November 19, 2002

 

To:              Parents and Caregivers

From:       Anthony J. Bent

Re:              Focusing on School Bus Safety

 

The transportation program of the Shrewsbury Public Schools is one of the many services that the district provides to support the education of its students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The three-tiered system (high school, middle school, elementary) transports nearly 90% of the 5,318 students who attend our schools each day. The program involves 36 buses at a cost of nearly $1,500,000 each year. In accordance with state law, transportation services must be competitively bid every three years. Currently, we have a three-year contract with Laidlaw Transit for all of our busing through August of 2005.

 

We work to improve our transportation program each year. Despite the added mileage associated with a new school at a distant location, we have tried to contain costs by maintaining the existing program. Our priority has always been to assign the highest percentages of our expenditures to the educational program. At the same time, we have added a transportation coordinator in the central office and mailed student bus route information to each family for the first time. It is our hope to continue to work to improve the system and we are currently engaged in intensive training on the Versatrans software package that we purchased last year. Versatrans is a routing optimization program with a host of other features that will assist us in making good transportation decisions in the future.

 

Few issues are more upsetting to parents than inconsistencies, delays, or other problems associated with their children’s school bus schedules. Allow me to outline some areas of responsibility as we all work together to ensure the safe and effective transportation program that is our goal.

 

Students- The ride to, and from, school is an extension of the school day. Students must wait for, and board, their bus in an orderly fashion. Once on the bus, students should remain in their seats and respond to the direction of the bus driver. Students should never put their hands or head out of the window. Additionally, students should do their part to keep the bus clean by not littering (eating and drinking on the bus are not permitted). Driving a bus is an assignment with much responsibility and it is important for students to assist in ensuring a calm and pleasant bus ride to and from school. The enclosed bus discipline guidelines are now in place. Please review the consequences of inappropriate behavior on the buses (enclosed).

 

Parents- The more supervision and assistance that parents provide, the better! Parent attendance at bus stops is an excellent way to increase the security of students before and after they leave the care of the school district. Parents should also reinforce the importance of appropriate behavior on school buses and should review the enclosed information on discipline and consequences with their children.

 

Administrators- It is our responsibility to monitor the performance of the system, be responsive to parent concerns, and be willing to speak to bus drivers regarding problems that arise. Simply put, we should expect nothing less from a high-performance district like the Shrewsbury Public Schools.

 

The Bus Company- Bus drivers are required to obtain a commercial driver’s license, with a specific designation for driving a school bus. Additionally, our bus company (Laidlaw) requires both a criminal records check and 10 hours of bus driver training for all newly hired drivers. Finally, the school administration is in the process of planning its own training for the drivers. Emphasis will be on the enclosed procedures and productive ways to deal with students. Our bus drivers are not teachers, but they are expected to be pleasant and respectful of students and parents in the course of their work. The administration of the Shrewsbury Schools is in contact with Laidlaw every day in response to parent questions and problems associated with bus stops, delays, and student conduct on the vehicles.

 

Summary- The transportation system is a very complex program. We realize that we have work to do to increase its efficiency, decrease the length of routes, and determine the safest possible bus stops. The fiscal constraints are real but we know that the busing program is important and we are working on improvements for the remainder of the year and for 2003-2004. Please call Ms. Kelly Donahue, Transportation Coordinator, at 508-841-8408 if you have questions or comments about the general operation of the busing program. Laidlaw is no longer the primary contact in such matters.

 

Thank you for your continued support as we all work to make a very good school district, still better!

 

Back to Bus Procedures and Regulations