Policies

Bus Rules and Expectations

  1. Observe the same conduct as in the classroom.

  2. Follow the bus driver's directions and never distract him/her from driving.

  3. Do not push or shove when entering or exiting the bus.

  4. Upon entering the bus, take your seat immediately. Keep your head, hands, and feet out of the aisle, inside the bus, and to yourself.

  5. Students must remain seated until the bus has reached the school or their designated drop-off point.

  6. ZERO TOLERANCE FOR BULLYING OR FIGHTING. Treat other bus riders with courtesy, dignity, and respect.

  7. Students will refrain from yelling or using profanity on the bus. 

  8. Keep the area you are sitting in clean, and do not destroy any property on the bus.

  9. There is absolutely no eating, drinking, or chewing of gum allowed on the bus. If you bring it on the bus, it must remain packaged or sealed until you are off the bus. Possession or use of tobacco or alcohol is strictly prohibited. 

  10. Students are not to throw objects of any kind at the school bus or out the windows.

  11. Students will keep objects on their laps or stowed in the seat with them. Absolutely no items can be stowed in the center aisle, this is a huge safety violation. If the item is too large or the driver deems it too dangerous to sit on the student's lap, in the seat with them, or in an empty seat, the item cannot be brought on the bus. 

  12. Weapons or look-alike weapons are prohibited on the bus.

  13. Students may only ride the bus they are assigned to and may only get on and off at their designated stops. There CAN NOT be multiple assigned stops.

  14. The bus driver is authorized to assign seats and make necessary decisions for the safe transportation of all students.

  15. Only registered riders may ride the bus. NO EXCEPTIONS.

ITEMS NOT ALLOWED

Items that are not allowed on Holiday Express school bus include, but are not limited to, the following: animals, firearms, objects used as weapons (real and toy), knives and other sharp objects, explosive items, glass objects, baseball bats, skateboards, and other items too large for transport.

Drivers are authorized to ask students to stow or turn in items that could be a potential danger or distraction to the driver or other students on board.

BUS STOPS

School bus stops are designated with safety as the number 1 priority. For every bus rider's safety, it is extremely important that parents and children understand best practices for bus stop safety. Please take time to review the content below:

SAFETY STARTS AT THE BUS STOP

  • Students should arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive in the morning. Parents should arrive at the bus stop five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive each afternoon. Visit the bus stop and show students that the bus stop is not a place to run or play.

GET ON AND OFF SAFELY

  • As the bus arrives, the driver will activate the “yellow” flashing light. This alerts traffic, students, and parents that the bus will be stopping soon.

  • When the bus comes to a complete stop, the driver will activate the “red” flashing lights and the flashing “STOP” sign on the side of the bus.

  • Students must not approach the bus until the red lights have been activated and the door is open.S

  • Students should approach the bus in an orderly fashion.

  • Once they have loaded and taken their seats, the bus will proceed on to the next stop. If your child is late to the stop and misses the bus, the driver will NOT stop at a random point along the route to load them. Buses will only stop at designated stops.

USE CAUTION AROUND THE BUS

  • Students should NEVER walk behind a school bus. If they must cross the street in front of the bus, they should be at minimum 10 feet in front of the bus before crossing.

  • If a student needs to retrieve an item that is near the bus or in the danger zone, please ensure that they ask the driver for help. 

BUS EVACUATIONS

  • Each school year, Holiday Express school buses are required to perform routine evacuations so that all students and drivers are prepared in the case of an emergency. Crete students will perform a minimum of 2 emergency evacuations throughout the school year.

     

A printable version of these policies and procedures is available here.