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updated: 02/08/08
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Transportation |
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SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS WANTED |
Eligibility Tim Fitzgerald, Supervisor of Transportation Except for students with handicapping conditions as determined by the Committee on Special Education, eligibility for transportation is based solely on distance between the student’s residence and his/her school of attendance. Transportation is provided for Mamaroneck resident students enrolled in the kindergarten through eighth grades who live more than 2 miles, but less than 15 miles from the public or non-public school they attend. Transportation is also provided for students in grades nine through twelve who reside more than 3 but less than 15 miles from their school.
School transportation is provided on days and at times established by the school’s official calendar, and will conform to subsequent changes as approved by the Transportation Department. Transportation will not be tailored to individual children’s schedules, nor will additional OR alternate transportation be provided when a student is unable to take the regularly scheduled bus. Only authorized persons (i.e., approved transportation pupils, bus drivers, bus monitors, and school officials) are permitted to board school buses/vans. Visitors and/or guests are not allowed on the bus at any time. Our drivers are required to go through the morning route in the same way every day, making all stops, even if we are aware that a child will not be taking the bus on a certain day. This provides consistency, and a greater ability for us to meet the prescribed schedule. If a student will NOT be taking the bus in the a.m., but WILL be taking the bus in the p.m., parents must call to let us know this. If the student does not take the bus in the a.m. and there is no phone call, we will assume the student is absent for the day and will not send a bus in p.m. unless there are other students to be picked up at that time. The Mamaroneck School District does not provide transportation to any schools on the following legal holidays: Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, July 4th The routing process is complicated by changing demographics, movement of students through grades and varying dismissal schedules for different schools on different days. Each year as the distribution of children changes, we use the following criteria to establish bus routes and stops.
PLEASE NOTE: Bus routes are carefully constructed to accommodate the size, number, and distribution of students each year. Therefore, it is important that each student rides ONLY the bus that is assigned — no switching will be allowed—not even from a later to an earlier, or from an earlier to a later bus. No exceptions will be made under any circumstances. Buses are authorized to stop only at established locations (stops) on the route. Except for emergencies, the driver is not allowed to alter his/her the order of his/her established bus route, nor allow children board or disembark the bus at a location that is not listed as that child’s own bus stop. For security, consistency, safety and economy, a student may not get on or off the school bus at any stop other than the one assigned to him or her. If your child has a “play date” or appointment that requires a different discharge point from the regularly assigned bus stop, you will have to provide transportation yourself on that date. No variations to the bus route/stop schedule will be made. For children in kindergarten through third grade, The District requires an adult to meet the bus in the p.m. If you would like this practice waived for your child, please send us your request in writing. (sample form) Absent a written request from you, the driver will not allow a K-3rd grader to get off the bus if no adult is there to meet him/her. SNOW AND EMERGENCY CLOSING NOTIFICATION: Every attempt is made to post delays and emergency closings/dismissals on the District's Home page as soon as possible. Also for emergency information, call 220-EMER. In addition, announcements of school closings, snow delays, and/or the inability of buses to operate due to weather or hazardous conditions are made over several local radio stations starting at 6:30 A.M. Stations include WFAS (1230 AM / 103.9 FM) and WVOX (1460 AM). Buses will operate on the Mamaroneck School District schedule unless otherwise indicated (e.g., "Mamaroneck Schools are open, but there is no out-of-district transportation.")
Conduct Observe all rules and respond promptly to instructions from the bus driver and/or the bus monitor.  Parents, Please
Parents, Please: Familiarize your youngster with his/her bus stop. Be sure your child arrives at the stop at least five minutes before the scheduled time. If the bus is consistently late or early, call the transportation department. Behavior at the bus stop should be the same as on the bus and in the classroom: courteous and restrained. Students should wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before either approaching it in the morning, or standing to disembark in the afternoon. Stress the importance of remaining seated and reasonably quiet while the bus is in motion. Point out that distracting the driver can be dangerous for everyone. And don’t forget seat belts! The driver reminds children to “buckle up” every day—but the most effective seat belt training happens at home. Be sure your child knows the proper road-crossing procedure (I.e., make eye-contact with driver and wait for driver’s signal to cross). Also, please instruct your child to cross in front of the bus (not behind it) and to move away from the bus quickly after exiting (DO NOT return or stop for dropped items!!! Wait until the bus has driven away before retrieving anything.) Use book bags or knapsacks to carry loose things. Be sure, however, that the bag or knapsack is small enough to fit comfortably on your child’s lap. Large items are not allowed on the bus (NY State Dept of Trans. Regulations). Also not allowed on the bus: animals, dangerous objects (weapons, lighted matches, etc.), open food and/or beverage containers. Be aware that eating and/or drinking is absolutely prohibited on the school bus. Be sure that lunches and snacks are securely packed. Be sure that jackets and bags have all drawstrings and the like removed. Although all bus handrails have been inspected for resistance to “catching” drawstrings, removal of such things from clothing provides the greatest measure of safety. Reflective tape on jackets, hats, or knapsacks is a good precaution during inclement weather. Discuss the safety hazards involved in throwing anything out of windows or putting arms/heads out of windows. Be advised that any and all changes to the routing (time, stop location, sequence, etc.) can only be made by the Transportation Office ONLY ON A PERMANENT ANNUAL BASIS. Drivers are not allowed to alter their routes without prior approval from the Transportation Department. BE SURE TO CONTACT the Transportation Department if your child is going to school but NOT taking the bus in the morning. Otherwise we will assume your child is absent for the day and we will not send a bus to the school in the afternoon, unless other students need to be picked up at that school. Thank you for supporting the Mamaroneck School District’s policies/procedures in these matters. They are in place to insure your child’s safety. A Message from the Superintendent of Schools School busing, like all other pieces of the educational process, needs the
support of everyone involved in its provision: parents, children, teachers, drivers,
monitors, and administrators. Our transportation system is dedicated to maintaining
safety, timeliness, and economy, but success requires the cooperative effort of the
complete community. |
to drive in since 7/7/00 -
welcome to "the Bus Zone!"