Transportation Operations

Parental Guidelines for School Bus Transportation

Parents should be aware of the following policies and procedures for student transportation.

• Parents should make a reasonable effort to work with those responsible for pupil transportation, as you are responsible for your child’s behavior.
• Your child will be given an emergency contact card by your Bus Driver/Attendant. Please complete that card and return it as soon as possible. If your contact information changes during the school year, please notify your child’s school, and Bus Driver/ Attendant. It is very important that we be able to contact you in case of an emergency.
• Parents are responsible for their child’s safety while traveling to and from the bus stop. We encourage you to walk with your child to the bus stop in the mornings and meet the bus at the stop in the afternoon. Exceptional Education Students MUST have a responsible person accompany them both in the morning and the afternoon, especially on Early Release days.
• Parents are to refrain from boarding the school bus. Boarding a school bus is trespassing and punishable by law.
• Parents should not expect to have conferences with the School Bus Driver at the bus stop. If needed, conferences can be arranged through the school and the Transportation Department.
• Parents may access their children only at designated bus stops unless the Bus Driver has authorization for a change approved by the school administrator.
• The Driver/ Attendant have the right to assign pupils certain seats if necessary to promote order on the bus.
• Bus riders will be required to participate in two SCHOOL BUS EMERGENCY EVACUATION DRILLS during the school year. This complies with STATE and FEDERAL LAWS. If your child has any physical or medical reasons for not participating in EMERGENCY EVACUATION DRILLS, please notify the bus driver and/or School Administration.

Student Rules for Riding the School Bus

Polk County’s students are our most treasured assets. We strive to provide them with the safest transportation possible, but we can’t do it alone. Please review the following rules with your student, and stress the importance of following these rules while riding the bus.

Any student, who does not abide by the rules stated below, will be reported by the driver to the school principal who has the authority to suspend the pupil from riding the bus. Student discipline will be enforced as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. 

Student Rules for Riding the Bus:

• Recognize that the bus driver and/or the bus attendant are the authority on the bus; obey and be courteous to the driver, attendant and to fellow students.
• Students should arrive at the bus stop 10 minutes before the scheduled stop time.
• When walking where there are no sidewalks, face the traffic and walk on the shoulder of the road.
• Students should be standing off the roadway at the bus stop ready to board the bus when it arrives.
• Students and parents should never run alongside or crawl underneath a bus for any reason.
• Wait until the bus and other traffic comes to a full stop and the bus door is opened before moving toward the bus. Cross in front of the bus at a distance of at least twelve (12) feet as directed by driver.
• Use the handrail when boarding and departing the bus.
• Go directly to your assigned seat and remain seated unless otherwise directed by the driver.
• Do not carry onto the bus any glass items, reptiles, insects, pets, weapons, balloons, or sharp instruments.
• Keep the aisles clear at all times.
• Hold books and other belongings firmly on your lap.
• Large or heavy articles that cannot be held on the students’ lap should be transported to school by a parent; this includes large band instruments.
• Normal classroom behavior is expected while riding the bus.
• Observe complete silence at all railroad crossings.
• Do not throw objects about the bus or from a window. Keep arms and head inside the bus at all times.
• Do not tamper with the emergency doors.
• No eating, drinking, smoking, vaping, yelling, or fighting is allowed on the bus.
• Leave the bus ONLY at your designated stop.
• Take all your belongings off the bus each day. Transportation is not responsible for articles left on school buses.
• Report any illness or injury sustained on or around the bus immediately to the driver.
• Students may use phones on the bus on a limited basis. Earbuds should be worn in a single ear so that the student can still easily hear instructions from the Bus Driver/Attendant. Distracting behavior will not be tolerated.

Safe Stop

Learn more about the Safe Stop program.

Bus Drivers Wanted

COLTS

Polk County Public Schools has made it possible for all public high school students in the county to use public transportation for FREE. All students need is a COLTS sticker on their school ID badge to ride any standard transit bus in Polk County whenever and wherever the buses are running.

Learn more about the COLTS Program.

Additional Resources

Frequently Asked Questions