Transportation

Walking is fun, but you need to be safe while doing it. Follow these tips to ensure you get to and from your bus stop without problems.

Walk together

Younger children should always walk with an adult.

If your parents say that you can walk to school on your own, remember these tips:

• Walk with a friend when possible.

• Ask your parents to help you pick a safe route to school; one that avoids dangers.

• Stick to the route you picked with your parents.

• When you are near the street, don’t push, shove, or chase each other.

• Never take rides from people not arranged by your parents.

• Talk to your parents and bus driver about any bullying that may happen during your walk.

Be seen

Remember, drivers may not be able to see you well. Always wear bright-colored clothes and if it is dark or hard to see, carry flashlights or wear reflective gear. 

Look for traffic

Watch out for cars and trucks at every driveway and intersection on your walk to the bus stop.

Cross the street safely

1. Stop at the curb or edge of the street.

2. Look left, right, left, and behind you and in front of you for traffic.

3. Wait until no traffic is coming and begin crossing.

4. Keep looking for traffic until you have finished crossing.

5. Walk, don’t run across the street.

Obey traffic signs, signals, and adult school crossing guard.  Always be aware of the School Bus Danger Zone.

 

General rules for the transportation department for routes and stops can be reviewed here in Administrative Regulation 3541.

A field trip will generally be the least expensive when a VUSD District Driver using a VUSD Bus is used to perform your field trips. Any weekday trip that departs at 9:30 am or later and returns at 1:30 pm or sooner, as well as all weekend field trips, will be quoted using a VUSD Driver Bus. The current rates for these trips are $35 hour and $4 mile for weekday trips between 6:00 am and 4:00 pm and $ 52 per hour for weekday trips after 4:00 pm and all weekend trips. Weekday charges will begin when the bus arrives at your school site and will end upon return to your school site. Weekend charges start when the driver clocks in and ends when the driver clocks out. The transportation department books all trips. There are no exceptions to this rule.  The time on the travel form cannot be changed.
Any trip that interferes with our home-to-school service would require the use of a contractor (Which are generally weekday trips that begin sooner than 9:30 am or return later than 1:30 pm). When a contractor is required for a trip, we will first check availability with the least expensive contractor and work until we find a contractor to book the trip. Our contractors are servicing other school districts on a first come, first served basis. The spring is a busy time for field trips. Book your trip early, especially any event, such as a grad night, where multiple school districts will attend, or popular destinations like Biz Town. All field trip requests must be made online through your site administrator and approved by the EEI Department.  Once the pick up and drop off times have be scheduled no changes can be made without calling the transportation office. 

For more information on this, please get in touch with our Transportation Department directly.

Riding the school bus is an extension of the classroom where the same rules apply. For the students safety, we ask that each student abide by the following bus rules:

• Observe same conduct as in the classroom.
• Be courteous and do not use profane language.
• Remain properly seated while the bus is in motion. 
• Be kind and respectful to others.
• Do not eat or drink while on the bus.
• Keep the bus clean.
• Cooperate with the bus driver.
• Do not be destructive on the bus

A good bus rider is one that....

• Keeps their hands and feet to themselves.
• Uses their indoor voice. 
• Sits bottom to bottom.
• Sits back to back.
• Keeps feet towards the floor.
• Talks quietly and appropriately.
• Doesn't jump on or over the seats.

• The bus driver shall notify dispatch of their location and inform them that they are involved in a school bus accident.

• Dispatch shall contact CHP and if any pupils are injured, emergency medical personal shall be dispatched.

• In the event of a school bus accident the school site Principal, Superintendent, Chief Operaations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, and Director of Transportation shall be notified.

• Parents or guardians of special education student shall be notified if their child is involved in a school bus accident.

• The school site shall notify parents or guardians of any injured regular education student.

• Pupils shall be released by CHP officer.

• If any pupils are injured they will be transported to the nearest hospital or the hospital determined to be most appropriate by Paramedics.

Conduct at School Bus Loading Zones when boarding and exiting school buses

All school personnel shall ensure that pupils:

1. Stand in a line facing traffic so that they can see the bus approaching, pupils are to be instructed and required to stand back 12 feet from where the bus will stop. They are NOT to approach the bus until the driver has completely stopped and opened the entrance door.
2. When loading at a school, pupils are to follow the directions of the driver or person on bus duty. Pupils shall be required to stand back 12 feet from the bus in line until the driver opens the bus door.
3. Pupils shall NEVER go under any bus to retrieve something they have dropped. Instead, ask the driver for assistance.
4. Pupils shall know and understand that destroying property, playing in, running on the street, or any type of horseplay at a bus stop, is dangerous and prohibited.
5. Pupils shall know and understand that while waiting to load or unload the bus, they are the direct responsibility of the driver or school staff, and they MUST follow their directions.
6. School buses can only stop at designated bus stops; therefore, if a child (en) misses his or her bus, then a parent or a guardian needs to take them to school. Pupils shall NEVER run after their bus if they missed it.
7. Pupils who are late as the bus arrives at a designated stop must cross the street to the bus stop… WAIT!!!! DO NOT RUN ACROSS THE STREET! The "Flashing Red Lights" and "Stop Arm"- must be activated, the school bus driver will secure the bus, turn on the lights/stop arm, come out in the street with a handheld stop sign, stop traffic, and let you know when it is safe to cross the roadway and board the bus.
8. The school bus driver shall ensure that all students are in a safe location and out of the DANGER ZONE prior to moving the school bus.

Procedures to determine if pupils require escort across a highway or private road:

1. The school bus driver shall escort all transported students who must cross a highway or street on which the bus is stopped, where traffic is not controlled by a traffic officer or official traffic signal.
2. The school bus driver shall ask at each school bus stop if they are not certain if anyone must cross the street on which the school bus is stopped in order to reach his or her destination.
3. The bus driver shall review student rosters/addresses/route sheets to determine if students need to be escorted across the street.
4. Assigned school site staff will monitor school loading zones and assist students in boarding and exiting the appropriate school bus.

Procedures for all pupils pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 8 and the school bus driver to follow as the pupils board and exit the appropriate school bus at each pupil’s school bus stop or school:

1. The school bus driver will monitor pupils as they exit and board at each school bus stop and trip destination to ensure the pupil is boarding the appropriate school bus and exiting at the appropriate bus stop.
2. Assigned school site staff will monitor school loading zones and assist students in boarding the appropriate school bus.

Procedures for boarding and exiting a school bus at a school or other trip destination:

1. The school bus driver along with assigned school site staff will monitor pupils exiting the school bus before school and will monitor pupils boarding the school bus after school to ensure orderly and safe exiting and boarding. The school bus driver will have this same responsibility on activity trips.
2. Students should board the bus one at a time and move quickly to an open seat.
3. If a student drops papers or other objects while boarding the bus, he or she should get the attention of the bus driver. Never go under or near the school bus to retrieve objects, since the bus driver may not see you.
4. No pushing shoving or horseplay is allowed when exiting or boarding a school bus.

A current copy of this plan shall be retained by each school subject to the plan and made available upon request to an officer of the Department of the California Highway Patrol.

Child Check Procedures to ensure that a pupil is not left unattended on a school bus, school pupil activity bus, or youth bus.

Student safety is of paramount importance in the Vista Unified School District. To ensure that a student is never left unattended on a school bus at the end of any route leg, route, or activity trip, all drivers are required to check the bus for any students that have not gotten off the bus. This is called the Child Check Procedure. This Child Check Procedure requires that all drivers walk to the back of the bus looking for students in, around, and under all seats. This check is also required to be done at the final stop of any route. If the bus is not stopped in a safe location, park in the closest safe location and proceed with the child check procedure. When the bus returns to the yard, a final child check procedure must be completed in order to ensure that no child is left on the bus. All drivers will be required to take annual training on the child check procedure and documentation of completion will be kept on file. Disciplinary action, up to and including termination, will result in any case where a school bus driver leaves a child unattended on a school bus at the end of any route leg, route or activity trip.

Procedures and standards for designating an adult chaperone, other than the driver, to accompany pupils on a school pupil activity bus.

Adult Chaperone Requirements
Below is the required ratio of students to adult chaperones for any and all school-related pupil activity trips (Field Trips) where a school bus is used to transport students. These ratios are as follows:

• TK- 3rd Grade - Two (2) Adult chaperones for each class that is participating in a field trip
• 4th-5th Grade - One (1) adult for every 16 students
• 6th-8th Grade - One adult for every 18 students
• 9th-12th Grade - One adult for every 18 students

Adult Chaperones will assist the school bus driver with managing student’s behavior to ensure a safe ride to and from the field trip destination. Below are some expectations that VUSD has of our chaperones while on a school bus.

1. Chaperones should space themselves apart on the bus in order to manage the students effectively. Ideally one chaperone in the back of the bus, one in the middle of the bus, and one in the front of the bus.
2. Chaperones should assist the driver by keeping the noise level of the students at an acceptable level so that the driver can concentrate on driving.
3. Chaperones should assist the driver with loading and unloading students on and off the bus.
4. Chaperones should ensure that students are sitting and facing forward while the bus is in motion, and all body parts remain in the bus at all times.

Information regarding the document should be directed to Tracy Mangold Director of Transportation at (760)726-2170 ex. 92801