The Southwestern Central School District supports the bus driver in charge of the bus, and as such, the bus driver’s instructions are to be obeyed by all students at all times. Upon boarding the bus, the school day begins. The school bus is to be considered an extension of the classroom, and all rules and regulations enforced in school classrooms are in force for students while riding on school buses. Student actions which have the potential of distracting the driver, or otherwise affect a safe and orderly environment on the bus are strictly prohibited and will result in consequences involving loss of riding privileges. Building Principals as well as the Superintendent are authorized to investigate charges and suspend riding privileges for those students who exhibit serious disciplinary problems on district school buses. In the event that a student has behaved in a way that warrants the loss of riding privileges, the parent(s) or guardian(s) of the student involved will become responsible for seeing that their student gets to and from school safety.
Ref: School Law 37th edition 52:14
Please help us ensure your child’s safety by following these simple but important procedures:
- Provide your child with a backpack or book bag. Loose papers or other items can pose a safety hazard as children get off the bus.
- Check your child’s clothing for the presence of long drawstrings or other dangling items. Long drawstrings or other dangling items should be removed from clothing as they could get snagged in the bus door as the child gets off the bus.
- Make sure your child arrives at the designated bus stop five minutes early each day. Children who are late for the bus may panic and chase it, or run into the road. Remember that the bus stop is not in the living room looking out the window. Busses will not have time on their route to come back for students that miss the bus.
- Insist that your child wait for the bus safely in an orderly fashion, back from the roadway. Behavior problems at the bus stop can create hazardous conditions for children.
- When the bus arrives, your child should wait for the bus driver’s signal before boarding. Children should board in single file.
- Teach your child to sit quietly on the ride to and from school. Behavior problems could distract the bus driver and result in an accident.
