Firelands Bus Rules and Regulations
Firelands Variance Policy and Form
FIRELANDS BUS RULES AND REGULATIONS
Revised September 7, 2000
Printed below are the major rules and regulations relating to school bus safety developed by the Ohio Department of Highway Safety. They are provided for your information and we encourage you to discuss them with your children. By working together, we can insure safe and efficient pupil transportation for our children.
1. The driver is in charge of the bus and is responsible for orderly conduct.
2. Pupils should conduct themselves as they would in a classroom, *except that reasonable conversation is permissible. Horseplay, switching seats, throwing things and similar misconduct is not allowed. (*Board Policy JFC-R on Student conduct is in effect).
3. Pupils must not use profane or indecent language.
4. A driver may assign seats, and pupils must occupy their assigned seats.
5. Pupils are encouraged to keep the bus clean and sanitary by refraining from eating (candy, suckers, or left-over lunch) or drinking on the bus at anytime.
6. Animals, weapons, glass, aerosol cans or other dangerous materials shall not be transported on the school bus. Check with the driver before bringing anything unusual aboard.
7. Disorderly conduct or refusal to follow the directions of the bus driver shall be sufficient reason for withdrawing transportation service to any pupil. If transportation is to be withdrawn, the parent will be notified. The pupil will not be permitted to ride the bus again until the parents give school authorities some assurance of the future good conduct of the child involved.
8. Wherever possible, group pick-up points will be established. A group pick-up is a central place where children from several homes can meet safely for getting on or off the bus.
9. Pupils shall regularly ride the bus to which they are assigned. This includes all shuttle buses.
10. If a pupil occasionally wishes to ride another bus, or get off at a different stop from normal, the pupil must give the driver a note of permission signed by the parent and ADMINISTRATOR or designatee. The driver may refuse to allow a non-assigned student to ride the bus if the bus is already filled to capacity, or because of disorderly conduct in the past. Please do not assume there will be room on the bus your child plans to ride. Check with the bus driver to make sure that there will be room.
11. Pupils are required to be at the bus stop ahead of time and wait (approximately 5 minutes) in a location clear of traffic, about 10 feet from the road. Wear light colored or reflective clothing when going to and from the bus stop.
12. Behavior at a school bus stop must not threaten life, limb, property of any individual.
13. Pupils must not have alcohol, drugs, or tobacco in their possession on the bus, except for prescription medication required for the student, and registered at the school office.
14. Pupils shall cross the road 10 feet in front of the bus. Driver will signal pupils when it is safe to cross by dropping the hand. At that signal, the pupil walks to the center of the road and looks both ways before continuing across the road, then report to a designated place of safety on your residential side of the road. If the bus driver sounds the horn that indicates DANGER.
15. Pupils may carry on the bus objects that can be held in their laps only.
16. Pupils shall not put their heads, hands, arms or objects in or out the bus windows.
17. Students shall ride the bus facing the front of the bus with their back on the seat back and feet on the floor for their protection.
18. Bus rules do not permit other than eligible pupils to ride a school bus on its routine runs. The rule also states that only assigned chaperons and pupil participants may ride a bus on a non-routine trip.
19. Teachers, coaches, chaperons are responsible for students behavior when school buses are transporting students to and from a non-routine activity. The driver will make the final decision in regards to the safety of their bus when the bus is moving.
20. Students may not enter or exit by the rear bus door unless an emergency exists.
21. I will not spit on the floor or at another person while riding a Firelands school bus.
22. I will not trip another student while riding a Firelands school bus.
23. I will not punch or fight with other students while on a school bus or while waiting at a bus stop.
24. While at a bus stop, turn around, or railroad crossing, there is to be no talking or unnecessary noises.
25. I will remain in my seat until the bus comes to a complete stop.
26. I will go directly to my regular bus from my shuttle bus at the high school.
As the school year approaches, many of you will be making day care arrangements for your children. Please keep the following procedures in mind to help insure the safety of the children, remember, pick up and drop off locations at the child’s home address is always best, but we realize it is not always possible. When a change for pick up or drop off is necessary, we are asking you to adhere to the following procedure: Please have all forms turned in by August 28, 2009 to be effective by the first day of school.
Firelands Variance Policy
Throughout the school year, many of you will need to make arrangements for day care for your children. To help insure the safety of the children, remember, pick-up and dropoff locations at the child’s home address is always best, but we realize it is not always possible. When a change for pick-up or drop-off is necessary, we are asking that you adhere to the following procedure:
Variance Forms: (These forms are designed for permanent or steady route changes)
Forms are available at the elementary and middle school offices.
-
Please have variance forms completed and turned in to the school office or bus garage 3-5 days prior to the effective dates. This will insure that everyone involved will have proper notification of the change.
-
The change is to be in effect for the entire year. With the safety of your child in mind, variable and alternating days will not be allowed.
-
The change must be within an existing route.
-
A new Variance Form must be filled out each school year.
Daily Notes/Bus Passes: (For child care purposes only)
-
Daily Notes are required by law to be signed by a parent and administrator or designee.
-
Bus Passes are to be signed by an administrator or designee.
-
The note or bus pass must be presented to the bus driver as the student is boarding the bus or the student will be sent back to the office to call for a ride home.
-
Most of our routes for high school/middle school will be filled to capacity. If you need to make arrangements for alternate transportation, please check with the driver, or transportation department well in advance, to make sure that there will be room on the bus.
Over the past year, the entire school bus fleet traveled 401,230 miles. Of the 401,230 miles, 22,329 miles went for extra trips and 378,901 miles were for regular bus routes. We transported 2,000 students averaging 2,015 miles daily
CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY!!!!