Students who meet eligibility requirements, by means of residence, will be permitted to use school bus transportation for the purpose of travel to and from school. Students living one mile or more from school will be entitled to free bus transportation to and from school. Free transportation will not be provided to other children, except for those who qualify on the basis of disability or in special cases where hazardous walking conditions are found to exist by the Board of Education.
Students have to be at their bus stop five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled pick up time. There will be no door-to-door pickup unless otherwise specified. Students wanting to ride on a bus other than their assigned bus must bring a signed note by their parent and approved by the school office. Routes and times are approximate and are subject to change after the start of the school year. Parents can check the bus number, bus times, and bus stop location by plugging their address in the Bus Route Finder.
If a bus will be more than 15 minutes behind schedule, the district will send a text message to the families of those bus riders. If a bus does not come to the bus stop at its designated time, please contact the bus company and have your child come back home. If a bus stop is missed, the bus company will send a replacement bus. Parents can also drive their children to school if this happens and they prefer not to wait. Children who arrive late due to a bus issue are not marked tardy.
ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
When possible, avoid transportation changes for your child. Any time there is a change in your child’s normal routine, such as walking home, staying after school, riding home with a parent and not on the bus, please send a note. Occasionally it becomes necessary for your child to ride a different bus. A signed note or other written correspondence such as email from the parent with the bus number and/or delivery address will be required in the school office for this change. If a child will be riding the bus home with another student, both children must have a note from a parent approving the change. We encourage you to call to make sure your child has given us your note.
Requests for late transportation changes must be made in writing (email is acceptable) at least 30 minutes before the end of the school day. If written changes do not arrive in time at the school office, students are expected to follow their regular transportation routine. Children do at times forget instructions and end up in the wrong place without reminders. This will help all of us keep your child safe.
KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS
A parent or other designated person will need to be at the bus stop before any kindergarten student will be let off the bus in the afternoon. If you would like your kindergarten student to walk with an older sibling or a person other than a parent, please address this in writing to the bus driver the first day of school. If there is no one to meet the kindergarten student at the bus stop, the child will be taken back to the elementary school and the family will be contacted.
We partner with DS Bus Lines Belton to provide transportation for our students. They are looking for people to join their team to be drivers and monitors on buses. This is a great opportunity for stay-at-home parents, grandparents or retirees, because of the hours. And, you can bring your child to work!