Transportation

Parents can promote bus stop safety by making sure their children follow these simple rules compiled by former bus drivers for the National Association for Pupil Transportation:

BEFORE boarding, a child should:

• Arrive at the bus stop five minutes early.  Rushing often leads to carelessness.
• Wear bright colors or put reflective tape on backpacks to increase visibility.
• Take five giant steps back from the curb, which is in the driver’s line of vision.
• Pack all belongings in appropriate bags so hands are free to grab the safety rail.
• Make sure clothes and backpacks don’t have hanging straps or strings that may become snagged in the vehicle.
• Wait until the bus stops completely before approaching the vehicle.
• Avoid pushing or roughhousing while waiting or boarding.

If you have missed the bus, please go back home to find a ride.

Remember outside the bus can be very dangerous....NEVER CHASE AFTER A BUS!

WHEN leaving the bus, a child should:

• Cross in front of the bus, never behind it.
• Take five giant steps away from the bus before continuing home.
• Be alert to traffic, looking left, right and left again before crossing the street.

Parents can help by taking turns monitoring the bus stop.  

Buses, as an extension of school district property, are subject to district policies and procedures. We may utilize video on the buses as necessary to assist in bus safety. Please contact the Transportation Department with any questions.

ALTERNATE BUS REQUESTS
A note signed by a parent is required if a student is not to get off at the assigned stop. This is to ensure that your child is where you expect them to be. We are committed to being at assigned stops, both a.m. and p.m., on time. Prohibiting abductions and traffic-related accidents, which might occur should students walk home from the wrong stop, all enter into this request for notes from parents. Students are assigned to the bus stop closest to their address.

Friends of students riding home with bus students will need a note from each child’s parent giving permission.

Guest on the Bus Program is available for parents to ride the bus. Please contact the Transportation Department for more information.

CANCELING A BUS RIDE
Transportation does not require parents to notify dispatch if your student will not be riding the bus. Generally buses pick up multiple students at each stop or need to make all of the stops to stay on schedule.

However if you live in a rural area and your student is the only child at the stop and you are able to notify dispatch or your driver that your student will not be riding it is appreciated.

BUS STOPS
Students are expected to be at the bus stops on time and this expectation must be enforced. If they are late and the bus must wait, a bus discipline form will be sent home so parents are aware of the concern. We request that students be at the stops five (5) minutes before the bus arrival, but we will also take into consideration inclement weather conditions.

The problems for everyone begins when a bus driver waits an additional minute or two for each student to get to the bus and after 15 or more stops,

the students up at the end of the routes consequently, have to wait 15 to 30 minutes for the bus. Also, most in-town buses run two runs, a secondary and an elementary. Please help us to stay on schedule by having your student at the bus stop on time. Generally, elementary will have more stops than secondary.

Student behavior and situations that occur at the bus stops will be the responsibility of parents unless the event occurs while the driver is pulling up and actually sees the occurrence. If the driver observes a problem, appropriate actions can be taken including loss of bus privileges. Vandalism at bus stops will result in the loss of bus privileges and possible criminal charges.

Wyoming Department of Education establishes walking distances for students depending on age. WDOE also regulates the type and conditions of roads school buses travel on.

SEAT BELTS
CCSD is in the process of replacing all buses to be equipped with seat belts. Per WY State bus replacement rules, a limited amount of buses are eligible for replacement each year.

Non seat-belted buses safety is based on the concept of “compartmentalization”. Under this theory, students are better protected by the strength of the bus, distance between the seats, and padding in the seats and surrounding area.

Students are required to wear seat belts on a bus so equipped and loss of bus privileges will result if students refuse to do so.

The following is taken from Campbell County School District's Transportation policy.

SNOW DAY PROCEDURES

Special snow day procedures will be implemented when necessary. This five (5) step system goes as follows:

• Selected routes may be delayed: Schools open as scheduled, but selected routes are delayed by either one or two hours, depending on the route and severity of weather and/or road conditions.
• Selected route cancellations: Schools open as scheduled, but selected routes may not be able to run. Parents may transport students but are encouraged not to.
• Delayed school start or early release: School start time is delayed by two hours or released early two hours
  • Selected School
  • County wide school

** In all situations, inclement weather routing may be implemented**

The decision will be announced on local radio and television stations as near to 5:30 a.m. as possible. Parents will also be contacted directly by CCSD Administration via an automated telephone calling system used by the district for parent notification. For the system to work efficiently, please ensure your student’s contact information is updated as needed.

The parent/guardian always has the right to decide not to send their child to school.

INCLEMENT WEATHER ROUTING
Inclement weather or unimproved roads may result in buses being unable to meet the regular schedule, necessitating some buses to run their inclement weather routes. Your bus driver will send home an inclement weather route procedure for your area. Inclement weather information is posted on the school district’s website (www.ccsd.k12.wy.us). It is the parent’s responsibility to get the students to or from the adjusted stop.

The following is taken from Campbell County School District's Transportation policy.

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Activity bus drivers are at the buses one hour before departure time and at the school 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time.

• The CCHS activity office phone number is 307-687-0369.
• The TBHS activity office number is 307-685-5623.
• The Wright activity/main office number is 307-464-0140.

STUDENT AND PARENT INFORMATION
Follow the driver's/aide's instructions:.
1. Stay seated, face forward, and keep the aisle.
2. Keep hands and feet to yourself.
3. Talk Foul language, and unruly behavior is not permitted.
4. Students will be required to maintain silence at all railroad crossings. 

EATING AND DRINKING ON THE BUS

For safety reasons, food and beverages may not be allowed on daily local busing. Exceptions may be allowed for confirmed medical health conditions. 

BUS STOP SAFETY (refer to page 10)

1. Arrive at the bus stop five minutes
2. Stand at least 10 feet away from the edge of the
3. Please wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says it's ok before stepping onto the
4. Be careful that clothing with drawstrings and book bags with straps or dangling objects do not get caught in the handrail or door when exiting
5. Walk in front of the bus; never walk behind the bus.
6. Walk on the sidewalk or along the side of the road to a point at least 10 feet ahead.
7. Be sure the driver can see you, and you can see the
8. Stop at the edge of the bus and look left-right-left before
9. Tell the bus driver if you drop something beside the Should you try to pick it up, the bus driver may not see you and drive away.
10. Students should only get on and off at assigned. 

Students are to form a line as the bus pulls up and are not to push or shove each other for the apparent reason that pushing and shoving can result in injury or a student getting pushed under the bus's wheels.

Please ask your students never to chase after a bus to get on it. We are highly concerned that a student may fall, or in some manner, not be seen and be injured by the moving bus. The student missed the bus once the doors shut, and the bus moved away from the parked position.

When this occurs at a school, the student should return to the school and make the appropriate calls. Parents/guardians should have in place proper remedies should the student miss the bus at their stop and discuss these with the student.

Once inside the bus, the student is to proceed directly to their seat and be seated so all students may get onto the bus in a timely manner. Assigned seating is recommended and supported on all school buses. If the student leaves the bus after entering it, they may be left behind as the bus will not wait for them to return.

Students are allowed 5-10 minutes to load onto the bus after school. This short loading period is necessary to maintain schedules between secondary and elementary routes in the afternoon. Students who are late will be left behind and will have to go back to the school and arrange for a ride.

Windows will be up on the sidewalk side of the bus during loading after school. To prevent the negative interaction (spitting and grabbing) that may occur as other students pass along outside the bus. Violation of this rule can result in loss of riding privileges. Street-side windows may be open as needed. After the bus pulls away from the stop, the other windows may be open. Students are not allowed to hang any part of their body out of a bus window or throw anything out of a window.

Harassment issues, especially student-to-student, will be dealt with and monitored on the bus. Student rights dictate a respectable and safe ride home. These issues can be challenging to address and require good communication between district personnel, parents, and students. Seat assignments of elementary buses are made with a maximum of three to a seat. Secondary bus seat assignments are made with a maximum of two to a seat. Students are not allowed to stand while the bus is in motion.

Inappropriate use of cell phones/electronics are prohibited.

STUDENT BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT

Good student behavior management requires the cooperation of the school: Principal, Transportation Office, bus driver, bus assistant, parent, and student. The driver is responsible for maintaining student behavior management on the school bus. Four basic bus rules are posted on every bus. There shouldn't be any issues, ff students can follow these four rules:
1. Follow the driver's/aide's direction.
2. Stay seated, face forward, and keep the aisle.
3. Keep hands and feet to yourself and out of the aisle.
4. Talk Foul language, and unruly behavior is not permitted. 

Bus drivers have an essential job to perform for the safety of our students. Sometimes drivers may need to have a few additional rules or assigned seating to manage their route.

CCSD utilizes a progressive step system for student misbehavior that has occurred on the bus:
1. Verbal Warning (s)
2. Written Warning (s)
3. Loss of bus privileges (1 day to multiple days) Bus discipline reports may be sent home for you to review and sign. Please, contact transportation with any questions. These steps generally will be used in order but can be adjusted or skipped depending on the severity and context of the infraction. If we have transported a student to school, every effort will be made to transport the student home, and consequences will start the following day.

Drivers are to report all disciplinary problems to the Transportation office and/or parents using the Bus Discipline Report as soon as possible. If the problem persists, additional reports will be filed, and the driver should discuss the matter with a supervisor.

Any time a bus conduct report is filled out, there should also be a call to the parent from the driver; this is very important if a student has lost bus riding privileges.

A driver may refuse to allow a student on the bus if there is evidence that the student will endanger the other students or the driver. Possession of a dangerous weapon would be an example of grounds for denying a student access. If a student is denied entrance onto a bus, the driver will report this immediately to the office and complete a Bus Conduct Report.

A school bus is an extension of the classroom. Transportation will collaborate with school personnel on student behavior management. A student who creates a serious behavior infraction/safety violation may be taken off the bus by personnel in a school or en route by a supervisor or law enforcement official.

Fighting will generally result in both parties involved losing bus privileges. Hitting or tripping is unacceptable behavior.

Students loading and unloading must have clear access to the aisle. Sitting students will keep their feet and knees out of the aisle. Blocking the aisle creates a safety hazard and may result in the loss of bus privileges.

ITEMS NOT ALLOWED ON THE BUS:
Articles are commonly used or designed to inflict bodily harm or intimidate other persons. Examples are firearms, knuckles, knives, chains, clubs, etc.

Articles designed for other purposes but which are being used or threatened to be used to inflict bodily harm or intimidate. Examples are belts, combs, pencils, files, scissors, spray aerosol, etc.

A Student who has caused injury to another person with a weapon, intended or unintended, will be subjective to disciplinary and/or legal action. (District Policy 5260)

Possession of a weapon on school property, on a school bus, or at any school-sponsored activity is prohibited. A student found to be in possession of a weapon on school premises before, during, or after school, or at any school-sponsored activity will be subject to disciplinary and/or legal action. (District Policy 5260)
 
LARGE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS & BIG PROJECTS:

Instruments will be accommodated wherever possible, depending on the bus. Large instruments such as bass fiddles, tubas, or large drums are too big for the bus unless special circumstances exist.

FIELD TRIPS

Students are expected to follow the same rules as on regular bus rides. Generally, the teacher or sponsor will be in charge of students on field trips.