FAQs

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.

The Superintendent is responsible for the final decision to close schools due to inclement weather.  The decision is made after administrative staff report from various positions in the county regarding road conditions, temperature and wind chill, snow and ice buildup on main and secondary roads and weather forecasts and predictions.  A decision will be made and the public will be notified by 5:30 a.m.  

• Click here to learn more about School Closing and Announcements notification.

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.