ROUTING AND STOPS

ROUTING

Eligibility

The Maine-Endwell Central School District Board of Education has authorized students to ride school buses based on their grade and distance from the school they attend (see Board Policy 3510).

  • All children in Kindergarten through eighth grade will be transported.

  • Ninth through twelfth grade will be transported outside a 1.5 mile walking distance from the nearest school entrance.

Each eligible pupil will be assigned to use a designated bus and bus stop, and shall not be permitted to use any other without authorized permission, as outlined in the district handbook.

Service Limitations

Ride Time
Routes are to be planned to keep individual riding distances and times to a practical minimum - 3/4 hour per trip is used as a reasonable goal for maximum allowable riding time for a student going to and from school. Exceptions are often necessary for students attending program sites outside of the district.

Road Restrictions
Generally, dead-end, loop streets and cul-de-sacs will not be serviced by school buses. Transportation is provided on side roads that are maintained by town highway departments unless the lack of maintenance, or design makes it unsafe for school buses to travel. Examples of unsafe conditions are flooding, road erosion, ice, snow, and mud. School buses will not travel on private roadways.

Route Changes
Students will only be picked up/dropped off at designated bus stops. Any student wishing to be released from the bus at another location must present an approved pass issued by their building principal.

Alternate Sites
Transportation is provided to/from a students daycare provider within their elementary zone of residence (attendance). Alternate transportation request are required by August 1st of each year for the start of school.

Any change of day care or home residence must be on a permanent or long-term basis, and require three days notice to the transportation office.


SELECTION OF STOPS

School bus routes and stops are established under the direction of the Supervisor of Transportation in cooperation with the Superintendent of Schools. The Transportation Supervisor establishes bus routes and stops that provide for the safe and efficient delivery of services. School bus stops and routing is administered using NY SED's Safe Routes - Safe Stops, Madison-Oneida BOCES, 1992 as a primary reference manual.

A bus will not normally make more than two stops in any 1/2 mile, unless traffic risks warrant additional stops. In no instance will a stop be made within 200 feet of another stop location. The most frequent school bus related accident, is a rear end collision from unprepared motorist approaching a stopped school bus.

Computerized Routing
The district employs an advanced computerized routing program calledTransfinder. This software provides transportation administration with GIS tools based on satellite mapping. Transfinder allows for efficient and effective management of student location/information, school locations/information, bus route paths, directions, comments, stop locations, driver and vehicle information and report generation.

 

Appeal Procedure
A written appeal contesting a student bus stop location should be submitted to the transportation supervisor stating specific risk conditions and a clear statement of the requested change.

An appeal decision shall be made considering the following factors:

  • The requested change must be consistent with district modifications for similar circumstances.

  • Consideration has been given to the effect of implementing a similar change in other areas of the school district having the same conditions.

  • The condition constitutes a hazard involving special circumstances and a comparison has been made with similar conditions normally considered to be within the scope of the responsibility assumed by parent(s) elsewhere in the school district.

After a review has been completed, a written response shall be provided within 10 days of receiving the request. Should the requesting party appeal a decision for reconsideration, the Superintendent shall make the final administrative decision. Request for additional consideration may be made directly to the Board of Education.