2013-14 Student/Parent Handbook - Nash-Rocky Mount Schools

access the schools section. The link labeled “school assignment and bus routing” will take you to the Transportation
portal. From there you can access school or transportation eligibility based on property address for the whole school
system. There is an additional login where parents can access specific information on their child. Simply click the
“student login” icon and enter last name, date of birth, school assigned, and grade level. The system will then
populate transportation data for your child. If you do not see bus transportation assigned (bus#, bus stop location,
pick up / drop off times) contact your school to register for bus transportation or submit an electronic request from the
Transportation portal home page. NRMPS updates the Transportation portal twice daily and will begin service
as quickly as possible. There will be an online tutorial located on the Transportation web portal to assist parents
with accessing information.
If you request bus transportation and choose not to utilize the service NRMPS will reserve the right to remove your
child after 20 school days. Before service is removed NRMPS will contact you in writing to confirm bus
transportation is no longer needed.
BUS STOP PLACEMENT
Bus stops are placed according to North Carolina General Statues and North Carolina State Board of Education
policies. School buses are permitted to operate on state maintained roads, municipal streets, or streets with public
deeded right of ways only. Bus stops are positioned on existing routes .2 mile apart from each other. New bus stops
that are not on an existing route may be placed .5 mile from the student residence. If safety conditions as outlined
by the fore mentioned documents warrant NRMPS Transportation can make distance adjustments.
The definition of physical bus stop placement is at either an intersection of two streets or a physical address. If it is a
physical address where the bus stop is located NRMPS will adhere to the point of intersection between public road
and property driveway. Bus stops shared by multiple students will be placed in a central location accessible by
everyone. As students are added or removed from bus transportation it may become necessary to relocate a bus stop.
NRMPS will make every effort not to move bus stops during the school year however, it may become required under
certain conditions. NRMPS bus drivers are not required to stop when students are in other places other than the
posted bus stop. This will include students waiting in parent cars, driveways or home front porches (exception is
inclement weather).
MEETING THE BUS & SUPERVISION
Parents are not permitted to follow the bus to another stop and let their children get on in the morning. The driver
can’t see behind the bus. If a parent lets their child run up behind the bus from the car and the bus starts to pull away
an accident can occur. Bus drivers know how many students are at each stop and count for those assigned. There is
no general provision to keep children on the school bus when parents fail or choose not to meet at the bus stop
afternoon discharge. This provision for discharge includes kindergarten students. If you are not able to be at the bus
stop to greet your child, contact the local school and ask that your youngster not be placed on the bus. If you request
that your child stay at the school, you must immediately provide for your child's pickup at the school. NRMPS bus
drivers are not required to discharge students when parents of elementary or EC students aren’t at scheduled bus
stops to accept them. Drivers notify Transportation and are instructed to return the student(s) to school where a
parent will be responsible to come for them. Just as in the morning parents may not follow a bus to another stop if
their child wasn’t dropped off at the scheduled bus stop.
REQUESTS FOR ALTERNATE BUS TRANSPORTATION
State regulations provide for student transportation to and from school based on the legal home address. Students
are assigned specific buses and bus stops at the beginning of the school year. When special bus transportation
arrangements are needed, you must complete an “Extra Transportation Request" form five working days before the
date the special transportation is expected to begin. If a parent waits until the start of school we do not guarantee
five days. On average it takes 20 school days to implement extra transportation at the start of school. The reason is
because regular, EC, homeless, shuttles, etc. take priority before any extra requests are considered.
The request forms are available in the school or transportation offices. The guidelines for establishing extra
transportation are printed at the top of the form. Emergency situations, such as sudden illnesses or a death in the
family that require extra transportation may be approved by the principal without the five-day advance notice
providing Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools requirements for extra transportation are followed.
Services are not available to areas beyond the school's attendance boundary unless approved by the Director of
Transportation. Transportation will be approved on a first-come, first-served basis while space is available. If a bus
becomes overcrowded, extra transportation request students will be removed to reduce loads. The procedure for
removing “extra transportation” students will be the last request approved will be the first one removed and so forth.
Transportation will be provided from existing bus stops. Approved Extra Transportation Forms are only valid for
the school and academic term applied.
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