At the beginning of the year, the Director of Transportation will designate the pick-up locations for students.

All routes will start approximately one hour before school begins. Bus stops may be adjusted during the school year. Center Grove School Board policy states that “vehicle routes shall be established so that an authorized vehicle stop is available within a reasonable walking distance of the home of every resident student entitled to transportation services.”

       After 3 No-Show days at a stop, the bus may no longer stop at that location or travel to that road.

In the interest in fuel consumption and conservation.  Transportation should always look for ways to optimize bus routes. Parents should communicate with the transportation department if their child will not be riding for a few days.  If a child has not been on the bus for several days, and desires to resume riding, parents must call the transportation department to reactivate that stop.

      All students must be at their designated stop five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled arrival time.

It is important for students to be at their stops before the bus arrives, so that they will not cause the other students to be late for school. Also, when a school bus is stopped for any length of time, the wait causes an unsafe traffic buildup in front of and behind the bus. Students should be waiting in an orderly manner at least ten (10) feet away from the road prior to the arrival of the bus.

      All students must ride their assigned bus to and from school.

Riding another bus is only permitted in emergency situations. Most buses are loaded to capacity with students assigned a specific seat. Additional students could cause an overloaded condition on the bus. The purpose is only to provide transportation service from the home to school and return. In an emergency situation, the parent must write or call the school explaining the emergency. If the school approves, the principal will sign a note to the student who in turn will present it to the school bus driver, allowing the student to ride a different bus. If the situation requires a student to ride on a bus that is not their assigned bus with another student, there shall be notes from the parents of both children.

      Students may only board and disembark the school bus at their designated stop.

Walking to another bus stop within route is dangerous and not allowed.  Once students are on board, they may not disembark at any location other than their designated stop or at the school. There are safety and legal reasons for this policy. In certain situations where arrangements have been made in writing, by the parents and the school principal, a student may disembark at a different stop if the stop is within the same bus route.

      Once a school bus is in motion, students will not be allowed to board the bus.

This is a safety measure designed to discourage students from running after and/or between buses in a loading (congested) area. Also, when one bus stops in a line of moving buses, the chances for a chain reaction accident increase considerably. Students who miss their bus at school should immediately report to the principal’s office.

      Assigned Seats.

Drivers may assign seats on the bus for all students or just to a single student based on safety and/or behavior. This is to ensure the safety of the passengers. Once students have been placed in an assigned seat, they are expected to sit in the assigned seat.

      After boarding the bus students shall be seated immediately and remain properly seated for the duration of the bus ride.

Properly seated means that the during the course of the bus ride students shall sit with their posterior on the seat bench and shall not change seats, stand up in/on their seat, or sit facing towards the rear of the bus. Unless seated three to a seat students shall not have any body part in the aisle of the bus.

      Students are expected to behave accordingly on the bus and know the rules for riding the bus.  

The drivers have the same authority in the bus as teachers have in the classroom. Loud and boisterous noise and improper conduct can cause a distraction to the driver which can lead to serious safety hazards on the bus. The students conduct on the bus should be no different than what is expected in the classroom. If it is not allowed in the classroom, it is not allowed in the bus. Destructive behavior to the bus will not be tolerated, and students will be held responsible.

      Food and Drink.

Eating and/or drinking on the bus is not allowed. All food and/or drink must be disposed of before boarding the bus.

      Kindergarten students.

Kindergarten students will not be released from the bus without the presence of a parent, guardian, sibling, or appropriate adult caretaker at the bus stop. This policy will be in place for the first semester of the school year.

      The aisle of a school bus must be kept free of objects that could obstruct an emergency evacuation of the bus.

Any large object that cannot be held on a student’s lap or placed safely on the floor in the space under the seat immediately in front of the student is not permitted on the school bus. Examples of such large objects include but are not necessarily limited to certain musical instruments, science fair and other types of projects, athletic and P.E. equipment, bags, flag poles, flowers, balloons and other such items that could pose a safety problem.

      To ensure safety from objects rolling IN or UNDER a bus, objects must be secured in a bag or sack.

Students will not be permitted to bring games, toys, balls, etc., on a bus unless they are secured in a school bag, bag, or sack. At no time should students ever attempt to reach under a bus to retrieve an object.

      Students are prohibited from bringing any potentially hazardous items, chemicals, animals, or breakable items on board the bus.

No animals or insects will be transported. Any object that could become a missile in an accident will not be transported. No flammable or hazardous chemicals will be transported. No glass or sharp objects are permitted. No Weapons of any kind is allowed on the bus.

      Medicine.

      Any traffic in or near bus loading areas is hazardous.

All schools have designated areas for parents to drop off and/or pick up students along with designated traffic patterns. Parent and student drivers are asked to be careful when driving in these areas and should not drive around or pass buses that are loading and unloading children. School buses have the right of way on school property and all other vehicles should yield to school buses on school property. Parents who transport children to school in the mornings are encouraged to drop them off before the buses arrive. Parents should also wait until buses have departed in the afternoon before leaving with their child at the end of the day.

      Cell Phones and the use of electronic devices.

Students are not to use electronic devices such as cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), laptop computers, or video games on the bus. A small handheld radio or MP3 player may be used provided the user is listening through personal headphones and the volume is low enough that others cannot hear the music.

      Think safety, teach safety, and act safely.

If possible, students should carry a school bag or sack, which will allow them to organize their belongings. There are many accidents every year involving children who are pursuing dropped books or papers under school buses or children who run into traffic. High School students driving to school must be vigilant in bus loading zones and in school parking lots.

      Daycares.

Center Grove buses will only transport to and from daycares for those schools whose boundary the daycare is located. This is also based on availability with the bus. If the bus that accommodates  the daycare becomes full or room is no longer available, parents and/or daycares will be responsible for the transportation to and from the daycare facility.

      Buses will not travel cul-de-sacs shorter than .2 miles (one-way) or in areas where turning around is dangerous.

      All CGCSC buses use video recording devices with audio recording capability.

      It is very important to remember that the Bus Driver is in charge.

Like the teacher in the classroom, the Bus Driver is the adult in charge and has rules that need to be followed for the student’s safety.  The driver has the same authority as a teacher in a classroom and must be respected as such. 

Please remember that the main job of the driver is to drive the bus safely.  Even with rules and seating assignments set in place, things can happen on the bus that the driver will not see.  Should an issue arise that you are concerned about, please talk with your driver right away. He or She will be more than happy to assist.