Transportation Home
Transportation Office
587-4545
Cheryl Dalton,
Transportation Director
Jeffrey Wainwright, Assistant Supervisor
Harry Groves, Bus Discipline Officer
Transportation mission statement
"To provide safe student transportation, support district
programs and maintain conditions on the buses which are
conducive to the best interests of students."
School bus discipline program
Bus
drivers needed
P.M. drop-off policy
Animal characters help elementary students identify buses
Form for
transportation to non-public schools
Transportation changes
Reporting school bus incidents/concerns
Bus schedule information
Transporting large items on school buses
Late buses
Dangerous substances
Assigned Seating
on school buses
Use of
electronic devices on school buses
House locations
A
new state law requires that school buses and other school
vehicles have engines turned off while waiting for passengers to
load or off-load while on school grounds, or in front of or
adjacent to a school. For more information, please click
here.
Bus Drivers
Needed
Looking for a part-time job that
offers flexible hours, PAID training and the potential for a
permanent position with generous benefits? The school district's
transportation department has ongoing openings for school bus
drivers. The positions are ideal for parents of school-aged
children or retired people who are looking for extra income. As
a school bus driver, you can be off when your children are on
vacation or recess. Starting pay for bus drivers is $14.72
per
hour, effective July 1, 2009. PAID training is provided, and a bonus is available. No
prior experience is necessary. For more
information, please contact the Transportation Department at
587-4545.
Transportation Links
P.M.
Drop-off Policy for
Youngest Students
School district regulations require that a parent/guardian or
another responsible person be available at the bus stop in the
afternoon to meet kindergartners, pre-kindergartners and Head
Start students. Due to safety concerns, those children will not
be dropped off unless a designated person is available, and will
instead be returned to their schools. Responsible individuals
include:
Parents
Older siblings
With prior written approval from parents, students will be
released to other designated adults.
The regulation applies to public and non-public school students
who ride district buses, but does not affect students in higher
grades.
Transportation Links
Animal
Signs
identify buses
Students who attend the elementary
schools have animal characters to
help them identify their buses. The animal
character signs are displayed on the
right-side second window on each bus.
When bus schedule letters are send out in August, the animal
character for that bus will be listed on the letter.
Transportation Links
Form for
Transportation to Non-public
Schools
Due April 1
Parents in the Saratoga Springs City School District whose
children plan to attend non-public schools next year should file
requests for transportation by April 1.
The form is available
here.
It is also available at most non-public schools or can be
obtained by calling the district's transportation office at
587-4545. A new transportation request must be completed each
school year for each school.
Completed forms should be mailed to the following address:
Saratoga Springs City School District
3 Blue Streak Boulevard
Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 12866
Attention: Transportation Director
Completed applications should be mailed return receipt requested
for proof of receipt and to ensure delivery.
If a parent is uncertain which non-public school his child will
attend next year, he may submit more than one transportation
request, or the original request can be used for another
non-public school. However, the school district must be notified
by May 15 about which school a student will attend.
Detailed busing information will be sent to parents on or about
Aug. 15.
Transportation Links
Transportation
Changes
Student transportation is
scheduled to the student's home address,
and all transportation will be to and from that address.
If transportation is needed to or from another destination on a
regular basis for daycare or joint custody
purposes, a "Change of Transportation Request Form" must be
filled out by the parent/guardian of the student.
This form must
be completed
on an annual basis no later than June 1.
If forms are submitted after August 15, we
will not guarantee the change will occur for the start of school
in September.
Transportation requests
will only be honored after the transportation department
receives the form. Forms are available
here,
at all schools and at the transportation department
offices.
Transportation regulations do not allow students to ride a
different bus for social functions, jobs, scouting, or religious
activities. Designated "walking" students also may not ride a
bus home with a friend.
In the event of an emergency,
if your child needs to ride a
different bus or go to a different stop on the same bus, please
send a note to school with your child. The note must then be
approved by the school office. If an emergency occurs during the
day, please contact the school office as soon as possible to
arrange for alternate transportation.
Transportation Links
Reporting
School Bus
Incidents/Concerns
If the incident/concern is related to student discipline and
occurs on the school bus, there are several approaches to
solving the problem. The first step is to inform the driver. If
this does not resolve the problem, inform your
principal/assistant principal or call the school bus discipline
officer at 587-4545, ext. 1313.
If the incident/concern relates to the bus driver or bus driver
assistant, call the assistant transportation supervisor at
587-4545 (inform receptionist).
If the incident/concern involves bus routing or bus stops, call
the routing specialist at 587-4545, ext. 1315.
Any other bus concerns may be directed to the bus dispatcher at
587-4545, ext. 1316.
Transportation Links
Bus
Schedule Information
Prior to the beginning of each school year, the transportation
department will send a letter to the residence of each student
with schedule information including a.m. pick-up time, p.m.
drop-off time and bus number. Times indicated on the letter are
approximate and are subject to change. Students should be at
their bus stops five minutes before the bus is scheduled to
arrive in the morning.
Transportation Links
Transporting
Large Items on
School Buses
For the safety of all occupants being transported on district
school buses, it is necessary to have guidelines and
restrictions on the sizes of items that students may bring on
school buses. The following information is intended to provide
guidance for planning the transportation of these items on
school buses:
Musical instruments will be allowed on school buses as long as
they are the same size or smaller than a violin. The approximate
size of a violin is: 30 inches (length) by 10 inches (width) by
five inches (depth).
Musical instruments must be kept on the student’s lap or on the
floor between their legs. They must not obstruct the center
aisle of the bus or be placed in a seat along side a student,
especially if another student needs to sit there.
Hockey sticks and lacrosse sticks must be placed behind the
driver’s seat while being transported. Baseball bats must be
stored in a suitable bag no larger than the size listed above,
and must be in the student’s lap or on the floor between their
legs.
Musical instruments larger than the size listed above, or skis,
ski poles, sleds, skate boards, bicycles, fishing poles or large
school projects will not be allowed on school buses.
This policy is designed to provide the safest environment for
all occupants riding on our school buses. If you have questions
regarding this policy, please contact the transportation
department at 587-4545.
Transportation Links
Late Buses
Late buses operate from the high school and middle school.
Schedules and more information
Transportation Links
Dangerous
Substances
Department of Transportation regulations prohibit aerosol cans,
glass containers and flammable substances inside the passenger
compartment of school buses. Therefore, students shall not carry
these items on school buses at any time. Perfumes and colognes
shall also not be discharged on school buses because they can
cause an adverse allergic reaction with some individuals.
Transportation Links
Assigned Seating On School Buses
The school district reserves the right to assign student seating on school buses for safety, efficiency and disciplinary reasons. In addition, assigned seating is required on all middle school and elementary school buses. Drivers should have assigned seats in place by early October after giving consideration to grade level, compatibility, behaviors, siblings, friends etc. Assigned seats are also subject to change at anytime during the school year. If you have questions about your student’s assigned seat, you may contact your student’s bus driver or the transportation offices.
Use of Electronic Devices on School Buses
Many students use electronic devices as part of their daily
lives. Cell phones, I-Pods, handheld games, portable radios
etc., are fun to use and often can make the ride to and from
school more enjoyable. Unfortunately, misuse of these items can
be detrimental to the safety and well-being of other students
and bus drivers. Therefore, the transportation department will
enforce the following bus rules pertaining to electronic devices
on buses.
1. The school district will not be held responsible for the
loss/theft of portable electronic devices that are lost on
school buses.
2. I-Pods, Walkman radios, MP3 Players etc. may be used on
school buses only if equipped with headphones, and if the volume is
maintained at a level that does not disrupt other students or
the driver.
3. Cell phones and cameras are
not allowed to be used on school
buses unless in an emergency where immediate communication is
necessary and with permission of the bus driver.
4. Cell phones must be turned off and kept in backpacks while
traveling on district vehicles.
5. Laser pointers are
not allowed
to be used on school buses at any time.
6. Any electronic devices that are being misused may be
confiscated by the drivers and returned to the students when
they depart the bus. If a student continues to violate these
rules, the device may be confiscated and returned only to a
parent/guardian.
6. Failure to follow these and any bus rules may result in
disciplinary action in accordance with the Code of Conduct.
Transportation Links
House Locations
Please be sure your house number is large enough and clearly
visible on both your house and mailbox. This will make it easier
for our bus drivers to locate rural bus stops that are placed
at individual residences.
Transportation Links
VersaTrans Link