Parent/Student Handbook - Laramie County School District #01

Laramie County School District #1Transportation DepartmentLaramie County School District #1Transportation Department316 South Lexington Ave.Cheyenne, WY 82007(307) 771-2628Go to our website at:http://www.laramie1.org/Our DistrictDepartmentsSupport OperationsTransportationFOR PARENT/STUDENT USE(Updated August 2012)

Welcome to a new school year. Our number one priority is thesafety of each and every student we transport. Many changesare coming to the transportation department. Soon you will beable to access your student’s bus information on the web. Fornow, please contact the school where your student attends orcontact the transportation department. We are here to serve youand hope to meet all your transportation needs.Eligibility for TransportationLaramie County School District #1 has an attendance boundaryfor each school. Students that live within this boundary arerequired to attend their designated school. These attendanceboundaries have a shortpath boundary that calculates the child’seligibility for transportation. Students inside the attendanceboundary, but outside of the shortpath boundary are eligible fortransportation. Transportation is not provided to students thatattend a school out of their boundary unless a move is necessarydue to district requirements. Exceptions may be made if there isa “hazard” in the area. The transportation department has a listof the hazard areas.School Board policy states the following distance fortransportation eligibility:Senior High SchoolJunior High School 1.75Elementary School 1.252.25 milesNote: This mileage can be calculated on your odometer by drivingfrom your home to the school by the shortest route available.Highlights from the DirectorWe want to offer you the best possible service we can. Pleasenote that the first week of every year will be a busy time for usdealing with the change of many students and routes.If you have a new elementary student that is concerned aboutriding a bus, feel free to ride with them for a day. Or, if youcannot do that, make out a tag with their name, phone number,bus stop, and home address written on it, so the driver can helpout if they become confused about their bus stop.Please encourage your student to be at the bus stop at least fiveminutes prior to the scheduled pickup time. This will expediteloading and reduce the time students spend on the bus. Stressthe need for them to go directly to their bus after class to avoidmissing the bus and needing alternate transportation.If your student is given a warning slip due to misconduct on thebus, please support us in this warning by speaking to your childabout the concern. In many cases, the misconduct is causing asafety concern that may affect the entire bus.If there is a problem/concern regarding the transportation ofyour student, call the transportation department at 771-2628,and visit with one of our office staff. If you leave a message wewill do our best to contact you within a 24 hour period. If you donot feel you received a satisfactory explanation, ask to speakwith a supervisor.REMINDER: When the stop arm on a school bus is out and lightsare flashing red, you are required to stop until the stop arm goesin and the flashing red lights are turned off.

Rules While Riding the BusIf there is an infraction of the rules, the driver may give thestudent a misconduct form. In most cases, the first notificationwill be a written warning, followed up by a telephone call fromthe driver indicating the problem. If necessary, the parent will beasked to attend a meeting with a transportation supervisor, thedriver, and the student’s principal to correct the problem.ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION FOR POLICY CHAPTER V, SECTION10- TRANSPORTATION SERVICESTransportation drivers and transportation assistants shall enforcerules and regulations in accordance with Board policy. Riding aschool bus is a privilege, not a right.1. Students on the bus are under the supervision of thebus driver and transportation assistant. Students aresubject to the rules set forth by the District. Amisconduct report will be sent to the parent/guardianupon violation of set rules.2. Students are required to arrive at designated busstops five minutes prior to the scheduled stop.Students will wait off the street until the bus comes toa complete stop. Students will enter the bus in a singlefile, quickly, quietly, and in an orderly manner.Students will exit the bus in the same manner. Schoolbuses shall stop to unload and load students only atauthorized stops, except in cases of an emergency orinclement weather at driver’s discretion.3. Passengers of a school bus shall be limited toapproved students, parents and activity sponsors.Proper notification to the driver of an additionalpassenger is required and shall be subject to driver’sapproval.4. Passengers will remain seated and out of the aislewhile the bus is in motion. Passengers will remainseated until the door of the bus is opened. Allremaining passengers of the bus will stay seated toallow easy access for exiting and boarding passengers.5. A student who is disobedient and refuses tocooperate with the driver or transportation assistantmay be denied the privilege of riding a bus. Studentsare to keep bus clean. Vandalism to seats or otherequipment must be paid for by the student beforeriding privileges are reinstated. Costs are preset by thetransportation department.6. No person may attempt to enter or ride a bus whileunder the influence of alcohol or drugs. The use orpossession of tobacco or alcohol products isprohibited on school property. Weapons or explosivearticles are prohibited on a school bus, including butnot limited to (chains, bat, knives, razor blades,flammable material, matches, lighters, guns) and arecause for immediate removal from the bus.7. Large articles, which could obstruct the aisle or accessto emergency or regular exits, may not be allowed onthe bus including but not limited to large musicalinstruments, science projects, sales products, andathletic equipment. These articles are theresponsibility of the parent/guardian to transport.8. Profanity, name calling, or loud noises/conversationsthat distract the driver are not allowed on the bus.

9. Live animals/insects are prohibited on a school bus(with the exception of canine assistants for theimpaired).10. Serious misbehavior, including threats, both physicaland verbal expressed towards other riders or schooldistrict employees shall be due cause for immediatesuspension of riding privileges. Length of suspensionto be determined by a transportation supervisor.11. Any student who has received a misconduct slip mayhave riding privileges suspended. Students can haveriding privileges suspended up to ten (10) days at thediscretion of a transportation supervisor. The drivershall not remove students until the bus reaches thatstudent’s school or bus stop, or removal by lawenforcement or transportation supervisor, however,failure to cease any violations of these regulationsshall result in more serious disciplinary actions.12. The transportation supervisors may hold a conferencewith the student, student’s parent or guardian, busdriver, and transportation assistant. The principal andtransportation supervisor shall confer to determine iffurther action is necessary. A transportationsupervisor may suspend bus-riding privileges up to ten(10) days. In addition, the student may be suspendedfrom school under the provision of Chapter VIII,Section 14, Student Suspension and Expulsion.13. With the interest of safety in mind, a driver ortransportation assistant may enforce rules to governsituations as they may arise.14. Removal of bus riding privileges for more than ten(10) days shall be at the discretion of the Board ofTrustees upon recommendation of theSuperintendent.These administrative regulations are set forth by theLaramie County School District Number Onetransportation department and the Board of Trustees.Every driver and assistant is required to enforce theseregulations.Inclement Weather BoundaryOn the district website is a copy of the district’s“Inclement Weather Boundary.” (To get to the boundariesgo to www.laramie1.org, pull down Our District,Departments, Support Operations, and Transportation.You will then see Inclement Weather Boundaries andPlan.) Our Geographical Information System uses thisboundary information to generate a list of students whowill not be provided bus service during certain inclementweather conditions. In the event the district determinesthese conditions exist, the buses will not travel beyondthis boundary.Please Note: If parents outside of this area decide totransport their student to school during theseconditions, they are also responsible for the return trip,regardless of weather conditions at the time ofdismissal. The radio and television stations in Cheyennewill notify the public during the early morning hourswhen the buses will not travel outside of this boundarydue to weather.