Common Reasons for Delays

• Sometimes the bus routes must be doubled out or run as a second load to or from the school due to the regular driver being absent.
  
  
• Traffic in New Castle County area is increasing.
  
  
• Drivers check buses before their routes and sometimes find mechanical problems that can cause delays and require driving another bus for that day.  This can cause the bus to be unpunctual.

Riding the school bus is a privilege, and all students are expected to follow safe riding practices. Disruptive, disrespectful, or dangerous behavior may result in a bus suspension or other appropriate consequence as determined by the CSD Student Manual.

Please refer to the CSD Student Manual for more information regarding Student Responsibilities & Expectations and Bus Behavior & Safety.

School buses come in various sizes ranging from 25 to 36 feet long, 20,000-26,000 pounds, 12-13 feet high and 6-9 feet wide.  The length is what limits the school bus to be maneuvered in cul-de-sacs and tight places.  Smaller buses can turn in a shorter radius, while longer buses cannot maneuver the same circle without backing the bus, which is avoided in routing if possible.  Residents sometimes park trucks, boats, and trailers on the streets.  Children leave their bicycles, skateboards, and basketball backboards in the street.  Although our drivers are trained to be able to parallel park their buses, some subdivisions are not designed with school bus transportation in mind.  Please know that we will design school bus routes to be safe and convenient for the majority of students within the limits of time and physics.

Seat assignments are a positive way for the ride to be consistent and safe.  It is also our policy for elementary and middle school students to be assigned to a specific seat.  This aids the driver with discipline and learning each student's name at the beginning of the school year.  We trust our drivers to let us know when this policy is no longer effective.

This policy avoids confusion and the chance for students getting lost or running away.

Decisions regarding each bus route are made by careful planning based on information from the school registration, previous similar routes, and Department of Transportation data.  Most routes are fixed during the summer months and changes are made after the first two weeks of school, if not sooner.  The most current information we are given, the better decisions regarding specific routes can be made.  Distance from school, number of buses and drivers, and grouping of students and neighborhoods are factors considered also.  Sometimes it is just not possible to have the exact number of students on every run.  State and National guidelines allow for up to 20% over capacity seating.                     

Bus capacities for children in Grades K to 6 shall be established on the basis of 13 inches per child, and for Grades 7 to 12, the capacity shall be established on the basis of 15 inches per child. The maximum capacity of a standard school bus is 72 passengers. However, Student Transportation Services recognizes the safety concerns and problems associated with loading buses to maximum capacity. The general guidelines used are:

• Grades K-6: 3 students to a seat
• Grades 7-12: 2 students to a seat

Using these guidelines, typical bus maximum capacities will be:

• Grades K-5: 72  students per standard bus
• Grades 6-8: 55 students per standard bus
• Grades 9-12: 48 students per standard bus

Visit our employment section to learn more about how to become a school bus driver.

A committee of people already involved in a student's education determines transportation needs.  After it has been determined that the student would benefit from being transported apart from the mainstreamed students, the Educational Diagnostician or Building Administrator will complete and send a special needs transportation request to our office for processing.

Five to seven (5-7) business days are needed to obtain all emergency information, process routing information, contact drivers and communicate with parents and other professionals involved.

Our goal, for students within the Christina School District, is no more than one hour.

SAFETY is our main goal and concern.  Changes may be granted for consistent schedules within the child's regular route.

Special needs transportation is granted in accordance with a student's needs as a related service to the IEP (Individualized Education Plan).  Students who receive an education without an IEP are provided transportation through conventional means.

Yes, our Dispatch Offices opens at 5:00 a.m.  Call 302-454-2281, ext. 1 for assistance.