Basic Rules of Bus Conduct

 

• Walk with your young kids to the bus stop and wait with them until it arrives. Make sure drivers can see the kids at your bus stop.

• Teach kids to stand at least three giant steps back from the curb as the bus approaches and board the bus one at a time.

• Teach kids to wait for the school bus to come to a complete stop before getting off and not to walk behind the bus.

• If your child needs to cross the street after exiting the bus, he or she should take five giant steps in front of the bus, make eye contact with the bus driver and cross when the driver indicates it’s safe. Teach kids to look left, right and left again before crossing the street.

• Instruct younger kids to use handrails when boarding or exiting the bus. Be careful of straps or drawstrings that could get caught in the door. If your child drops something, they should tell the bus driver and make sure the bus driver is able to see them before they pick it up.

• Remember to stay alert and look for kids who may be trying to get to or from the school bus.

• Slow down and stop if you’re driving near a school bus that is flashing yellow or red lights. This means the bus is either preparing to stop (yellow) or already stopped (red), and children are getting on or off.

School Buses

The mission of the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Transportation Department is to transport students safely to and from school, and to all extracurricular activities. To help meet that safety requirement, the following bus rules and bus discipline procedures are in effect for all students of Hamilton Southeastern Schools.

Basic Rules of Conduct:

1. Riding the school bus is a privilege and is a part of the school day. Accordingly, students should adhere to all rules and procedures outlined in the student handbook while being transported to and from school. Classroom conduct is expected.
2. The driver is in charge at all times while on the bus. All driver directives should be followed promptly.
3. Be at your bus stop five minutes prior to the scheduled pickup time.
4. Go to your assigned seat quickly. Stay seated at all times until it is your time to get off the bus, and the bus has come to a complete stop. Seated means facing forward with feet on the floor. Students will be completely out of the aisle if two or less students are in the seat.
5. Keep arms, legs, and objects to yourself and inside the bus.
6. Talk quietly with no inappropriate language or gestures. Quietly means at a level where the driver cannot clearly hear the conversation and the students you are trying to talk to are no more than two seats away.
7. Students are not to bring toys, collectible cards, laser pointers, balloons, or other distracting items to school or onto the bus.
8. Students will not possess the following forbidden items while on the bus: weapons, tobacco, drugs, alcohol, aerosols, sprays, pumps, perfume, combustibles or other contraband.
9. Food or drinks are not allowed on the bus at any time without written permission from the Director of Transportation.
10. A student may ride a different school bus with a friend, or for other activities, provided there is enough room on the bus and the student follows all bus rules. Students may not have more than one friend ride on their assigned bus without prior permission from the driver or transportation office. A note, written by the parent or guardian, must be sent verifying that the student may ride a different bus. All males and females riding home together must have the note verified by the school. All notes must be signed and dated by school personnel.
11. Bus windows will not be lowered more than half the distance of their travel.
12. Once a student has boarded their bus at the school, they will not be allowed to exit the bus without authorization from school personnel.
13. The use of any type of camera is prohibited on the bus. This includes regular routes and extracurricular trips. Any camera device used on the bus will be confiscated and disciplinary consequences will be administered.
14. The use of electronic devices, to include but not limited to, IPods, IPads, Media Devices, and Electronic Books, are allowed on the bus, but HSE is not responsible for loss, damage or theft of any of these devices.  These items must be turned off and secured before entering the school building.  Electronic devices are not to be shared with other students while on the bus, but may be used quietly by individual students.  Students may not access or activate a Wi-Fi hotspot while on the bus. For the safety of all students, electronic devices are not to be used when entering or exiting the bus.  For those students crossing in front of the bus, ear buds must be removed until reaching the far side of the street.  If students are violating these rules, the driver has the right to restrict the usage of any electronic device on the bus.
15. Skateboards and rollerblades are not permitted on school buses or any other school property.
16. Musical instruments must be kept in the seat with the student.
17. Golf clubs, oversized equipment and large musical instruments are not to be transported on regular route buses.
18. No items will be stored in the back window.
19. Any student committing any of the following infractions will face a bus suspension ranging from two (2) weeks to removal from the bus for the remainder of the school year: fighting, possession of tobacco, alcohol, drugs, weapons, abusive or sexually explicit language, any type of threat to the driver or other students, a serious safety hazard, or any other behavior considered totally inappropriate.

Consequences for Violations of School Bus Basic Rules of Conduct

Students are expected to behave appropriately while traveling to or from school or a school activity. The bus driver, Transportation Directors and/or school administrators can use any form of reasonable discipline. In general, HSE Transportation Department will utilize progressive discipline. The unique circumstances of each individual’s case will be considered before a decision regarding appropriate consequences is made. Every disciplinary consequence will involve a personal contact to the parent or guardian from the student’s bus driver.
The nature of the student behavior will determine the consequence for the infraction. Possible consequences include but are not limited to the following:

• Parent Conference
• Verbal Warning
• Written Warning
• Suspension
• Removal from the bus for the remainder of the school year

Note:
Any student suspended for the remainder of the school year will be placed on probation at the beginning of the following year. Violations while on probation may result in a bus suspension for the remainder of that year.