Q. My child will be going home with a friend on a different bus or getting off at a different stop, what is the proper procedure?
A. A Bus Pass Request must be completed at the school. It is also VERY IMPORTANT that a school administrator signs the Bus Pass. If it is not signed, your child can't ride another bus or get off at a different stop. This goes for high school students as well. The Bus Pass needs to be given to the driver when entering the bus. Permanent changes need to be authorized by transportation administration.

Q. If my child is a kindergartener, do I have to meet them at the bus stop if they do not get off with an older sibling or other children?
A. YES! For student safety, our drivers have been instructed to not let a kindergartener depart the bus without a parent, sibling, or other children present. The bus driver will return your child back to school.

Q. Where is my child's bus stop?
A. Every school has a map of all bus routes for their boundary. Please call your local school for that information.

Q. What if the bus is late?
A. Don't Panic! We will get to every stop. If the bus is more than 15 minutes late, call the Transportation Dispatcher for an estimated time arrival at (623) 773-6601.

Q. What if my child is absent from school, do I need to call Transportation?
A. Only if your child is in Special Education.

Q. How long do the buses wait in the loading zone when school is dismissed?
A. 6 minutes.

Q. When the school has early release, what bus does my child ride home?
A. They ride the same bus that took them to school.

Q. My child is the only one getting off at the bus stop. The bus travels down my street. Can the bus driver stop in front of my house?
A. We would like to accommodate every student, however it is impossible. Bus stops are established to serve an entire neighborhood. Only Special Education students receive a bus stop in front of their house.

DID YOU KNOW the traditional yellow school bus is one of the safest forms of transportation in the United States? Consider the facts:

School buses are nearly 2,000 times safer than the family car.

Every year, approximately 440,000 public school buses travel 4.3 billion miles to transport 23.5 million students to and from school and school-related activities.

The school bus is the only mode of transportation which has been reducing accidents, injuries and fatalities while increasing the number of vehicles, miles, and passengers annually.

The school bus occupant fatality rate of 0.2 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled is much lower than the rates for passenger cars (1.5) or light trucks and vans (1.3).

Pedestrian fatalities -- those occurring while loading and unloading school buses -- account for approximately three times as many school bus-related fatalities when compared to school bus occupant fatalities.

Of all the vehicle occupant fatalities reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration between 1987 and 1996, a mere 0.04% were related to school bus transportation.

This impressive safety record is a direct reflection of the professional pride and expertise of America's school bus drivers.