Transportation

The Middletown Area School District wants to ensure that each student’s transportation to and from school is a safe and pleasant experience. Safe and efficient transportation of every student is the primary goal of our Transportation Department. Eligibility for bus transportation is based upon established criteria such as distance to the school, road types, traffic patterns, geographical area, and other contributing factors, which affect the assignment of bus routes and stops. Each eligible student for whom transportation is provided shall be assigned to a specific bus route and bus stop.

BUS ROUTE CHANGE REQUEST
To request a bus route or bus stop change, due to a residency change, a parent/guardian must first provide the new sales/lease agreement to the school secretary along with a “Parent Bus Route Change Request Form.” For a babysitter or day care change, a parent/guardian must provide only the "Parent Bus Route Change Request Form” to the school secretary. Request forms can be found at any District or School Office or on the right side of this page. The School Secretary will contact the parent/guardian with the change, which generally takes effect within 72 hours after receipt at the Transportation Department.

KINDERGARTEN TRANSPORTATION
The District requires a parent/guardian to accompany a kindergarten student to and from bus stops and to and from school buildings at all times. A parent/guardian may authorize another responsible adult to accompany, pick up or drop off a kindergarten student at a bus stop, by completing a “Responsible Adult Designation Form for a Kindergarten Student” which is located on the right side of this page. The Transportation Department will contact the parent/guardian with an effective date for the responsible adult designation, which is generally within 48 hours after receipt. If a parent/guardian or an authorized adult is not present to meet and accompany a kindergarten student at the designated bus stop, the driver is required to return the student to their school building. The parent/guardian will be responsible to pick up the student at the school building. If a kindergarten student is returned to their school building three (3) times, transportation privileges may be suspended.


BUS STOP AND RIDING CONDUCT

  • Students must arrive five minutes before their assigned bus stop time and remain at the bus stop five minutes after the assigned bus stop time.
  • When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic. Line up at least five steps away from the curb or the roadway to wait for the bus.
  • Never run after the school bus if it has already left the bus stop.
  • Never push when getting on or off of the school bus.
  • Always walk at least 10 feet in front of the bus when crossing so that the school bus driver can see you.
  • Be aware – Cross with Care! Wait until the school bus has stopped all traffic before stepping out onto the road.
  • When the school bus is moving, always stay in your seat. Never put your head, arms or hands out of the window.
  • Talk quietly; do not distract your school bus driver.
  • If your school bus crosses railroad tracks, be calm and quiet so that your driver can listen for a train. Always obey your school bus driver’s instructions, so that he or she can make safe decisions.
  • Never play with the emergency exits. Backpacks, band instruments, or sports equipment may not block the aisle or emergency exits. If there is an emergency, listen to the driver and follow instructions.
  • When getting off of the school bus, make sure that all drawstrings and other loose objects are secure so that they don’t get caught on the handrail or the door.
  • Never cross the street behind the school bus.
  • If you leave something on the bus or drop something outside of the bus, never go back for it. The driver may not see you and begin moving the bus.
  • Never speak to strangers at the bus stop and never get into the car with a stranger.

BUS DISCIPLINE
MASD follows a progressive discipline model for bus misconduct which may include, but is not limited to, conference with student, parent contact, time in office, and bus suspension.

BussesCONTACT:

717-948-3300, ext. 3010
[email protected]

OPERATION SAFE STOP

Operation Safe Stop is a proactive approach to educating the motoring public that passing a stopped school bus when children are loading or unloading is both dangerous and illegal. Law enforcement agencies, school transportation providers, pupil transportation associations, and Penn DOT have combined their efforts to raise public awareness about the potential consequences of illegal school bus passes and to reduce their occurrence.

On highways or traffic-­‐ways not separated by a physical barrier, traffic in all directions must stop at least 10 feet away from the bus and remain stopped until every child has entered the bus (when loading) or has reached the sidewalk or side of highway (when unloading). Painted center lines, dividers, or a center turning lane do not create separate roadways. All traffic must stop on highways with these markings.

On highway or traffic-­‐ways separated by a physical barrier, traffic moving in the same direction as the bus must stop as described above. Traffic approaching the bus from the opposite direction may proceed with caution. A highway with separate roadways is divided into two or more roadways with physical barriers such as concrete median barrier, metal median barrier, non-­‐mountable curb or clearly indicated dividing sections (e.g. concrete mountable curb, trees or shrubs, rock or boulders, steam grass) to block traffic between the roadways. The driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection where a school bus is stopped to load or unload students must stop the vehicle at the intersection until the flashing red signal lamps are no longer flashing.


Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2024 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.