Transportation

At the beginning of the school year, parents will be notified by SJUSD Transportation Department Staff of their child's bus stop time.

Parents will be informed of changes in pick-up time throughout the year. Buses must operate on a schedule in order for classes to start on time. All students should be ready, waiting and watching for the bus at least five (5) minutes prior to their scheduled pick-up time. (There is a Motor Vehicles regulation prohibiting drivers from honking their horns except in a driving emergency or backing maneuver.) Students are required to wait outside for the bus if they are capable. Parents or a designated adult are responsible for assisting the child from the house to the bus and drivers are responsible from that point on. A bus will not be sent back to pick up a student who was not ready on time.

A parent or a designated adult MUST be at the bus stop to receive their child when delivered by the bus driver. The parent or designated adult should be at home and available for contact when school is dismissed. Parents must arrive at the bus stop prior to the drop-off time. Parents are responsible for assisting the child from the bus to the home. Drivers will NOT walk to your door to drop-off your child. If your child is capable of being home without an adult, A LEAVE ALONE RELEASE FORM MUST BE COMPLETED, SIGNED AND PROVIDED TO THE BUS DRIVER BY A PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN.

Children will not be left at a bus stop without an adult until a signed Leave Alone release form is on file at the Transportation Department.

If there is no designated person to receive the child at the bus stop, the procedure will be as follows:

1. Driver is to notify dispatcher of the problem.
2. Dispatch will call the home first, then emergency phone numbers. (Current information on file.)
3. Driver will continue on route while awaiting instruction from dispatch.
4. If there is still no one to receive the child at the designated drop-off location, dispatch will notify the school, and the driver will return the child back to school. It will be the parent’s responsibility to pick up the child at school.
5. If there is no one at the school to watch the child, dispatch will notify the local police department or SJUSD Safe Schools.
6. The local police department or Safe Schools personnel will hold the child until parents are contacted.
7. A social service agency will be called if the child is not picked up by the parents or if contact with the parents cannot be made.

All attempts will be made to notify parents with information regarding their child.

NOTE: Recurring problems regarding the delivery of your child may result in the need to hold an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting.

Some parents may want their child picked up or dropped off at a childcare facility or relative's house. This service may be provided if:

1. The service occurs on a consistent long-term basis every day of the week.
2. The service can be accommodated on an existing bus route.
3. The address is within the same school attendance boundaries.

Please allow a minimum of 3-5 days for routing changes. Address and other changes must be communicated through the Special Education Field Office. Drivers will not change established pick-up or drop-off locations to accommodate special requests without authorization from the SJUSD Transportation Department.

New pick-up or drop-off locations will not be added to meet temporary needs. Children will not be transported to and from parents' place of business.

Homes

Drivers will NOT pull in and out of private driveways. It is extremely helpful if room can be left at the curb for loading and unloading purposes. Generally school bus stops will be located on public streets or in other public areas. School bus stops will be designated at the safest location available by bus. Stops will not be authorized on private property, in areas controlled by homeowner’s associations, in the parking lot of a business or other private entities.

Apartments

Pickup and Drop-off areas in apartment complexes are not allowed. Bus stops will be located on the public street nearest the apartments as determined by SJUSD Transportation staff.

Generally school bus stops will be located on public streets or in other public areas. School bus stops will be designated at the safest location available by bus. Stops will not be authorized on private property, in areas controlled by homeowner’s associations, in the parking lot of a business or other private entities.

Each student will be assigned to a specific bus route and may be assigned to a specific seat on the bus. This seating assignment is based upon the children's medical needs, behavior management strategies, and other considerations affecting the safety and welfare of the students.

San Juan Unified School District Transportation Department buses children throughout the greater Sacramento area. Our extended service area makes it necessary for some children to have long bus rides. Travel time will vary from route to route. We attempt to limit student rides to no longer than 75 minutes. You can be assured that every attempt has been made to make your child's ride as short and as comfortable as possible.

Parents should be prepared for CHANGES in drivers, buses, routes, and time of pick-up/drop-off THROUGHOUT the school year as a result of additions or withdrawals of students in the program.

Overall route travel time will vary from route to route depending on class times and student home locations. Parents will be notified if route changes affect their child's pick-up or drop-off times. Buses may run later during days of unfavorable weather conditions, such as fog and rain.

If you move during the school year or change your telephone number, please notify the Special Education Field Office at least five (5) working days before the move to help ensure uninterrupted bus service.

Do not deliver your child to school and expect the bus to return him or her to a new address unless you have been notified that bus service to the new address has been confirmed by the SJUSD Transportation Department.

It is important that SJUSD Transportation Department has CURRENT AND CORRECT TELEPHONE NUMBERS (home, emergency, etc.).

Please notify SJUSD Special Education Field Office of any changes at (916) 971-7525.

If a bus is delayed, the driver will notify the SJUSD Transportation Department. Whenever possible SJUSD Transportation Department staff will notify schools of buses that are more than fifteen (15) minutes late. Parents may call the SJUSD Transportation Department to determine the reason for the delay and the approximate length of the delay. Whenever possible SJUSD Transportation staff will telephone parents if a delay exceeds thirty (30) minutes.

On Thursday’s your child's school will be on a minimum day schedule. Your child's bus driver will notify you of the approximate drop-off time. The parent or designated adult should be at home and available for contact when school is dismissed.

Parents should arrive at the bus stop prior to the drop-off time. The Transportation Department cannot make temporary address changes to accommodate minimum days.

Sacramento has a variety of weather conditions which can cause traffic related safety concerns and a corresponding delay of bus service. Fog can affect areas differently; therefore, some routes may have "on time" service, whereas other areas may experience delayed arrivals at bus stops and schools.

If weather or atmospheric conditions reduce visibility to a point where it becomes unsafe to transport students, the dispatcher will call the parents on the affected route and advise parents of the delay or cancellation of the route, due to the hazardous conditions.

To ensure safety, all school buses are inspected daily by the driver and annually by the California Highway Patrol. In addition, SJUSD Transportation Mechanics perform comprehensive inspections at frequent intervals. In case of an emergency, all buses are equipped with two-way radios, first aid supplies, fire extinguishers and in some instances video cameras.

All SJUSD buses will eventually be equipped with 3-point seatbelts. Children are required to wear seatbelts if they are installed on the school bus. This includes passengers confined to wheelchairs.

Drivers are specially trained in the wheelchair lift operation; although your assistance in bringing them to the lift is appreciated. ONLY THE DRIVER IS ALLOWED TO OPERATE THE LIFT CONTROLS.

The safest possible lifts and wheelchair securement equipment have been purchased for the transportation of your child. Your assistance is necessary as it is the wheelchair owner’s responsibility to ensure that the wheelchair is equipped with brakes and a restraining belt as per 13CCR1293(g).

Additional policies and procedures are available for Transportation Department employees. These documents may include the Employee Handbook, Board Policies, Transportation Safety Plan and other documents on file in the Transportation Office.

School buses may be equipped with video & audio surveillance equipment. The equipment is installed for the sole use and at the discretion of San Juan Unified School District. Recordings will not be distributed to or viewed by non SJUSD employees without approval of SJUSD Administration in conjunction with approval of SJUSD Legal Department staff. Recordings, equipment and/or storage media devices shall not be removed from the bus without approval of an Operations Supervisor and shall not be removed from the premises without approval of the Director of Transportation.

Please notify the SJUSD Transportation Department if you do not intend to send your child to school. Advance notice is extremely helpful and, in many cases, saves unnecessary miles. The SJUSD Transportation Department Dispatch Office can be contacted by telephone, 916-971-7743, Monday through Friday as early as 5:00 a.m. and as late as 5:00 p.m. on normal school days.

If your child does not ride the bus for THREE (3) CONSECUTIVE DAYS, transportation may be DISCONTINUED. After three consecutive absences two attempts will be made to contact parents by telephone to determine if bus service should continue. An additional call to the school site may be initiated if calls to parents are not returned. To avoid the interruption of bus service you should notify an operations supervisor and make arrangements for your child’s absence from the bus.

If transportation services are cancelled it will be necessary for you to contact the Special Education Field Office (971-7525) and request reinstatement of transportation services for your child. It generally takes 3-5 days for school bus service to resume.

Please do not send a child who is ill to school. Besides the risk of spreading the illness to other students and the driver, bus drivers need to concentrate on driving and are not able to attend to the needs of a sick child. A parent or guardian is responsible for taking a child home if the child becomes ill at school.

Parents may request that medication be transported with the child to school. Bus drivers may not transport medication until parents have complied with all legal provisions and the request has been approved by Transportation & Special Education Administration. When medication is transported, these guidelines below must be followed:

1. The drug or medication is sealed in its original pharmacy container.
2. The container must be labeled with the identification of the student and school.
3. The container is to be kept in the personal possession of the driver while on route.
4. The container is delivered by the driver directly to school staff or parent/guardian.
5. Students are not allowed to keep medications in their possession. Exceptions are made for items such as Epi-Pens and other life-sustaining medications if approved in the child’s Health Care Plan.

Parents must notify the School District & Transportation Department if their child has a seizure disorder. Information must be provided in the child’s Heath Care Plan, which must be on file. Drivers are to notify dispatch if a child has a seizure while on the bus. If a seizure lasts longer than five (5) minutes emergency services will normally be called.

For the comfort of the other persons on the bus, it is important to maintain adequate standards of hygiene. Please be sure your child uses the restroom prior to boarding the bus. If your child has a problem in this area, please be sure to supply the school with a change of clothes and a bag for transporting them. A child will not be allowed to board the bus with a soiled diaper.

It is recommended that all students carry a backpack or bag marked with their name to bring personal items to and from school.

In consideration of student safety, parents should consult with the SJUSD Transportation Department before a child is allowed to carry an item that is too large to fit in the child's backpack or bag. No balloons or glass containers are allowed.

SJUSD Transportation Department assumes no responsibility for lost items, but every effort will be made to locate such items and return them to their owner. Please put your child's name on all items that could be easily lost (backpacks, coats, sweaters, etc.).

Unclaimed items left on the bus will be turned into the SJUSD Transportation Department, 916-971-7076.

Students are not allowed to eat, drink, or chew gum while on the bus. In addition to choking hazards, other students on the bus may have food allergies. Any food or drinks must be kept in the student's backpack while on the bus.

Students are not allowed to bring any animal, insect or pet (including those in boxes, cages, or on leashes) on board a school bus. Service dogs and Guide dogs may be transported when arrangements have been made with the Transportation Department.

A student's behavior is judged to be unacceptable when it jeopardizes the safety of the child or the other passengers or interferes with the operation of the bus. In such a case the parent, the child's teacher, the school psychologist, and the bus driver may meet to create a behavior management plan for the child. The plan may be incorporated into the child's Individualized Education Program (IEP) if it is needed on a continuing long-term basis. Transportation may also be suspended as a consequence of unacceptable or unsafe behaviors.

It is the parent's responsibility to adhere to all policies contained within this handbook and to ensure that their children understand and obey the rules. Refusal to comply may result in the need to schedule an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting.

All transportation shall be subject to the appropriate provisions and policies of the California Vehicle Code, California Education Code, California Administrative Code and policies of San Juan Unified School District.

Title 5 CCR Section 14103: "Pupils transported in a school bus shall be under the authority of and responsible directly to the driver of the bus, and the driver shall be held responsible for the orderly conduct of the pupils while they are on the bus or being escorted across a street or highway."

Title 5 CCR Section 14105: “All passengers in a school bus or in a school pupil activity bus that is equipped with passenger restraint systems in accordance with sections 27316 and 27316.5 of the Vehicle Code shall use the passenger restraint system….”

(Please discuss with your child.) 

1. Follow the driver’s instructions and directives.
2. Sit down and remain seated until arrival at your stop.
3. Food, open drink containers, or gum chewing is not allowed while on the bus.
4. Fighting, excessively loud conversations & horseplay will not be tolerated.
5. Keep all parts of the body inside the bus.
6. Do not use profanity.

Each child on a school bus must behave in a satisfactory manner in order for the driver to be alert and attentive to the many hazards of driving. The safety of all children on the bus is of paramount importance; if a child continually behaves in an unsatisfactory manner an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting may be scheduled. YOUR reinforcement of these regulations and occasional communication with your child's bus driver will help considerably in minimizing disciplinary issues.

PARENTS/GUARDIANS may be held responsible for any damage to vehicles caused by their child.

Special Education transportation requires drivers to have a high level of competency and skill to ensure the safe transportation of your child.

School bus drivers undergo extensive pre-employment criminal background checks and are tested for controlled substance use. Upon employment drivers are subject to periodic random drug and alcohol testing.

Our bus drivers are extensively trained to provide students with the best service and protection available. The SJUSD Transportation Department requires all bus drivers and attendants to participate in regularly scheduled continuing educational courses to improve their skills with special education students. In addition, State law requires each driver to have a valid School Bus Driver Certificate, pass a physical examination and maintain a safe driving record.

Federal law permits the school district to disclose personally identifiable information in the student's education records to school officials with legitimate educational interests, including Transportation Department staff.

If you have a concern or require transportation related information, please contact the San Juan Unified School District Transportation Department at 916-971-7076.

Bus drivers are not to be used as messengers between home and school. Please write down any communication for school staff and enclose in your child’s backpack.

Families will be contacted by the SJUSD Transportation Department by telephone at the phone number provided when registering your child. Please be sure these phone numbers are kept current by contacting the Special Education Field office (971- 7525) and/or SJUSD Dispatch when changes occur.