Transportation FAQs

Frequently asked questions and comments about student transportation.

What should I do if my child is late to the bus stop, even though we can see the bus and can make it there before the bus pulls off?

Don’t run after the bus. Don’t bang on the sides of the bus. Don’t cut in front of the bus. These are extremely dangerous actions that have resulted in student deaths in other localities. Although bus drivers are trained to look in all directions for people and for cars, there are blind spots. The driver may not see the student and probably won’t hear the student. It is important for students to be on time at the bus stop.
From my front door or window, I can’t see my child’s bus stop.

Parents are encouraged to accompany young children to the bus stop. Bus stops are placed so that no elementary child has to walk more than 0.3 of a mile and no middle or high school student has to walk more than 0.5 of a mile.

My child has to cross the street to get to the bus stop. This is a safety issue.

Parents are responsible for the safety of their children to and from bus stops and are particularly encouraged to accompany young children.

Bus routes may be designed where students have to cross a roadway to get to or from the bus. School bus drivers are trained and school buses are equipped with traffic warning devices to enhance a safe crossing.

Safety is a team effort and a responsibility shared by the parent, student, bus driver and motorist. Go to www.ptsi.org and click on “free downloads” to access information on how to cross safely and protecting children from passing motorists. These two publications can help you teach your child about crossing the roadway safely.

What items can my child bring onto the bus?

If students cannot hold their belongings in their laps or fit them under the seat, then the belongings should be left at home or taken to school by another means. Items cannot take up a seat, be placed in the aisle or be put in front of any emergency exit.

My child rides a crowded school bus. There are three or more to a seat and some students are standing.

Buses that transport younger, smaller students may require these students to sit three or more per seat. While the transportation department strives to route buses so that this does not happen, it’s not always possible. The same practice applies to middle or high school students. When possible, the routes are established so that these students may sit two to a seat. Often, this may not be possible, either. Each concern regarding overcrowding is evaluated on a case by case basis as quickly as possible. The transportation department never wants to have students riding in an overcrowded bus nor standing; however, state regulations allow students to stand under certain conditions, which gives a school division time to assess each situation.

My child wants to have a few friends visit after school. What is the procedure for riding a different school bus to or from school?

Approvals are granted by the school, based on the current student loads of individual buses. Check with your school to learn how it handles individual cases.

My child has to walk past the residence of a convicted sex offender or vicious dog, etc.

Traffic conditions are the primary factor the school division’s Transportation Department uses when establishing or evaluating routes and stops. Parents are responsible for the safety of students going to and from school bus stops and while waiting for the bus. This is another reason it is important for an adult to accompany students to the bus stop.

Several people in the neighborhood are school bus drivers, and they park their buses on the street. They are creating a safety problem because we can’t see around them.

Drivers take their buses home because it is cost-efficient to do so. Chesterfield County Public Schools wants to be a good neighbor, and bus drivers are encouraged to choose appropriate parking spots for their buses. But the school division’s Transportation Department cannot determine the legality of a parked school bus. Only the police can do this.

There are no children who live in the area of the current bus stop – they all live at the other end of the street. The bus has to go right by the corner we want to designate as our bus stop, and the driver has to stop at the stop sign there. Why can’t the bus stop be relocated?

Bus stops are established for neighborhoods rather than for individual households, so that no elementary child has to walk more than 0.3 of a mile and no middle or high school student has to walk more than 0.5 of a mile. Families may move several times during a child’s scholastic career, but the locations of bus stops are considered permanent unless they need to be changed to ensure that walking distances stay within the guidelines.

Why aren’t school buses equipped with seat belts?

The issue of seat belts on buses has been debated for more than 30 years. Please go to www.nhtsa.dot.gov and enter “school bus” in the “search NHTSA” block to learn more.

Click here to download a Printable PDF version of the Transportation FAQ.