School Bus Handbook for Parents/Guardians

The goal of Transportation Services is to provide safe and timely bus service for the District’s students. To do this, drivers must be able to concentrate on operating vehicles in a variety of traffic conditions, always being alert and vigilant. Excessive noise or misconduct by bus passengers can distract a driver and endanger all students on the bus. Therefore, the support and cooperation of parents and students is needed to ensure acceptable behavior by all bus riders.

Students are expected to cooperate with their bus driver to promote bus safety.  A driver may confer with a student, change bus seating, assign a specific seat, reinforce student’s successes and establish consequence for inappropriate bus rider behavior.  A bus driver can write a bus conduct report and issue an Infraction Notice at any time.  This noticed must be signed by a parent / guardian and returned to the bus driver the day following notice delivery.  Failure to return the notice may result in the denial of bus riding privileges from all Renton School buses until the Infraction Notice is signed and returned to the driver.

Bus misconduct may be referred to the Transportation manager or school administrator for follow up which may include suspension and/or emergency removal and/or emergency expulsion from the bus.

Any misconduct by a student, which in the opinion of the leadership team is detrimental to the safe operations of the bus, shall be sufficient cause for the Director Transportation or their designee to suspend transportation privileges.

Rules of conduct for students riding buses are the following:

• Students will obey the driver and any aide assigned to the bus by the district.
• Students will observe rules of classroom conduct while riding on buses.
• Noise will be kept at a low level to avoid distracting the driver.  Students shall refrain from profanity, obscene gestures, or offensive acts.
• Students will ride only on their assigned bus unless written permission to do otherwise has been received by school officials.
• Students will not be permitted to leave the bus except at their regular stop unless written permission to do otherwise is received by school officials.
• Students are assigned seats will use only that seat unless permission to change is authorized by the driver.
• Students will not eat or drink on buses.  Buses will be kept clean.
• Students will not open bus windows without the drivers permission.
• Students will not extend any part of their body or objects out of bus windows at any time.
• Students will not carry or have in their possession items that can cause injury to passengers on the bus.  Such items include, but are not limited to; sticks, breakable containers; weapons or firearms; straps or pins protruding from clothing; large, bulky items that cannot be held or placed between the students legs, etc.  Books and personal belonging will be kept out of the aisles. 
• Students will not have animals on buses; except for an approved service animal providing assistance to a disabled student.
• Students will not sit in the drivers seat or to the immediate right or left of the driver.
• Students will refrain from talking to the driver while the bus is in motion unless necessary.
• Students will go directly to a seat once inside the bus and remain seated at all times unless the driver instructs otherwise.
• Students will get on/off the bus in an orderly manner and obey the instructions of the driver.  There will be no pushing or shoving when boarding or leaving the bus.  Once off the bus, students will adhere to Washington rules for pedestrians.
• Students will never cross the roadway behind a bus.
• Students will stand away from the roadway curb when any bus is approaching or leaving a stop.
• Students going to and from their bus stops where there are no sidewalks will walk on the left-hand side of the roadway facing oncoming traffic.  Students will go directly to their homes after leaving the bus.
• Students will use seatbelts on buses when available.
• Students will follow emergency exit drill procedures as prescribed by the driver.
• Students will not tamper with emergency doors or equipment.
• Parents / guardians of students who are identified as causing damage to buses will be charged with the cost of the incurred damage.  Students causing the damage may also be suspended from bus riding privileges.
• Student misconduct will constitute sufficient reason for suspending transportation privileges.

Students provided with transportation are responsible for complying with the district's rules of conduct for students riding buses.  Failure to adhere to these rules, or abusive behavior towards the public, driver, fellow passengers, or the vehicle constitutes justification for initiating corrective action against a student.

Abusive behavior on the part of the student riding a bus may result in a written report when in the opinion of the driver or bus supervisor, there has been an infraction of the rules applicable to student conduct.  The driver will provide the student with a copy of the report.

The Director of Transportation or their designee, upon receiving the report, will investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and take action according to the district's policies pertaining to corrective action.  When investigating the incident, the primary concern must be with respect to the safe transport of students.

Corrective action, if necessary, should be consistent throughout the district as follows:

A.) Warning:  When a student's misconduct is of a minor nature that does not jeopardize the safety of welfare of other students or the operation of the bus.

B.) Suspension:  When a student's misconduct is deemed to jeopardize the safety of bus passengers and operation, or when repeated warning notices fail to correct abusive behavior, or when the student incurs damage to the bus.

C.) Expulsion:  When a student's misconduct is such that the safety of the bus operation and / or the occupants was willfully and seriously threated.

The action taken by the Director of Transportation or their designee will be annotated on the report and forwarded to the students parent for signature.

The parent/guardian of a student who has been suspended from receiving transportation entitlements may appeal the decision by submitting a written statement to the Transportation Department.

All transported students must participate in emergency exit drills.  Two actual drills on school property and one verbal drill are required annually.

The drivers are responsible for training the students and conducting the drills.  To be prepared for an actual emergency, each child is encouraged to exit the bus without the aid of the driver.  The students are instructed how to use the emergency exits, seek help, find a safe location away from the bus, and locate and use emergency equipment.

Bus passes are required for students who wish to depart the bus at a different authorized stop or to ride a different bus to or from school.

Passes for riding a bus other than a student's regular bus are issued on a space available basis only.  Therefore, there is no guarantee that a pass will be approved.  Schools issue bus passes.  The procedure to obtain a bus pass requires a parent note and contact to the school.

Kindergarten and Preschool students will NOT be allowed off the bus without supervision.

If the parent is not at the assigned bus stop, we will return your student back to the school. Parents will need to pick up students at the school.

In order for your student to be dropped off WITH sibling or other authorized adult, parent/guardian is required to sign and return to the driver a release form.

This form is also available upon request from your student's driver.

Release form for Kinder/Preschool/SPED students to sibling or other authorized adult – ENGLISH

Release form for Kinder/Preschool/SPED students to sibling or other authorized adult – SPANISH

Special Needs students require supervision when released from the bus unless you fill out the proper release form.

If your student is a Special Needs student and you would like to allow your student to be dropped off the bus without the supervision of an adult, you need to fill out a release form. Without this form, we expect a parent or guardian to be waiting for the student at their bus stop.

If the parent is not at the assigned bus stop, we will return your student back to the school. Parents will need to pick up students at the school.

This form is also available upon request from your student's driver.

Release form for SPED Students without supervision – ENGLISH

Release form for SPED Students without supervision – SPANISH

Due to safety reasons and time challenges, boarding a school bus to talk to the bus driver or a student is prohibited. It is best to contact the bus driver through the Transportation Department. This will ensure that the driver has adequate time to discuss your needs and concerns. Clarification of the rules and procedures should be directed to the Director of Transportation.

The district and bus driver’s goal is to increase safety while transporting students to and from school. Cameras on the bus are a tool to help improve student conduct.

Renton school buses are inspected by the Washington State Patrol.  Inspections happen twice per year. All district buses meet or exceed Federal and State specifications.

To ensure a safe bus ride for your students, each bus driver is an authorized Washington State School Bus Driver by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) who has completed an extensive training program consisting of classroom and on the road training. Each driver has completed a drug screen and has under gone an extensive background check, including State and Federal fingerprinting clearance.

• The District has more than 114 school buses in our fleet.
• Our drivers have on average 5.7 years of driving experience with the District, and have a combined total of more than 500 years of experience driving a school bus for RSD.
• Each bus has more than 75 items that are inspected or tested by drivers every day (even multiple times a day) before each bus leaves the transportation yard.
• RSD buses travel over 800,000 miles each school year.

FOR STUDENTS

• Be alert to traffic. Check both ways for cars before stepping off the bus.
• Make eye contact with the bus driver and wait for the bus driver’s signal before crossing the street.
• Walk in front of the bus; never walk behind the bus to cross the street.
• While waiting for the bus, stay in a safe place away from the street.
• Before leaving the sidewalk, look for the flashing red lights.
• Never go near or under the bus to retrieve something you’ve dropped.

FOR PARENTS

• Have your child ride the school bus to and from school instead of driving or riding with teenage drivers.
• Review the safety tips with your child regularly.
• Get to know the parents of other riders. You will learn about the other children who are riding along with your child.
• Team up with other parents to get involved and monitor bus stops and bus routes. Voice concerns immediately to the school district.
• Get to know your child’s bus driver. He or she is a trained professional who sees your child every day.
• Keep phone numbers handy in case the bus is delayed or in the event of an emergency.
• Download the Ride360 application for accurate bus stop locations and times.