Scheduling, Routing, and Bus Stops
Bus routes and stops will be established by the Assistant Supervisor of Transportation under the supervision of the Assistant Superintendent for Business.
1. Fixed Stops: Fixed bus stops will be established using the following guidelines:
a. except when no other safe routing alternative exists and to provide necessary services for students with disabilities, dead-end, cul-de-sac, and loop streets will not be serviced by school buses;
b. whenever possible, stops will be at the intersections of two streets;
c. numbers of students at bus stops will be varied according to the concentration of riders in an area, the degree of traffic, the presence of stop signs, speed limits, and bus turn-around requirements;
d. walking distances to pick-up points may not exceed 0.75 miles except when bus turn-around restrictions require longer distances;
e. an effort will be made to minimize crossing of the road by students;
f. no door-to-door bus stops will be permitted unless recommended by the Committee on Special Education or a Section 504 Committee, or as roadway conditions may dictate as determined by the District;
2. Side Roads: Transportation may be provided on side roads that are maintained by town highway departments unless the lack of maintenance makes it unsafe for a bus to traverse. Examples of unsafe conditions are flooding, road erosion, ice, snow, and mud. Other factors to be considered are the narrowness of roads and limited visibility;
3. Private Roads: Transportation will not be provided on highways or roadways that have not been dedicated and/or maintained by town, county, and/or state highway departments;
4. Turnarounds: Turnarounds will not be established unless there is no other way for the bus to continue its route, adequate space is available, and the space is properly maintained;
5. Major Roadways: House pick-up and drop-off transportation service may be provided to residents living along major roadways as determined by the Director of Transportation;
6.. District Map: Routing software will be used to determine the transportation requirements necessary to satisfy the needs established by state law, Board policy, and voter mandate;
7. Mileage Measurement: The official measurement of mileage will be from the end of the student’s driveway to the assigned stop;
8. Stop Change Requests: Stop changes requested by parents or guardians will not be made during the first three weeks of school. Parents or guardians requesting a stop change must submit their requests in writing on the prescribed form to the transportation office. Requests will be reviewed in the order they are received. Requests will be considered only when the following conditions exist:
The change does not adversely affect safety, efficiency, or cost to the District.
The requested stop replaces an existing stop. Additional stops will not be approved.
The relocated stop is along the current bus route.
The parents and guardians of all students at the existing stop agree to the requested stop change.
The request does not require a change in bus route assignment.
All stop changes are approved on a contingency basis only. The District reserves the right to change stops should enrollment changes or other conditions warrant.
Transportation Requests - Nonpublic Schools
All requests for transportation to nonpublic schools must be submitted in writing to the Superintendent or their designee by no later than the first day of April preceding the school year for which transportation is requested or, if a new student, within 30 days of moving into the District. Any requests received after April 1st will be considered late and will be denied unless there is no added cost to the District to provide the transportation and/or a reasonable excuse for the delay is provided in accordance with the decisions of the Commissioner of Education.
Before and/or After School Child Care
In lieu of transportation between home and school, the District will provide transportation between before and/or after school child care locations and school for children in grades kindergarten through 8 who attend public or nonpublic schools located within the District. Transportation will not be provided between a child care provider and home. A child care location is defined as a place located within the District, other than the child’s home, where care for less than 24 hours per day is provided on a regular basis. The District will only provide transportation to child care providers located within the attendance zone of the school the child attends unless the child care program is licensed or registered pursuant to Section 390 of the Social Services Law, in which case transportation will be provided anywhere within the District.
All requests for transportation to or from a childcare location must be submitted in writing to the Superintendent or their designee by no later than the first day of April preceding the school year for which such transportation is requested or, if a new student, within 30 days of moving into the District. Any requests received after April 1st will be considered late and will be denied unless there is no added cost to the District to provide the transportation and/or a reasonable excuse for the delay is provided in accordance with the decisions of the Commissioner of Education.
Changes in Schedules
It is the policy of the Board that students will be assigned to only one bus and only one bus stop for the trip to school and for the trip from school for the safety of students and the economy, efficiency, and reliability of the transportation program, except as required by law. There will be no day-to-day changes in bus stops and bus routes except in emergencies, upon written request of the parent/guardian to the Principal and Assistant Supervisor of Transportation, and approval of the request.
Adoption date: December 1, 1995
Amended date: April 29, 2008
Amended date: September 14, 2020
Amended date: December 2, 2024