Transportation

 

The Transportation Department of the Peters Township School District is a part of the Buildings and Grounds Department of the district. It is the goal of Peters Township School District and its contracted carriers to provide safe transportation service in accordance with the Pennsylvania School Code and Pennsylvania State Transportation Code to all students except those who reside within designated walking areas under the following guide lines.

 

Only those students who meet the eligibility requirements by means of proof of residence (please refer to Board Policy 200.1) will be permitted to use school bus transportation for the purpose of travel to and from school unless otherwise authorized by the Superintendent or their designee. Under Pennsylvania State Law the district also provides bus service to private and parochial schools within ten miles from the boundaries of the township.

 

The District does provide one way transportation for Kindergarten students as follows:

 

The District shall provide transportation for exceptional children as required by special education law and authorized thru the District’s Director of Pupil Services.

 

Non-public, private/parochial students are entitled to the same transportation service as public school students. The Non-public, private/parochial school must be approved by the Department of Education and the school is located with-in a ten mile radius of the nearest districts boundary.

 

Bus schedules have been carefully prepared to accommodate the transportation needs of the district. The times are approximate and subject to revision. Students are required to be at the bus stop at least 10 minutes prior to the designated time. Bus assignments for Peters Township School District students have been provided via PowerSchool.

 

Transportation Information for Private, Parochial and Vo-Tech students are mailed home prior to the start of the school year. If you have questions please contact the Transportation Office or email Mrs.Tracy Bidoli.

 

We are very proud of the safety record and the high quality of our state inspections. State inspections occur at a minimum of three times per year per vehicle. Our vehicles are annually inspected by the state police and consistently maintained throughout the school year. Of the twelve school bus garages inspected by the state police in the area, our buses are routinely at the top of this safety inspection list.

 

The bus driver is in charge of the vehicle, and his or her instructions are to be obeyed. Buses carrying students will be considered as extensions of the school setting. A high standard of student behavior on school buses while entering or leaving the buses is expected and will be required. Any student whose conduct on a school vehicle is found improper will be subject to disciplinary procedures as per appropriate grade and building level discipline codes. Smoking, throwing objects from the bus or windows, rowdyism, standing while the bus is in motion, deliberate delays in boarding, unauthorized transferring to another bus, opening of emergency doors without the driver's permission (except in bona fide emergencies), distracting the attention of the driver, failure to cooperate with the driver, or any conduct detrimental to safe bus operation will result in a review of the offending student's opportunity to continue to ride the bus, and may cause permanent loss of this privilege or suspension from school. Damage to the vehicle will be charged to the student responsible.

 

All buses serving Peters Township School District transportation needs are subject to being both video and audio recorded to assist in ensuring that the students are transported in a manner that protects them as well as the vehicle operator from physical injury, verbal abuse, or threats. Such recordings, both audio and video, may be utilized in all disciplinary investigations of students and employees of Peters Township School District and its contracted service providers. 

 

The School District is responsible for disciplining students who misbehave at the bus stop or riding to and from school. Parents/guardians are responsible for the behavior of their own children on the way to and on the way from the bus stop.

 

A policy is in place that governs regular routes and service. Except when otherwise determined by the School Board for reasons of safety of students and vehicles, expediting routes, or convenience to the district, school buses will be routed through plans of homes only when a continuous forward progress can be maintained. Visit District Policy No. 810 

No student will be assigned transportation until the proper documentation has been submitted to the school the student will be attending. Non Public students are entitled to the same transportation service as public school students. The non-public school must be approved by the Department of Education and the school must be located with-in a ten mile radius of the nearest districts boundary. Once registered, the information is sent to the transportation office for a bus assignment. Please allow at least 3-5 business days for this process as some buses may have to be rerouted to accommodate a new stop. All Peters Township School District students can access their Power School account for updates. All non-public students will be contacted. Please note that District policy requires that parents provide three (3) items as proof of residency upon registration or change of address. Those items may include: Mortgage or lease agreements (temporary proof only) Driver’s license Auto registration Utility bills Tax statements Check stubs from wages, public assistance, or social security Additional information on proof of residency can be found in District policy 200.1

 

The District is not responsible for the transportation of students to locations other than the student’s home residence. Students are to ride the bus to which they are assigned. Only in an emergency situation will students be permitted to ride another bus unless otherwise assigned.Permission to ride a different bus must be obtained from the transportation department. The student must first bring a note from home or parent contact via phone or e-mail must be made to the transportation department. Upon approval the school will issue a note which the bus driver will accept and allow the student to ride their bus. Bus drivers will not accept verbal confirmation from the parent and there must be space available on the bus to accommodate the request.

 

The Peters Township School District recognizes and understands the needs for alternative transportation arrangements and/or schedules for the needs of childcare and split custody agreements. These arrangements must be submitted in writing to the transportation department using the link to the form provided.

 

All bus drivers wear District provided name badges. Bus drivers must be at least 21 years of age, have a commercial driver's license, pass a state school bus driver's exam, complete 20 hours of instruction, and have Act 33/34 child abuse and criminal history clearance, possess F.B.I. clearances and fingerprinting requirements, pass pre-employment and random drug testing and pass an annual physical exam. Visit Employment