Haverhill Public Schools

The Transportation Department has expectation from students and parents, as well as what is to be expected from the bus drivers. By doing this we can all help ensure the safety of our children and their future and showing them the value of cooperation.

Student riders are expected to follow these rules at all times

1. Only authorized students may ride the bus.

2. Students are to obey the driver in all matters pertaining to the operation of the school bus. The bus driver is the representative of parents and the school department and is directly responsible for the safety for each student on his/her route.

3. Students are to be courteous to other while waiting for the bus, loading, riding, and leaving the bus.

4. Students are to arrive at the bus stop on time and wait on the sidewalk or off the road surface and respect the property rights of others and avoid trespassing on private property.

5. Students are to avoid actions that might distract the driver and result in an accident such as shouting, whistling, throwing objects, fighting, etc.

6. Students are to cross the street in front of the bus.

7. Students are to keep books/bundles or other obstruction out of the aisles. If students have large packages to bring to school, parents should provide student transportation on that day. Animals are not to be transported on public school buses.

8. Students are to be seated. Where bus drivers assign seats, students are to sit where they are told.

9. If students are instructed by the bus driver to change seats because of misbehavior or other reasons, they must do so.

10. Violations of the Haverhill Public Schools conduct and discipline code which occur during the time a student is being transported, is waiting to board a school bus, or has just debarked from a school bus are subjects to punishment including temporary or long term denial of bus transportation.

Expected Parent Responsibilities

1. To cooperate fully with school principals, the transportation coordinator, school bus contractor, and bus drivers to ensure prompt, safe, and responsible transportation to all entitled student riders.

2. To encourage and insist proper bus behavior on the part of their own children.

3. To refrain from requesting or seeking to arrange school bus transportation for relatives, friends, or other ineligible riders, or seek temporary changes of bus assignments to accommodate personal reasons.1

4. To make certain that children are waiting on time at the scheduled stop and that their child’s behavior is proper during the wait.

5. To inform the school principal if there are health problems affecting a child’s riding a school bus.

6. To notify the school principal beforehand when a student rider is not to take the bus and/or some adult including the parent is to provide transportation.

7. To make appropriate arrangements for a student to get to school if the student missed the scheduled bus transportation or is temporarily denied transportation for disciplinary reasons.

8. To report promptly to the school principal any matters of his/her proper concern regarding school bus transportation.

9. To make certain that kindergarten and transitional students are supervised at their scheduled stops before school and upon returning from school.

1 Emergency arrangements may be made by the school principal to accommodate special unavoidable situations.

Bus Driver Responsibilities

1. The driver shall adhere to commonly accepted rules of the road.

2. The driver shall "remain in the bus" while students are loading and unloading.

3. The driver shall adhere closely as possible to the time schedule arranged for his or her route.

4. Buses shall stop to load or unload students only at an approved designated stop and buses are to be brought to a full stop before taking on or discharging students.

5. The driver shall require the riders to remain seated.

6. Drivers may require students to change their seating location for disciplinary or other proper reasons.

7. Bus drivers are expected to use proper language at all times.

8. If the bus is "on time" and a student is not at the designated stop, the bus driver shall not wait.

9. The bus driver shall not leave the bus at any time when there are students aboard or at any school and or student pick-up location without first stopping the engine, removing the ignition key and setting the brake.

10. Drivers are to instruct student who are observed misbehaving to cease such behavior.

11. The bus driver shall not put any pupil off the bus. The privilege of riding the bus shall be denied only by the principal or bus coordinator following proper notification to the student and student's parents.

12. The bus driver is to report a misbehaving student to the principal, assistant principal or head teacher of the students’ school.

13. If misbehaving student refuses to identify him/herself, the bus driver should notify the principal /designee or head teacher at the first school stop following the misbehavior and identify the offender(s).

14. The bus driver may select a student to leave the bus at a school location and notify an administrator if the driver wishes to report student misbehavior or for any necessary reason.

15. The bus driver and school principal are jointly responsible for maintaining proper discipline on the school bus.

16. In an Emergency situation the bus driver is to pull over and request assistance using a two way radio or cell phone when necessary