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Transportation Department
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Welcome to the Roxbury Public Schools Transportation Department webpage. We hope you will find the information herein helpful in answering your questions and understanding transportation rules. Please be part of the team and assist our expectations by going over these rules with your child/children.
We are committed to providing a safe and efficient transportation program. Safety is the combined effort of parents, students, and district personnel. Rules are in place and enforced for a reason—safety.
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Bus Conduct and Safety
- Observe classroom behavior. The bus is an extension of the school. Discipline will be treated as such. Cooperate with the driver.
- Be courteous to others. Use “indoor voice”. No profanity.
- No food or drink on the bus.
- Keep the bus clean. Clean up after yourself.
- Students shall remain seated, facing forward, and with their seatbelts fastened.
- All bus routes will have a seating chart. Students must sit in assigned seats.
- Do not stand while the bus is in motion.
- Do not throw any objects out of the windows.
- Do not touch emergency exit devices, unless THERE IS A TRUE EMERGENCY.
- Students should report any problems, damage, or issues to the bus driver.
- Bus drivers will write up students for misbehaving.
- Transportation and school district staff wear a district photo identification card each day.
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Bus Stop Conduct
- Students must be outside waiting for the bus to arrive. Drivers cannot wait for students who are not at the bus stop.
- Arrive at the bus stop five minutes before pick up time.
- Students must utilize only their assigned bus stop. Drivers will not accommodate students not at their assigned bus stop, or wanting to get off the bus at another stop.
- Never run after a moving bus if you are late.
- Never go under or near the bus to retrieve an item that was dropped.
- Only cross after the bus driver signals you to do so.
- No fighting, shoving, pushing, horseplay, or bullying.
- Be alert to traffic when loading and unloading the bus.
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Bus Stop or Route Change Request
- All requests must be made in writing via email to the Director of Transportation, rkatz@roxbury.org. Each email will be reviewed. A change is not guaranteed. Bus stop changes will be implemented after September 20, 2023.
- No students shall be allowed to board/leave the school bus at any place other than his/her regularly assigned bus stop.
Do not ask the bus driver to make a courtesy stop or stop change. They cannot act on your request without approval from the transportation department. - Parents or guardians may not remove a student from a bus at any location other than the assigned stop without advanced permission.
- If you regularly meet the bus at the stop, and someone else is there to receive your child, you need to arrange that change with the school or the transportation office. We will not release your child to someone we are not aware of.
- If your child goes to a babysitter location, it must be in the designated session for your child, or transportation will be you or your sitter’s responsibility. The pickup and drop stops must be the same to and from school.
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Alternate Bus Stop Request
- All alternate bus stop requests (ex. Daycare, babysitting) must be submitted in writing via the alternate bus stop request form to your school office. Please be aware all alternate stop requests are a PERMANENT five day per week arrangement. Request deadline for the 2023 - 2024 school year is August 1, 2023. Any requests received after this date will not be honored until after school opening. During the school year, a minimum of five days of notice is required to honor any requests.
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Bus Stop Times
- Each student’s bus information with pick up and drop off locations can be located on the Roxbury Public Schools’ website through Genesis.
- Students should be at their assigned bus stop at least 5 minutes prior to the scheduled pick up time.
- During the first week of school, afternoon drop off times are often later due to the schools making sure each student is on the correct bus. This could delay the departure time from the school. Please realize that the regular drop off time may not become routine until the third week of school.
- While the bus routes normally run like clockwork, there could be variations due to traffic problems, construction projects, weather conditions, student issues, or equipment issues. If the bus is not on time on a given day, please wait a few minutes before contacting the transportation department.
- Students in kindergarten will not be let off the bus unless a parent or guardian is present. If there is a change in the individual picking up the child, please contact the transportation office prior to the change.
- On delayed opening days, the morning bus stop times are two (2) hours later (ex. a 7:30 am pick up would become a 9:30 am pickup). Please see time schedule on website under “Times for early dismissal and delays”.
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Complaints
- All complaints will be investigated.
- Complaints must be accompanied with your name and phone number.
- There are video cameras on all district vehicles.
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Delayed Openings/Early Dismissals
- Please see the following information for all schools.
- Delayed openings and early dismissals brought on by weather or other conditions will be communicated to the parents/guardians using the electronic phone messaging system. Please keep all numbers current with the school and the transportation department.
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Emergency Evacuation Drills
- School bus evacuation safety drills are required to be conducted two times throughout the school year.
- The drills are intended to teach students safety, emergency procedures, and general knowledge.
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Seat Belts
- Students are required to wear seat belts by State law. School bus drivers will inform students on the first day of school, and remind students as necessary that they must wear their seatbelts. Signage in the front of the bus will also be a daily reminder to students.
- Drivers are not responsible for checking individual seatbelts per State law.
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Student Possessions
- Items brought onto the bus should be able to fit on the students lap, under the seat, or next to them—space permitting. Aisles and emergency exits must be free from obstruction.
- Backpacks should be able to be removed and held in laps during the bus ride.
- Pets of any kind are not permitted on the bus.
- The school district is not responsible for lost items.