Bus Safety & FAQs
Bus Safety Rules
Parents are encouraged to review the following bus safety rules and procedures with their children.
Waiting for the bus
- Stay a safe distance from the roadway.
- No pushing or horseplay.
- When the bus arrives, stay away from the wheels.
Crossing in front of the bus
- Stop at the edge of the bus.
- Look right and left.
- Look at the driver for a signal to cross.
- Keep watching for traffic as you walk.
Did You Know?
- School bus drivers must obey traffic laws pertaining to school buses.
- When the overhead yellow or red lights are flashing on a moving bus, other vehicles should prepare to stop.
- When the overhead red lights are flashing on a stopped bus, other vehicles must stop no closer than 20 feet from the bus.
- When only the hazard lights are flashing on a bus, other drivers may proceed with caution.
- To ensure student safety, all district buses are equipped with interior security cameras and side-arm cameras that can capture motorists who fail to stop and/or illegally pass a school bus.
Logo horizontal rule
Bus stop arrival and schedules
- Students are asked to be at their designated bus stops at least five (5) minutes before the scheduled arrival of the bus, as buses can sometimes run early.
- Students should be standing at their designated stop before the bus arrives, and not waiting in cars, or running across the street, to reduce the risk of falling, or worse yet, getting hit by a car.
- A student who arrives at the bus stop after the bus door has closed cannot be allowed to board the bus. Michigan law requires a school bus driver to activate the bus warning lights at least 200 feet before the bus stop. This is not possible once the doors have been closed.
Be prepared for the weather and traffic conditions
- Weather or traffic conditions may affect the bus schedule in the morning or afternoon. However, please be assured that the bus will always come. Stops are never canceled due to a bus running late.
- We understand that it may be raining some mornings and that winter mornings can be very cold. Please make sure your child has an umbrella and is wearing warm clothes so they can wait safely and comfortably at the bus stop.
If your student misses the bus
If your student misses the bus, you are permitted to take them to another bus stop on the same bus route. However, your student should arrive and be waiting at the alternate bus stop before the bus arrives, and should not be running from a vehicle to meet the bus. Students running toward a bus creates a potentially dangerous situation for students and the driver.
Parent support is appreciated
Parents waiting at or near the bus stop to ensure student safety are welcome and very much appreciated. But, please put your child’s safety and the safety of others ahead of comfort and have them waiting at the stop prior to bus arrival.
Logo horizontal rule
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is eligible for transportation?
- Are there any exceptions for bus stops within these established walk zones?
- How far can a bus stop be from the student’s home?
- My child attends Kindergarten. Will the bus pick my child up in front of the house?
- How many students are assigned on a bus given that older students may take up more of the bus seat and some students carry musical instruments on the bus?
- Some bus stops are located in areas that do not have sidewalks, or cannot be seen by parents/guardians directly from their home. What about the safety of my child getting to and from the school bus?
- Is there a maximum riding time in the law?
- Why do some children have to cross the street to board the bus?
- The bus drives right past my house. Why can’t it stop at my house?
- Why is my child’s bus late?
- What are the behavior expectations of my child on the bus?