School Bus & Bus Stop Safety
Safety is of prime importance for our students as we transport them to and from school and for school sponsored activities. Safety requires the cooperation of students, parents/guardians and school personnel. Parents/guardians should review and discuss school bus rules with their child/ children in an effort to help them understand and assume responsibility for good school bus conduct.
- The use of bus transportation is a privilege, not a right. The District may deny this privilege if the student's conduct jeopardizes the safety of others or is otherwise undesirable.
- All school rules apply while on the bus. Bus Conduct Reports are used to communicate inappropriate behavior to a student’s school principal.
- Video and audio cameras are in use on every bus.
- Students may only use the school bus and designated stop assigned by the Transportation Department.
- Students should arrive at their designated bus stop ten (10) minutes before the scheduled pick-up time.
- Students will be responsible for their behavior while at the bus stop. Please respect the property rights and privacy of others who live at or near the bus stop. For your safety, do not play on the road.
- Students must enter the bus one at a time and go directly to their assigned seats without delay, crowding, or pushing. Students are to remain seated for the entirety of their ride.
- The bus driver and/or school principal may adjust assigned seats at any time.
- Students must sit facing forward, keeping the aisle clear at all times. Backpacks, lunch boxes, musical instruments, sports equipment, or any other items must be held on the student’s lap or be secured in an empty seat. If this cannot be accomplished, the item is not permitted on the bus.
- Students that live on the opposite side of the roadway from where the bus picks up or drops off should cross 10 feet in front of the bus once the bus has come to a complete stop and has activated its signals. Exiting students should cross the road immediately while the bus has stopped traffic. Always look left, right, and left again prior to crossing the street.
- Keep head, hands, and feet inside of the bus. Do not throw anything out of the window.
- Help keep the bus clean. No eating or drinking at any time on the bus. No littering, please.
- No loud conversations, unnecessary noise, inappropriate and disrespectful language (profanity), or gestures are permitted. Please use a quiet, conversational tone of voice.
- Keep your hands to yourself. No hitting, pushing, spitting, biting, tripping, rough behavior, bullying, throwing items, or affectionate displays of emotion are permitted at any time.
- Report graffiti, broken, and/or vandalized items to the bus driver as soon as possible. Damaging the bus will result in the student being charged for its repair. No tampering or touching of bus equipment is permitted. Never sit in the driver’s seat.
- Interaction with vehicles behind or beside the bus is not permitted (gesturing, etc.).
- Use of electronic devices is a privilege. Concerns linked to student use of electronic devices may result in the loss of such privileges for any student. Filming videos and taking pictures is not permitted on the bus.
- Any item that may distract the driver’s attention from the road is not permitted on the bus.
Student Behavior/Discipline Concerns
Failure to abide by the School Bus Safety Guidelines may result in school personnel issuing one or more of the following consequences:
- Verbal warning.
- Change in seat assignment (at discretion of the Bus Driver or other Elizabethtown Area School District staff).
- Written School Bus Conduct Report.
- Written notification from the school vehicle driver to the building Principal/Designee and the parent/guardian.
The school principal/designee determines which disciplinary step(s) will be taken in response to the report. Parent/Guardian cooperation is greatly appreciated in addressing student behavioral issues that occur on Elizabethtown Area School District Vehicles. For matters relating to student behavior/discipline concerns, please contact your child’s school principal:
- Bainbridge - 717-426-4203
- East High Street Elementary - 717-361-0099
- Bear Creek School - 717-367-0210
- Elizabethtown Area Middle School - 717-361-7525
- Elizabethtown Area High School - 717-367-1533
Bus Stop Safety
Students are reminded they should be waiting at their assigned bus stop ten minutes before the bus's scheduled arrival. Parents are responsible for assuring their children get to and from the bus stop safely and monitoring their children while waiting for the bus. Please make sure they remain at least ten feet from the roadway at all times.
Bus Driver Incident Report Form
This form is intended for use by authorized transportation personnel to report transportation-related incidents.