Department of Pupil Transportation

Regulations for pupils riding school buses:

School bus transportation is authorized only for pupils regularly enrolled in a public school in Kindergarten through grade twelve.

The transportation department of the Hopkins County Schools provides you with the best equipment and drivers and with the safest program possible.  The following regulations are furnished for your information and compliance.  We ask your cooperation.

Regulations for Pupils riding School Buses are issued in accordance with the Students Code of Conduct, Hopkins County Board of Education Policy, Kentucky Administrative Regulations, and Kentucky Revised Statutes.  Kentucky Revised Statutes do not require Boards of Education to furnish transportation to and from school for pupils.  The Hopkins County Board of Education has elected to provide transportation for only those pupils regularly enrolled in the Public Schools within Hopkins County School District.  Pupils have the privilege of riding a Hopkins County School Bus to and from school provided they comply with the directions from the driver and the Rules and Regulations for Pupils Riding School Buses. 

At Bus Stops:

•  Be on time.  The bus cannot wait beyond its regular schedule for those who are tardy.  Be at the bus stop five minutes before bus is scheduled to arrive. 
• Always cross in front of the bus and at a safe distance in front of the bus to be seen by the bus driver
• (Minimum 10 – 15 feet).  Cross only on the driver’s signal. 
• Do not run toward or run across the street in front of a school bus while it is in motion. 
• Never stand in the road while waiting for the bus.  Wait in an orderly line off the highway or street. 
• Wait until the bus stops and then walk to the door and board the bus in an orderly manner. 
• DO NOT PUSH AND SHOVE.
• Pupils shall board the bus and immediately take a seat without disturbing other passengers, ride three in a seat,  and do not exchange seats unless given permission by the driver.
• Pupils shall not try to get on or off the bus or move about within the bus while it is in motion. 
•  Avoid making excessive noise. 
• Remember that fighting at bus stops and on the way to and from school bus stops is subject to disciplinary action (to be reported to school principal).  

Riding the bus:

• The driver is in charge of the bus and pupils.  Pupils are to follow the directions given by the driver the
•  FIRST TIME they are given. 
• Pupils shall ride their assigned bus and no other bus.
• No persons other than those assigned to the bus shall be allowed to ride a school bus. 
• Report promptly to the driver any damage done to the bus.  Persons causing damage shall be required to defray  the full cost of repairs before riding privileges are restored. 
• Pupils shall not engage in any activity which might divert the driver’s attention away from driving the bus and cause an accident.  Such activities are:

a) Loud talking or laughing unnecessary confusion.
b) Unnecessary conversation with the driver.
c)  Extending any part of the body out of bus windows or doors. 

• Pupils shall not engage in any activity which might damage or cause excessive wear to the bus or other property. 

The following activities are prohibited at all times:

1. Improper behavior to include insolence, disobedience, vulgarity, foul language, fighting, pushing,       shoving, and similar offensive acts.
2. Smoking on the bus.
3. Eating, chewing gum, or drinking on the bus.
4. Possessing knives or other sharp objects.
5. Bringing animals on the bus.
6. Throwing articles or objects in or from the bus.
7.  Tampering with mechanical equipment, accessories, or controls of the bus.
8. Playing musical instruments or other articles at the entrance door, rear exit door, side exit door,  in vacant seats, or in the aisles.
9. Obstructing the aisle in any manner.
10. Occupying more space in a seat than is required (All items which a student brings on the bus must beheld in student’s lap and will not be placed on seats or in the aisle.)
11. Tracking mud and dirt onto the bus.
12. Littering the bus.
13. Opening or closing windows or roof hatches or emergency exits without permission of the driver.
14. No radios of any kind or type are to be brought onto the bus.
15. Book bags must be 18 inches or under.
16. No balloons or glass.
17. No cell phones.
18. No CD players, MP3 players, iPods, etc.

DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS:

Violations of the Rules and Regulations for Riding a School Bus shall result in the following actions:

1.  First Offense – Bus driver will have a talk with the pupil. 
2. Second Offense - Bus driver will move pupil to a front seat for two (2) weeks and written notification will  be sent to principal and parent/guardian.  Pupil will not be allowed back on the bus until notification for is returned to the bus driver. 
3.  Third Offense – A Bus Referral form will be filed with the principal of the school where the pupil attends. Pupil will not be allowed back on the bus until parent has signed and pupil returns a copy of the Bus Referral  form to the driver. 
4.  Fourth Offense – A second Bus Referral form is filed and the principal suspends bus riding privileges for a minimum of five (5) days. 
5.  Fifth Offense – A third Bus Referral form is filed and the principal suspends bus riding privileges for the remainder of the school year. 

Some offenses are of such a serious nature that they can be deemed to warrant suspension of the bus riding privileges without following the procedures outlines above.  Included in these offenses are:

1. Disruptive behavior
2. Use or possession of tobacco in any form
3. Use or possession of alcohol, drugs, or narcotics
4. Fighting or scuffling
5. Failure to remain in seat when bus is on route
6. Use of profane, abusive, or excessively loud language
7. Littering or throwing objects (No food, candy, or beverages allowed on bus).
8. Vandalism (At a minimum, must pay for damages before privileges are restored).
9. Violation of any school or bus rule while waiting at any school to board the bus
10. Failure to follow the proper procedure for crossing the road
11. Using, operating, or tampering with the operation or controls of the school bus
12. Failure to properly identify yourself the first time you are asked by the driver or any school authority
13. Failure to ride only the assigned bus
14. Failure to comply with the authority of the bus driver on the regulations for pupils riding the school bus 

On the trip home:

n     Passengers are permitted to leave the bus only at the regular designated stop.  Any change must be made with the parent’s request in writing and approved by the signature of a school principal. 

n     If a pupil lives on the opposite side of a road from the bus stop, the pupil shall go forward of the bus and wait until the bus driver gives the signal to cross the road.  NEVER cross the road in the rear of a stopped school bus. 

Responsibilities of parents of Kindergarten, Pre-School, or Special Needs children:

a)   Must be present to receive their children when the bus arrives at the bus stop.

b)   The bus driver must have a visible indication that an adult is present before allowing the child to leave the bus.

c)   When a responsible adult is not present to receive the child, the bus driver will return the child to school.

d)   Parents who are not present when the bus arrives at the bus stop will be required to pick their child up at school.

e)   Pre-School guidelines require hand-to-hand delivery at the curb between responsible adult and bus  monitor. 

Responsibility of parents:

n     Any complaints of drivers, pupils, or parents shall be reported promptly to the principal or Assistant

     Superintendent for  Transportation. 

n     Parents should report any misconduct on school buses to the principal.  

n     Parents should report all traffic hazards and the bus numbers of all buses observed being operated carelessly.  Call the Transportation department at (270)825-6073. 

n     Parents should encourage students to observe all safety and conduct regulations established for the safe and  efficient operation of the school bus.  

n     Parents should observe extreme caution when approaching bus stops, moving buses, or stopped buses. 

n     Parents should help supervise large numbers of children at bus stops.  

n     Parents should see that their children are at the bus stop five (5) minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive. 

 Your cooperation will make it possible to provide a safer and more efficient transportation program. 

Getting on and off the bus using Angel Seating:

1)      Students use handrails when boarding bus. 

2)      Students fill up seats from front to rear of bus but they leave the front seat opposite the driver

        (the “Angel Seat”) vacant for the last two students who board at each stop. 

3)     At the next stop, the students in the angel seat get up and take another seat toward the rear. 

4)     The last two students to board again sit in the angel seat.