Transportation

Rockland Central School District works with transportation partner Rolling V Bus Corp, part of the Beacon Mobility family, to transport students to and from school. Routes were initially designed to ensure that students do not spend any more than 60 minutes on the bus per trip, with tweaks to routes expected to be made following ridership confirmation and feedback from families. Buses will make one stop per household with Elementary and Middle/High School students riding the same bus. Rolling V also buses our students to athletic events, club activities and field trips. 

Contact information

• Fred Marks,
  Transportation Director, Rolling V
  845-439-3713 

• Middle/High School
  Rosa Finkel
  845-439-1501, ext. 5131
  Email Rosa Finkel 

• Elementary School
  Patti Lambrigger
  845-439-1502, ext. 6105
  Email Patti Lambrigger
  
  

Bus eligibility

Transportation is provided to all students living more than a mile from a school building. Questions about the school transportation program should be directed to the building principal.

Late bus information

In addition to regular bus transportation, late buses are provided for regular bus students engaged in approved after-school activities including those students assigned after-school detention. Late bus passes are assigned by the teachers or other staff members with whom the students are staying after school.

Bus safety and student expectations

The district works closely with Rolling V Transportation to ensure our expectations are taught and enforced on the school buses delivering our students to and from school each day.

The school bus is an extension of the school and student behavior will be evaluated by the same standards. Students must follow the behavioral guidelines and procedures of the school while boarding and riding the bus to and from school and school-sponsored activities.

The driver or bus aide will write a referral for any behavior that is inappropriate. Referrals will be given to the building principal by way of transportation director Fred Marks. Examples of inappropriate behavior include, but are not limited to vulgar language, refusal to comply with bus rules, harassment, inappropriate gestures to those inside and outside the bus and failure to sit in assigned seats, if assigned by the bus driver or monitor.

Consistent or serious bus safety infractions will result in loss of transportation privileges. Students and parents are reminded that the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Schools, and/or Building Administrators have the authority to suspend the transportation riding privileges of students who are disorderly and insubordinate. In such cases, the parents of the children who are involved become responsible for seeing that their children arrive to and depart from school in a safe manner.

Students must respect others’ property, use appropriate language and keep voices at a whisper to normal volume. Students are expected to listen and respond to the bus driver or monitors’ instructions.

Students are to be at their bus stop five minutes before their “normal” pick-up time. However, in the event a student is not at a stop, it is expected that the bus will still stop.

Students who are habitually late in getting to their bus stop on time will receive a referral addressing the issue, along with the parents being contacted to discuss/resolve the issue. Each bus must keep a timely schedule in order to arrive at school for unloading time.

Exceptions can be made in times of inclement weather regarding a bus’s timetable as road conditions can affect pick-up times substantially.

Video camera information

Video cameras may be used to monitor student behavior on school vehicles transporting students to and from school or extracurricular activities. Students found violating bus conduct rules would receive disciplinary action.

Transportation change requests

Please submit in writing requests for a bus stop location change to Transportation Director Fred Marks of Rolling V at 845-439-3713 and Rosa Finkel (845-439-1501, ext. 5131 or via email) at the middle/high school or Patti Lambrigger (845-439-1502, ext. 6105 or via email) 

Requests must include:

• Student(s) name

• Name of school

• Legal address

• Address of location requested

• Rationale relative to the request

Most requests will be reviewed within five business days. According to state education law, visibility from the home to the bus stop, lack of sidewalks and/or streetlights, and traffic on the road do not constitute an unsafe bus stop.

Families who are moving into the district or changing their address within the district must complete the appropriate registration or change of address forms.

Alternate pickup/drop-off requests

Bus students who need to have alternate bus arrangements made should bring a note stating what bus they need to go on, as well as contain the name and address of the person’s home to which the student is going. Notes should be given to Rosa Finkel in the middle/high school and Patti Lambrigger in the elementary school. All notes must be dated and signed by the parent.

If it is necessary to make a dismissal change via telephone, the request for this change should be received no later than 1 p.m., as we cannot guarantee the request will be received in a timely fashion if the call is not answered in person.

Non public school transportation requests

Requests for transportation to non-public schools must be submitted by parents/guardians in writing on or prior to April 1 of the preceding school year. However, a parent or guardian of a child not residing in the district on such date shall submit a written request within 30 days after establishing residency in the district. Requests must be submitted on an annual basis to Rosa Finkel in the middle/high school and Patti Lambrigger in the elementary school. A request may be denied for lack of a reasonable explanation, as determined by the Rockland Board of Education.