
11. Never board a school bus without written permission from the superintendent. If you board a bus without authorization, the driver will ask you to exit. If you need to speak to the driver, come to the driver's window. If you board a bus and will not exit, you are viewed as a safety risk and law enforcement will be notified.
12. If a student has been granted a waiver from the superintendent to attend a school outside the district of residence, bus transportation cannot be provided.
Pupil Transportation FAQ's
Pupil Transportation FAQ's
Published: 10/31/2023 3:42 PM
This page has been established to answer some of the most frequently asked questions we receive from parents and guardians. If you have a question you would like addressed, please contact your local district’s Director of Transportation or Pupil Transportation Branch Manager Elisa Hanley via email or by phone at (502) 564-5279 Ext. 4406.
Why won't my district provide door-to-door service for my child?
Door-to-door service is not required by state regulation. In fact, door-to-door service can be very inefficient. When school districts do provide transportation, it must be safe and efficient transportation. Often, providing door-to-door service is more costly to school districts.
I cannot see my child’s bus stop from the house. Are there state laws that set the standards for bus stop location?
State law does not require a parent to see the bus stop from home. Students in Kentucky may be assigned to a bus stop up to one mile from their home. We encourage parents to accompany their child to the bus stop whenever possible. Bus stop locations are determined by each district and take into consideration many safety aspects of the area.
I work and cannot pick my child up from the bus stop. Can they drop my child off at our home or change the time they drop-off my child?
School bus stops are placed for safety and efficiency purposes. While we understand the location and schedule may be inconvenient, proper supervision shall be provided by the parent or designee before the bus picks up a child and after the bus drops off the child. If your district requires a designated person to be at the bus stop to pick up the child, the parents shall make the proper arrangements.
I have small children and cannot get to the bus stop to drop-off or pick-up my child. Can the bus pick-up and drop-off my child at home?
Each child must be picked-up at their designated stop. While we understand the location and schedule may be inconvenient, proper supervision shall be provided by the parent or designee before a bus picks up a child and after the bus drops off the child. If your district requires a designated person to be at the bus stop to pick-up the child, the parents shall make the proper arrangements.
Are sidewalks required for my child to get to his or her bus stop?
Many students walk alongside of roadways to reach their bus stop and in some instances no sidewalks exist. While we understand this may be of concern in some situations, the Kentucky Department of Education does not promulgate bus stop placement. Issues relating to where a child’s bus stop is located and safety concerns along the way to the bus stop must be addressed with the local district in which you reside.
I want my child to wait inside of my house until the bus is at the bus stop. Why do they have to go to the designated stop?
Students should be waiting at their bus stop five minutes before the expected arrival of the school bus. School bus drivers count the students at the bus stop before they load and as they get on the bus to ensure all students are accounted for and are safely on board. If students are not waiting at the bus stop, the school bus driver cannot count them and cannot be certain all students are all safely on board. Waiting at the bus stop before the bus arrives ensures that no one chases after the bus. It is dangerous to chase after a bus and may cause injury or even death to a student. Some districts may instruct their buses not to stop at locations where no students are waiting. Be sure to check your local district policy.
My child missed the bus and I took them to another stop. I was then told this was not allowed. Is that correct?
That is correct. Like a classroom, each stop has designated students. If your child missed the bus, they should be driven to school – not to another bus stop.
The school bus driver wouldn’t let me on the bus to talk to them. Why?
A parent should never enter a school bus without the direct written consent of the school district Superintendent. Any issues or complaints should be directed to the district's Director of Transportation or their designee. A school bus is a safe zone for students and only those with proper authorization will be allowed. Attempts to enter or delay a school bus will cause other students to wait longer and may even put them in danger. The school bus is an extension of the classroom and all rules of the school apply on the school bus as well.
My child has an IEP, but transportation is not being provided. Why is this?
A student who has an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) does not automatically receive transportation unless the IEP team deems it necessary and writes it into their related services. If transportation is not included on the IEP, your child will not be provided special accommodations and will be transported as other regular education students in your district.
Are school bus drivers required to be CPR certified?
No. Drivers receive basic first aid training and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training but are not required to be certified.
Source: KDE Website, Pupil Transportation: https://education.ky.gov/districts/trans/Pages/Pupil-Transportation-FAQs.aspx
PRESCHOOL STUDENTS AND BUSES
PRESCHOOL STUDENTS AND BUSES
A parent/guardian is required to be present at the bus stop when loading or unloading. We rely on student monitors to help with our preschool students. If a student monitor is not present on the bus when the preschooler is being loaded, we cannot transport. We will work to get a student monitor if one is available. Parents/guardians are responsible for transporting at that time.
BUS STOPS
BUS STOPS
"Buses shall be routed only on roads which are safe for bus travel. The Board, on advice of Central Office staff, shall determine if a road meets the specifications for travel by a District bus. "
"When students must walk over side roads to bus routes, a bus stop shall be located not more than one-half (1/2) mile from the front entrance of their homes, provided suitable roads and turn areas are available. Road conditions and turn areas are not the responsibility of the Board."
-Laurel County School Board Policy 6.31
If your child does not ride for three days in a row, we will stop making a trip to your residence if the stop is off the natural course of the bus route. Please call the transportation department a day in advance to schedule a pickup if needed.
SCHOOL BUS SAFETY
SCHOOL BUS SAFETY
SAFETY INFORMATION
Stop Arm Cameras
Stop Arm Cameras
We have now installed Stop Arm Cameras that record any vehicle that would pass a school bus with a stop arm deployed. These videos are sent to Law Enforcement and any violation could be punishable with a $300 fine in Laurel County. Everyone be aware and read the procedures and laws for Bus Stop Arms below.
Students should walk 10 ft. away from the bus before moving in any other direction, especially crossing the road.
KENTUCKY IS RANKED #5 IN WORST STATES FOR DISTRACTED DRIVING
KENTUCKY IS RANKED #5 IN WORST STATES FOR DISTRACTED DRIVING
What can a student bring on the bus?
What can a student bring on the bus?
Please read the article below to understand what your child can and cannot bring on the bus.
1. What is allowed?
a. Items which a student can securely hold and contain in their lap without impeding another passenger’s space.
b. Band instruments that are allowed must remain in their lap or on the floor are: violin, viola, piccolo, flute, oboe, clarinet (b-flat), alto clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, bells, bassoon, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, and trombone.
c. An archery bow is allowed to be transported on the bus without the case and must be put on the floor between the legs of the student. Arrows are not allowed on a route bus in the cargo or passenger area.
d. Pumpkins are allowed on a bus as long as they fit in student’s lap.
2. What is not allowed?
Heavy, sharp, bulky, and/or other articles that may be hazardous in the event of an accident or an emergency stop shall not be transported in the passenger area of any school bus during a regular run.
A driver is not permitted to allow the following items on the bus:
a. Firearms, knives or other weapons, either operative, ceremonial or toy replicas.
b. Live ammunition.
c. Fireworks or other explosives of any type.
d. Razor blade/box cutter.
e. Possession of any object that could cause injury including, but not limited to: ice pick, multi-fingered ring, metal knuckles, nunchakus, shock sticks, mace and the use of any object to inflict bodily injury on students and other persons.
f. Spraying any substance: perfume, cologne, deodorant, etc. or any substance that could cause an allergic or asthmatic reaction.
g. Live animals, including but not limited to birds, hamsters, fish, insects, reptiles, etc.
h. A preserved specimen that would frighten other students.
a. Glass objects including ceramics or balloons.
b. Object(s) that would block a bus aisle or exits.
c. Suitcases, sleeping bags, coolers are not allowed in passenger area blocking emergency exits or aisle.
d. Tobacco products of any kind, including electronic-cigarettes, alternative nicotine or vaping products.
e. Any sparking devices, such as a match or lighter.
f. Alcohol or illegal drugs.
g. Any object or equipment that will not fit in the student’s lap or in front of them in their seat.
h. The following musical instruments are not allowed on a regular bus: tenor and baritone saxophone, baritone horn, cello, string bass, French horn, drums, tuba/sousaphone, and guitar. Music stands are not allowed on a regular bus.
i. Skateboards, hover-boards or any type of motorized device that runs on gas, diesel, electric or battery power.
j. Toys.
k. Crutches. (Special transportation is available upon request for any student on crutches.)
l. Any hazardous materials.
m. School projects that will not fit in the student’s lap or any project that contains hazardous or sharp items. This includes simulated babies in car seats.
n. Athletic equipment that is not in a bag and will not fit in the student’s lap: baseball/softball bats, golf clubs, fishing poles, pole vault poles, football helmets, archery arrows and shoulder pads are not allowed on regular bus routes.
o. Tools and lawn equipment.
p. Any communication, music or recording device not under the direct control of the driver. This includes: cd players, mp3 players, iPad, Bluetooth speakers, etc.
q. No items in the cargo compartment of a bus during a regular route.
r. Brooms, dustpans or cleaning chemicals including any aerosol can.
Special items (allowed in cargo ONLY during field trips):
a. Large coolers
b. Sports equipment
c. Flags
d. Any large items
e. Luggage
f. Archery arrows
*Reference 702KAR5:080 for Additional Restrictions
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