TRANSPORTATION

Bus Conduct & Rules

To provide for a safe and pleasant ride, students will:

1. Be at the bus stop 5 minutes before pick-up time.
2. Follow the driver’s directions, the first time they are given.
3. If instructed by the bus driver, use the jump seat (first seat on the right side) that is located in the front of the bus.
4. Remain seated and facing forward at all times.
5. Students are expected to sit in an assigned seat if instructed by their driver.  
6. Keep arms, legs, feet, and objects to yourself and out of the aisles at all times. The driver must be able to see out of the top and bottom back windows.
7. Maintain a low voice level using their “indoor” voice.
8. Not make unnecessary loud, boisterous sounds, yell, or use profane language.
9. Not engage in taunting, teasing, swearing, pushing, hitting, or fighting.
10. Act in a respectful manner towards others.
11. Keep all body parts (head, hands, fingers, arms, toes, etc.) inside the bus at all times.
12. NO EATING ON ANY BUS IS ALLOWED – With the increasing rise of food allergies, no student will be allowed to eat on the bus. Please do not send any kind of food that contains peanuts or tree nuts with your student to school. PLEASE NOTE: NO PERFUMES, AEROSOLS OF ANY KIND, HAND SANITIZERS, OR COLOGNE ARE ALLOWED ON ANY SCHOOL BUS.
13. Not bring alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, illegal substances, or weapons on the bus.
14. Not bring glass containers/objects on the bus.
15. Only home address will be taken into consideration to determine the location for pick up and drop off unless a Special Transportation Request has been completed AND approved by the Transportation Department. These forms can be found on the Holt Public Schools website - Transportation Request under the Transportation tab.
16. Receive the same #13 courtesy if the student(s) are dual residents of the district. Bus drivers will not be responsible for your student’s schedule and the student(s) will need to know which parents’ home they are going to.
17. If a student needs to cross the road for their bus stop, they must cross in front of the bus and watch for the driver's signal to proceed across.
18. In case of an emergency, you will need to make other arrangements for your student(s) busing. The parent MUST contact the Transportation Department at 517.699.1113 and speak with the office. Arrangements will not be accepted through a note, the school buildings, or by the student’s request. Students will not be allowed to ride any other bus other than their assigned bus without prior arrangements being made through the Transportation office. Students are not allowed to utilize any other bus stop other than their assigned bus stop bus without prior arrangements being made through the Transportation office.
19. Not bring pets or animals of any kind on the bus at any time.
20. Board and depart the bus at their own assigned school. Special situations will be considered by the Transportation Department on a student-to-student basis.

STUDENTS VIOLATING BUS RULES MAY BE SUBJECT TO A SUSPENSION OF BUS RIDING PRIVILEGES. SUSPENSIONS WILL TAKE EFFECT AS SOON AS THE PARENT/GUARDIAN IS NOTIFIED. WHILE SUSPENDED, A STUDENT MAY NOT RIDE ANY HOLT PUBLIC SCHOOL BUS TO OR FROM SCHOOL.

Consequences

It is the sole discretion of the bus driver to assign points to any student on their bus. The driver will take into account any previous verbal discussions that may have taken place addressing student behavior on the bus. The driver will fill out a Report of Student Misconduct on School Vehicle form when a student is not following the rules. Each violation carries a point value. A student’s points accumulate for the entire school year. At the beginning of each year, students will start with a clear record. The following will result based upon a student’s accumulated points:

• 0-2 points - Warning
• 3-5 points - One-day Suspension
• 6-8 points - Three-day Suspension
• 9-16 points - Five-day Suspension
• 17-20 points - Ten-day Suspension
• 21-39 points - Suspension for up to 90 school days

Points 9-39 May/Will require a meeting with the student’s school principal, parent, bus driver, and transportation supervisor to reinstate bus privileges. 40+ points - Suspension for 180 school days - Points will not be cleared at the beginning of the year and a School Board hearing will be necessary for reinstatement of bus privileges.

Violations and point values ( )

1. Who are not at the assigned bus stop on time. (0-1)
2. Who litter on the school bus. (0-2)
3. Who brings glass containers/objects on the bus. (0-2)
4. Who fail to stay off the roadway and use proper boarding/departing procedures. Students are required to remove earbuds while boarding/departing the bus when crossing the road is necessary for their bus stop. (0-2)
5. Who fail to get on or off at the designated stop without prior approval. (0-2)
6. Who makes unnecessary loud, boisterous sounds, yells, are rude, discourteous, or distracting to other students or the bus driver. PLEASE NOTE: Students will NOT BE allowed to make any phone calls unless there is an emergency and the call will be to a parent only. There will be NO pictures, NO videos, and NO audio recordings allowed while riding the school bus (0-2)
7. Who fail to remain seated and facing forward at all times, except when properly moving to and from the jump seat. (0-2)
8. Who eat/drink on the bus. Eating is not allowed on any school bus. (0-5)
9. Who threaten others. (0-5)
10. Who cross behind the bus instead of in front. (0-5)
11. Who have part(s) of their body hanging out of the windows. (0-5)
12. Who use improper language/profanity/gestures. (0-5)
13. Who throw objects in, at, or out of the bus (3-5)
14. Who engage in behavior that abuses the safety, well-being, and respect of others on the bus or at the bus stop. (3-5)
15. Who push/trip/kick (3-5)
16. Who disobey instructions of and/or show disrespect to the driver. (4-6)
17. Who spit or bite. (5-7)
18. Who bring illegal/dangerous articles/substances and or weapons on the bus (7-17)
19. Who light matches, use lighters or possess or use tobacco products. (7-17)
20. Who destroy property. (7-17)
21. Who tamper with bus equipment. (7-17)
22. Who engage in sexual misconduct/harassment. (7-17)
23. Who fight or engage in violent behavior. (7-17)
24. Who threatens another person with bodily harm. (7-17)
25. Who assaults another person. (10-17)
26. Whose behavior requires the bus driver to pull the bus over in order to preserve safety (will automatically be suspended for 10 days). (17)

Transportation Department Policies

The only home address will be taken into consideration for pick up and drop off unless a Special Transportation Request has been completed AND approved by the Transportation Department. These forms can be found on the Holt Public Schools website. Special Transportation Request Form under the Transportation tab.

 To provide maximum safety, we do not accept any requests/phone calls changing your child’s pick up and/or drop off location unless it is in writing. These changes must be submitted in writing to the office at the Transportation Department. Dual resident students will receive the same courtesy for each parent’s home within the district. Bus drivers will not be responsible for your student’s schedule and the student will need to know which parent’s house they are going to.

Please allow up to 3 days to make any address changes or busing requests, this will provide time to make sure the stop location is a safe and legal bus stop. For safety purposes, students who miss their bus may not board the bus at another location or time. Many tragic bus accidents occur when students try to catch a missed bus. PLEASE NOTE: WE DO NOT LET FRIENDS GO HOME WITH FRIENDS. WE DO NOT ACCEPT NOTES FROM PARENTS LETTING THEIR STUDENT GO HOME WITH ANOTHER STUDENT.

In case of an emergency and you need to make other arrangements for your students busing, you MUST contact the Transportation Department at 517.699.1113 and speak with the office. Arrangements will not be accepted through a note, the school buildings, or by the student’s request. Students will not be allowed to ride any other bus other than their assigned bus without prior arrangements being made through the Transportation office.

Due to safety regulations and policies - After the bus has closed and the bus has started to move after either loading or unloading students, the bus drivers are not permitted to stop and re-open the bus door. If you have any questions about this policy, please call our office.

NO GSRP OR KINDERGARTEN STUDENT WILL BE LEFT WITHOUT A VISIBLE ADULT/DESIGNATED PERSON

It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to have a designated/responsible person visible at the bus stop when GSRP or kindergarten students arrive at the bus stop.  If there is no responsible person at the bus stop at drop off the driver will notify the bus garage and attempts to call home will begin, in the meantime the student will remain on the bus until the end of the route.  Parents will need to pick their student(s) up at the bus garage if this occurs, the address is 2125 Delhi St. NE, Holt.  After 3 times of having no designated/responsible person visible at the bus stop your student(s) may lose their busing privileges and the school district, may/will contact Ingham County Sheriff’s Office and/or CPS. 

PARENT(S) or guardians ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY of their students getting to and from the bus stops in the morning and the afternoon. Parent(s) or guardians are responsible for their student(s) safety while they are waiting at their bus stop.

ANIMALS – No animal (examples: birds, insects, worms, reptiles, or rodents) dead or alive, will be transported on the bus.

GLASS – Anything that that is made of glass, (jars, bottles, cups, etc.) is not allowed on the school buses.

LONG-BOARDS/SKATEBOARDS – Unless prohibited at their school, long-boards/skateboards that can be fully contained in a backpack may be transported on the bus.

MASK REQUIREMENTS - Masks are required to be worn properly on all buses to school in to and out from the schools.

NO EATING/DRINKING ON ANY BUS IS ALLOWED – With the increasing rise of food allergies, no student will be allowed to eat on the bus. Please do not send any kind of food that contains Peanuts or Tree nuts with your student to school. PLEASE NOTE: NO PERFUMES, AEROSOLS OF ANY KIND, SCENTED HAND SANITIZERS, OR COLOGNE ARE ALLOWED ON ANY SCHOOL BUS.

STUDENTS CARRYING MONEY & CHECKS – Please be sure to place all important items in a sealed envelope with your child’s name and school written on the outside. This will help us return lost items quickly to the student if they are left on the bus.

ELECTRONICS/CAMERAS/CELL PHONES – Students will not be allowed to make any phone calls unless there is an emergency and the call is being placed to a parent or guardian. There will be NO pictures, videos, or audio recordings allowed while riding the school bus. Any personal music playing devices, earphones must be used and kept at a low volume level and must not be a distraction to the bus driver in any way. Students are required to remove earbuds while boarding/departing the bus and when crossing the road is necessary for their bus stop.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS WILL ALSO PERTAIN TO FIELD TRIPS, EXTRA TRIPS, AND ATHLETIC/ACADEMIC TRIPS.

SPECIAL HEALTH CONCERNS – If your student has a special health concern, such as allergies or asthma, please make us aware of this condition. If you have given this information to your student’s school that does not mean the Transportation Department has also received the information. Important information can make a big difference in case of emergency and will allow us to better support your student and assure a safe bus ride. Only the driver and the supervisor will have access to this private information.

LOST & FOUND - All items found on the bus are kept for 1-2 days before they are placed in the lost and found at your child’s school.  If it’s unclear what school, they should be left at they will be returned to the transportation department.  Please remember to check with the transportation department if your student is missing an item.

HOODED SWEATSHIRTS OF ANY KIND ARE NOT ALLOWED WHEN ENTERING OR EXITING THE SCHOOL BUS. Bus drivers need to see students' faces for proper identification. This is for the safety of the bus driver and the students that are on the school bus.

DISCIPLINARY NOTIFICATION - Before any suspension takes effect, the driver will contact the parent/guardian. If possible, the parent will be contacted by phone. If the parent cannot be contacted by phone, the discipline will be sent home with the student with the dates of suspension and a copy will be mailed to the parent/guardian. When the form is sent with the student, documentation is noted on the student’s transportation record and they will not be allowed to ride the bus on the dates stated on the form. When a student is suspended from one bus, they are suspended from ALL buses. PLEASE NOTE…In the afternoon, students will be taken back to the school and turned over to a school employee/staff if any behavior compromises the safety of themselves, any other student on the bus, or the bus driver.

SCHOOL CLOSINGS AND DELAYS - All families should receive electronic notification of a school closing or delay. It is very important for the schools to have your updated and current contact information to assure you receive all notifications.

PLEASE CHECK YOUR LOCAL TV and RADIO STATIONS (listed below),

• HOLT FACEBOOK PAGE: HOLT SCHOOLS ADVANTAGE
• TWITTER: @holtpublicsch
• HOLT’S WEBSITE: http://www.hpsk12.net
• FOR SCHOOL CLOSINGS AND DELAYS.
• WILX 100.7 94.9
• WLNS 99.1 730AM
• FOX47 97.5 1240AM

PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE TRANSPORTATION OFFICE…regarding closings or delays. Our phone lines need to be kept open for EMERGENCIES ONLY!

Transportation is a service provided by the Holt Public Schools Board of Education.  It is expected that those who ride the school buses will observe classroom conduct at all times, including extra-curricular trips. Students must exercise these responsibilities. Bus Drivers shall maintain bus discipline pursuant to all state and local rules and regulations.  Failure to abide by these rules may result in suspension and/or expulsion from the bus.

STUDENTS

• Students must arrive at the bus stop five minutes prior to the scheduled arrival of the bus and are to wait a safe distance from traffic and at a place at least ten (10) feet from where the bus will stop.
• While waiting, students will respect other individuals, their possessions, and surrounding property.  Improper behavior at bus stops, including physical aggressiveness and property damage will not be tolerated. Fighting, pushing, tripping is not permitted at any time. Parents will be financially responsible for any damage done to a bus or property.
• Students should follow directions the time they are given.
• Students are expected to observe classroom conduct at all times while on the bus.
• Students will board and exit the bus at their assigned bus stop. In cases of emergencies, parents must send a note to the school and a temporary bus pass will be issued. This is for emergencies only, not convenience.
• Students are to cross the street only after receiving a signal from the driver that it is safe to do so.
• Students must maintain absolute silence at railroad crossings and other places of danger as requested by the driver.
• Students are not permitted to bring items onto the bus that cannot safely be held in the lap.  Animals, balloons, glass, or liquids are not permitted.

PARENTS

• Parents are responsible for the safety and discipline of students while going to and from the bus stop.
• Parents are to have their children standing at their Designated Place of Safety (DPS) five minutes prior to the scheduled arrival of the bus. 
• The school does not enter disputes involving parents and students prior to pick up or after return to the bus stop.
• Due to safety and security measures, parents are not permitted to board buses unless authorized by the Transportation Services Office.

Parents are asked not to discuss problems with the driver at the bus stop.  This impedes the bus schedule.  Please call our office to arrange a time to speak with the driver or the supervisor.

HOW TO MAKE CHANGES TO YOUR CHILD'S TRANSPORTATION
Students are assigned to specific buses and specific bus stops to balance loads on buses and make sure that routes are run in a timely manner.  Students are not permitted to ride a different bus for non-emergency reasons.

PLEASE NOTE: Frequent changes to students busing arrangements increase the possibility of students’ confusion causing them to get on the wrong bus on the wrong day. Please keep changes to a minimum.

For High School or Middle School students, temporary passes will only be issued in case of emergencies.  Parents must contact the Transportation Department and school directly or send a note with their student to be given to the school office for a pass to be issued. Again, No Pass/No Ride. 

If you are requesting transportation outside of the attendance area where enrolled, please complete and return the Transportation Request to Holt Transportation Department either by emailing it to Donna Schultz or dropping it off at the Transportation Office located at 2125 Delhi St. NE, Holt.

• Transportation Request 
• Transportation Handbook

A NEW Tag/Transportation Request Forms must be completed for each new school year.