• School Bus Safety

• Concern Form

• Alternate Address Form

• Infinite Campus

• My Ride K-12

• Transportation Department (478) 994-6205

• MCS Central Registration (478) 994-2031

Below, you will find common questions concerning Transportation Services within Monroe County Schools. Should you have an inquiry that is not addressed here or in another area of the website, please contact the Transportation Department.

Monroe County Transportation Department

Do I have to register my student(s) for transportation services before they can ride a MCS bus?

Yes, all students must formally request bus services before riding a school bus.

Are there any specific conditions that my student(s) has to meet?

Yes, in order to receive a bus service, a student must live in the attendance zone for the school that they attend or have a district approved transfer that allows for transportation services (transfer students must be coded correctly in the student information system in order to receive services). The student must be registered in the school district and enrolled in the proper school. The student’s address must be correct in the student information system. If you are not sure of the accuracy of your address, please contact your school or the Central Registration Office for further information. If the student’s address is incorrect, his or her bus information will be incorrect.

How do I request transportation services?

You may contact your school’s front office. You will need the following information available:

• Student’s school ID number (Lunch Number)

• Transportation needs for AM service

• Transportation needs for PM service

Note: All rising students and High School students will have a registration process take place each school term, in order to gather each student’s transportation needs for the upcoming school year.

Can I request services at any time during the school year?

Yes. A parent can request that services start at any time during the operational year.

Once registered, how do I confirm my student’s bus information?

My Ride K-12 is the easiest way to see bus information. Also, there are several different ways to confirm a student’s bus assignment. You may also contact the Transportation Department or your school’s front office. Efforts will be made to have this information available at each school’s open house at the beginning of each school year as well, but some students bus information may still be getting processed at that time.

If the provided bus information is wrong, what do I do?

This will happen if your student’s primary address in the student information is incorrect. There are other possible scenarios, but the good news is, most can be resolved quickly. Please call or email the Transportation Department. Keep in mind that no bus information will be available until the student is enrolled in a school. Simply registering with the district will not generate accurate bus information. Once a student has formally enrolled in a school, the information should be available when your request has been processed by the Transportation Department.

What if “no” bus information is available for my student?

No bus information will be available until the student is enrolled in a school. Simply registering with the district will not generate accurate bus information. Once a student has formally enrolled in a school, the information should be available when your request has been processed by the Transportation Department.

Where will my student’s bus stop be located?

The Transportation Department establishes bus stops, and most students will have their stop located near their house. There are situations in which the students house could be deemed unsafe for a bus stop or on a restricted bus travel road. In that situation the Transportation Department will provide a safe alternate stop for the student to meet the bus. (Students below the age of 9 will still need a guardian at the stop. Even if it is an alternate stop)

How do I express concerns about conditions on a roadway or at a bus stop?

You may complete the proper digital form from the Transportation Department. The Transportation Department will review and address all safety concerns and changing conditions around the district. The decision to move or re-locate stops will be based on specific safety criteria that will be used for all bus stop locations. Personal issues like work schedules, changing weather, dogs and other issues not related to roadway and environmental conditions will not warrant changes in stop locations.

What are the expected responsibilities of a parent or guardian concerning travel to and from a bus stop location?

The district sees parents and guardians as partners when it comes to all elements of student safety. Students who are 8 years old or younger should always be accompanied by an adult to their morning bus stop and someone should meet them at their afternoon bus stop. Parents who drive to a stop should not wait in cars. Please park safely away from the bus stop location and meet your student at the bus door. For older students, parents should know and reinforce safe behavior in and around any roadways regardless of where the student catches the bus. Accompanying an older student on a few trips to the bus stop will help identify any obvious hazards. Please feel free to download safety material on the transportation website and share this material with your children and any others that you feel will benefit from this information. The more our parents and guardians know, the more our students will know. Parents and guardians are responsible for their child’s safety both to and from the student’s designated bus stop location.

Can my student get a 'Bus Pass' to use an alternate bus stop location or an alternate bus on a given day or span of days?

Bus passes are issued by the school. They must be approved by a school administrator and may be issued for emergency situations and situations of split custody. Bus passes can be issued for no more than 10 consecutive school days. Bus passes can ONLY be issued along an existing route path. They cannot be used to alter the planned travel path of a route. To request a bus pass, a guardian must submit a written letter to the school’s front office. Bus passes are then approved and given at the discretion of the principal of the school or their designee.

NOTE: All “Bus Pass” requests MUST be submitted by a parent or guardian, prior to 1:00 PM.

Can my student be permanently assigned to a different bus stop?

Yes, the Transportation Department will allow students to choose one alternate address for bus service. The district recognizes the need for some students to use an alternate address in the morning, the afternoon, or both, due to parent’s work schedules. Each student will initially be assigned to their designated stop based on their primary address. If the parent or guardian has a need for a permanent alternate stop, you may fill out a form on the transportation web site, or contact your school’s front office. All requests are subject to approval by the MCS Transportation Department. Once approved, the transportation department will make the needed changes to the student’s bus assignment. The alternate address must be in the school’s attendance zone. The chosen alternate address will be used five days per week. Only one alternate address may be used. The alternate address may be designated for just AM service, just PM service, or both. Students may not use multiple alternate addresses based on a given day of the week. All scheduled bus services will be based on a five-day schedule.

Note: The use of an alternate address must be approved and documented. Service to an alternate address will not be provided on the day of the initial request (It will follow the same process as a new transportation request). Stop locations to and from an alternate address will be assigned in the same manner as all bus stops. Should the need arise to change an alternate address, the parent or guardian should complete a new request.

What happens if I live on a roadway that is restricted from bus travel?

In the event that a student resides on a roadway or in an area that is deemed inaccessible for school buses, a stop will be located as close as possible to the student’s address without requiring the bus to enter the restricted area or roadway. The parent or guardian will be responsible for providing safe travel to the designated stop location. The distance to the stop will be subjective since the length of these restricted roadways varies. The district understands that this may be an inconvenience at times but we must consider the safety of all riders and the integrity of our route schedules. The district is aware that some of the restricted roadways have been utilized in past years but it has not been without undesirable consequences. We greatly appreciate your understanding concerning these safety-based decisions and the daily efforts that you take to ensure your student’s safe travel to and from the bus stop.

Can my student choose to use another AM or PM stop location as long as it is on the same bus route?

No, the district requires that all students utilize their permanently assigned bus stop unless they have received a temporary “Bus Pass” from their school. Allowing students to choose bus stops can compromise the capacity levels on given buses. It can also frequently result in lost students. The district is dedicated to providing service to and from the student’s designated permanent stop. This ensures that both parents and school officials know when and where a student boarded or exited a bus. This is a safety issue and is designed to ensure that all students are dropped at the proper locations.

If I have changed addresses, can I transport my student to another bus stop or attendance zone and continue to place them on a school bus?

No, it is important that every parent or guardian provide accurate student information to the school or the Central Registration Office, regardless if the move requires the student to change schools. Remember, a proper bus assignment depends on an accurate primary address. Please avoid driving students to bus stops outside of their attendance zone or neighborhood. This can easily result in students being left in areas that are not familiar to them.

What do I do if my student misses the bus in the morning?

Occasionally, a student may run late and the bus has already passed. The district is also aware that a driver may unintentionally miss a bus stop or possibly run early or late. It is our intent to arrive at our scheduled stops within a 5-minute range (before or after) each and every day. However, unexpected conditions may arise that affect a given bus schedule. If a student misses the bus, they should return home and call their parent, school or the Transportation Department immediately. They should never attempt to run or travel in any way to another bus stop. Parents should never place the student in a car and attempt to chase or find the school bus. If operational conditions result in a student missing the bus, the transportation department may make arrangements to return to the stop location. If the bus was on schedule and the student simply missed the bus, it will be the responsibility of the parent to transport the student to school. Dispatching buses based on late students only compromises the arrival schedule for other students. We ask that all students be at their bus stop location 5 to 10 minutes prior to the scheduled arrival time.

What happens when it is raining? Can the bus drop my student at the driveway to keep them from getting wet (If my student is picked up/dropped off at an alternate stop)?

Unfortunately, no, in the event that inclement weather is in the area all bus routes will remain the same. Bus routes should never divert from their scheduled path or perform bus stops that are not previously scheduled. Stops are placed to meet specific Department of Transportation (DOT) and Department of Education (DOE) criteria. Inclement weather does not allow us to compromise these regulations and best practices. Keep an eye on the local forecast if rain is in the plan. Please ensure that your student is prepared with an umbrella or the proper garments (raincoat). Like the Boy Scouts say, “Be Prepared.”

If extreme weather is forecasted (example: ice or snow), how do I know if the bus will run?

Transportation is deeply involved in all decisions to either close school or delay start times in the event of extreme weather conditions. When a decision is made parents will be informed.

How do I express concerns or get information about my student’s transportation services?

The Transportation Department is here to address any concerns and answer all questions that parents or guardians may have. Please fill out our Transportation Concern Form . Stakeholders are encouraged to express any concern or inquiry by this form. This is the most effective and timely way to document your concern. Also, you may call the Transportation Department.

Due to behavior problems, my student has been suspended or expelled from the school bus. Who should I call concerning the events?

Just like the classroom, the district has designed discipline process’ for school bus behavior problems. Schools and the Transportation Department assess each individual situation, and the principal, their designee, or the transportation director assigns a particular level of discipline according to the level of behavior and the number of offenses. The driver and the Transportation Department are responsible for reporting non-compliant and un-safe behavior. We provide any available evidence upon request to the principals or their designee. The Transportation Department will not reverse or reinstitute services once a principal or the transportation director has identified the appropriate level of disciplinary action.

Does the district have video cameras on school buses?

Yes, there are cameras on the MCS buses. These units are used for numerous reasons but they are primarily used to verify student behavior events and ensure student safety. Not every behavior event warrants the viewing of a video. They are most frequently used for serious behavior events when a student is facing a possible suspension or expulsion. Like any technology, the video units are not 100% effective in every situation.

Once my student is enrolled in a school and registered for a bus, can they ride that same day?

No. Students cannot ride the day they registered for a bus. Neither can students ride on the day they change addresses. Many times, the assignment of new riders creates the need for additional stop locations. It can easily alter the route path as well, changing the pickup and arrival times for existing riders. A 1 to 5-day waiting period is required. This allows us to communicate the change to the driver, evaluate the new stop location for any safety concerns and notify existing riders of any measurable schedule changes.

Can I see my students estimated stop time during a bus route to see if the bus is running early or late?

Yes. You may download the My Ride K-12 app to see live estimated but times. See further instructions for use on the MCS Transportation page.