Horseheads Schools
Transportation FAQs
Q. How are students assigned to bus stops?
A. We use a routing program to optimize the locations of bus stops. This program considers traffic, safety issues, and student addresses when determining stops.
Q. How does a child get to a bus stop? Who is responsible for getting the child to the bus stop?
The parent/guardian is responsible for getting their children to and from the bus stop. State Education Department rulings have determined that custodial control, custodial responsibility and liability of the students rests with the parent from the home to boarding the school bus and again with the parents after disembarking from the school bus to the home. No sidewalks, poor street lighting or snow removal issues in your neighborhood do not warrant a closer stop.
Q. Why does my child have to be at the bus stop 5 minutes early?
A. In the beginning of the year, school bus times are computer generated. A prime reason for time variance is due to ridership numbers, more or less students can cause the effect of an early or later bus time. Pick up times also may vary due to weather and traffic. We will make every effort to be at the bus stop at the scheduled time.
Q. What do I do if my child needs to go home with a friend?
A. We do not allow students to ride home with other students. There are a variety of reasons that include bus capacity and supervision issues. However, we will do our best to accommodate families if there is an emergency and the parent/guardian needs a child to go to a different location after school. If you have an emergency and need your child to go someplace different than their normal stop, please contact the school that your child attends and the Transportation Department as soon as possible. Please note that bus drivers cannot accept notes from students. All notes must be submitted to school officials prior to the bus run.
Q: I can’t see my child at the bus stop from my house. Why can’t the stop be at my house?
A: It is impossible for us to route according to sight lines from houses. Students are expected to travel a certain distance to bus stops. Our Board of Education has set the policy of no more than 1/8th of a mile walking distance from a student’s home to the bus stop. There are exceptions to this policy on dead-end roads where there are no bus turnarounds, seasonal roads, and private roads for a few examples.
Q. The bus drives right past my house. Why can't it stop at my house?
Bus stops are placed to allow the buses easy access and egress through neighborhoods while keeping safety a priority. In addition, adding bus stops causes further delays on our bus routes and extends the students' ride-time. In the end, this means that bus routes would have to start earlier in the morning to arrive at school on time. Similarly, adding stops in the afternoon would cause students to arrive home later.
Q. How do I request a bus stop change?
Stop changes will only be considered when the stop distance exceeds the 1/8th mile guidelines outlined in?School Board Policy, or when an extenuating circumstance is determined to jeopardize student safety. Please be aware that the State Education Department has ruled that heavily traveled roads, unlit narrow roadways, no sidewalks, remote locations, loose animals, and snow removal issues are insufficient proof that the pickup point (bus stop) is unsafe.
Q. My child goes to childcare or babysitter outside of the elementary school area. May my child ride the bus?
Students staying with a babysitter or at a childcare center must meet the criteria of all other eligible riders. If the address of a babysitter or childcare center is not within the student’s residence attendance area of an elementary school, the student may not be eligible to ride a bus.
Q. Can students bring musical instruments or large objects with them on the bus?
Musical instruments and medium-sized objects are permitted on the school bus if the student can carry the instrument or object on and off the bus by him/herself. They must be placed in the student's lap. Instruments or objects cannot block the aisle or an emergency exit. Large instruments such as baritone horn, cello, tuba, and percussion cases are too large to be transported safely on school buses. In an accident, these items can easily become projectiles and can cause injuries.
Q. Can students bring sports equipment such as tennis rackets, lacrosse sticks or baseball bats with them on the bus?
These types of sports equipment cannot be brought on the bus when traveling from home to school or school to home. These items are difficult to carry in the narrow aisles and can reduce bus capacity for students. They also present a safety issue with students potentially being accidentally hit or poked by these items.
Q. Another child is harassing or bullying my child on the bus. What should I do?
The Horseheads Central School District has a policy that specifically prohibits "bullying" at school, during school events and field trips, and on a school bus. The bus driver's focus must be on operating the school bus safely. As a result, most of the driver's attention is focused on the road and traffic conditions, so he/she may not see or hear inappropriate behavior among the students on the bus when it occurs. Students who engage in bullying or harassing behaviors are subject to disciplinary action. If your child has such an experience, please report it to the Transportation Department’s Student Behavior Monitor or the school’s staff so that appropriate steps may be taken.??
Q: A two-hour delay has just been announced on TV. When will the bus come?
A: When the district has a two-hour delay, the bus will arrive approximately two hours later than the regular pick-up time. Please be aware, however, that delays are usually called because of inclement weather, which can mean poor road conditions, and since a delay puts us in the middle of business traffic, the bus may be later than expected.
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