Parents/guardians of all pupils not
previously transported in a school bus and who are enrolled in grades
K-6, are provided with a transportation safety plan that includes:
- General rules of conduct at school bus loading zones.
- Red light crossing instructions.
- School bus danger zone.
- Walking to and from school bus stops.
At least once each school year, all pupils in kindergarten
through grade eight who receive transportation services receive safety
instruction which includes: proper loading and unloading procedures,
including escorting by the driver, proper passenger conduct, bus
evacuation and location of emergency equipment.
School buses are large vehicles and have blind spots where
the driver has difficulty seeing students. Because of the size and
visibility problems inherent with school buses, the following safety
precautions are to be adhered to by all students.
WALKING TO AND FROM THE BUS STOP
Walk on sidewalks if available. If you must walk along the
side of the road, stay well away from the road itself and always try to
walk against oncoming traffic. When crossing streets always use a
crosswalk, if available, and stop, look and listen before crossing.
Respect the property of others and do not walk on lawns or
pick flowers. Do not talk to or accept rides from strangers.
BUS LOADING PROCEDURES
Plan to arrive at your bus stop about 5 minutes early. At
the bus stop, stand in an orderly line at least twelve feet back from
the area the bus stops in. Never get closer than ten feet to a bus
unless you are entering or leaving it. Keep your hands to yourself in
all bus loading zones. Do not walk toward the bus until the bus driver
opens the door and signals you to move toward the bus. If you drop
something around the bus, do not attempt to pick it up. Ask the driver
to pick it up for you or to watch you pick it up.
BUS UNLOADING PROCEDURES
Remain seated until the driver tells you to exit the bus.
When you get off the bus, walk at least twelve feet from the bus.
Never walk in front of or behind the bus. If your bus stop requires
you to cross the street, you must be escorted by the school bus driver.
STUDENTS WHO NEED TO CROSS THE STREET MUST NOTIFY THE BUS DRIVER PRIOR TO EXITING THE BUS. The
driver will stop the bus, activate the red flashing lights, and enter
the street first to ensure all vehicles have stopped. The driver will
then use a hand-held stop sign and escort all students as a group across
the street in front of the bus. Never cross the street behind the bus.
You may not return to the bus or re-cross the street at any time after
being escorted across the street by the school bus driver.
DESIGNATED BUS STOP
You must always get on and off the bus at your designated
bus stop. Exceptions for special occasions may be made by submitting,
to the bus driver, a note signed and dated by your parent/guardian
stating why, when, and where you are requesting to load or unload. The
note must have the Principal's/designee's signature on it signifying
approval of the request.
BUS EVACUATION DRILLS
Consistent with existing State regulations, the
principal/designee and District transportation staff will provide annual
bus evacuation training for students. The students may either
participate directly or observe an evacuation demonstration by other
students.
BUS DRIVER AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY*
The bus driver is responsible for the safe and orderly
conduct of students when they are being escorted across a roadway,
loading/unloading the bus and while riding on the bus. When students
are to be escorted across a roadway, the driver will first ensure that
it is safe to cross the roadway; then the driver will escort all
students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 across the roadway. When
being escorted across a roadway, students will be directed to cross in
front of the bus, between the bus and the driver. The driver will make
certain that all students have safely crossed the roadway before moving
the bus. The bus driver need not escort students across a roadway when
pedestrian traffic is controlled by a traffic signal. Bus drivers shall
have the authority to discontinue the operation of school buses
whenever the bus driver determines that it is unsafe to continue.
To help ensure the safety and well being of each student,
the bus driver will not require a student to leave the bus while in
route between home and school or any other destination. Also, the bus
driver will not make a bus stop when fog reduces visibility to less than
200 feet in the immediate area of the bus stop.
Drivers shall activate the flashing amber light warning
system, if the bus is so equipped, beginning 200 feet before any bus
stop where students are loading or unloading. They shall operate the
flashing red signal lights and stop signal arm at all times when the bus
is stopped to load and unload students. The flashing amber warning
lights, flashing red signal lights and stop signal arm shall not be
operated at any other time, or at any place where traffic is controlled
by a traffic officer.
The use of amber lights, red lights, and stop signal arms
will not be required when loading or unloading special education
students who are confined to wheelchairs or who may require assistance
to load or unload the school bus.
The flashing red signal lights and stop signal arm
requirements shall not apply to locations identified by the
Superintendent or designee, in consultation with the California Highway
Patrol, as presenting a unique traffic hazard due to roadway design or
proximity to an intersection.
When the bus is stopped on a highway or private road to load
or unload students, and traffic is not controlled by a traffic officer
or official traffic control signal, the driver shall:
- Check for
approaching traffic in all directions and activate the flashing red
light signal system and, if the bus is so equipped, the stop signal arm.
- Before opening
the door, ensure that the flashing red signal lights and stop signal arm
are activated and that it is safe to exit the bus.
- Escort all students who need to cross the highway or private road, using an approved hand-held "STOP" sign while so doing.
- Require all students to walk in front of the bus as they cross the road or highway.
- Ensure that all
students who need to cross the road or highway have crossed safely and
that all other unloaded students and pedestrians are a safe distance
from the bus before setting the bus in motion.
The bus driver will make verbal or written reports to the
Transportation Supervisor under the following circumstances:
- Recurring and/or serious student misbehavior.
- Parent and/or student complaints regarding transportation services.
- Any traffic violation involving the driver's bus.
- Any accident involving a student or District vehicle.
- Repeated late school
dismissals that cause transportation delays. The driver will also
report such late school dismissals to the school principal.
- Any incident of a bus overload.
- Mechanical or other problems with buses and equipment.
*NOTE: This section (Bus Driver Authority and
Responsibility) applies to all Chico Unified School District employees
who transport students. This includes teachers, coaches, etc., who may
operate District vans to transport students.