IMPORTANT INFORMATION - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
It is important that students adhere to all safety rules/procedures. Respectful communication and following instructions of the bus driver and bus assistant are of utmost importance. Driver distractions increase risk. Safety first is safety always, so everyone is required to do their part!
• Students utilizing school bus transportation must use their school issued student ID when boarding the school bus and when departing the bus. This additional safety measure has been implemented to support the ability to identify all students on board in the event of an emergency. The school ID only records ridership when a student taps the ZPASS device to record their entry and exit. The initial school ID, lanyard and plastic cover is provided at no expense. If misplaced, a $7 replacement fee is required which must be paid online. Check with your school for specific web address to do so. Refusing to utilize the school ID for school bus transportation can lead to disciplinary action such as bus suspension.
• School bus transportation is provided for all students. Students who reside 2 or more miles from their home zone school will be provided with a bus stop location within walking distance. Students attending their school of CHOICE will be provided a depot stop location. Depot stop locations are not within walking distance from home address and will require parent/guardian assistance to/from designated depot stop location to avoid safety concerns.
• Students in grades K-6 attending a K8 school who reside under 2 miles from school who reside in an identified hazardous walk area will be provided with a bus stop location.
• Bus transportation is not provided from/to the location of babysitters, day care facilities, grandparents’ home, parent’s work or friend’s home.
• We offer pm transportation for registered Boys/Girls Club and GYAC members.
• Students must arrive at their assigned bus stop location at least 10 minutes prior to the estimated AM bus arrival time. In accordance with the Student Code of Conduct, parents must arrange for supervision at bus stop locations for PRE-K/K/1st grade students in the am & pm.
• Students must respect the property of others and maintain good behavior while at bus stop locations. If misbehavior occurs at the bus stop location, consequences will be assigned per the Progressive Discipline Plan for Transportation included in this handbook.
• Requests for bus stop changes or additions are to be requested through the transportation route division and must be approved by the Director of Transportation.
• Each student accessing school bus transportation must complete the online bus registration form in Focus or request a hardcopy from driver. Completion of bus registration must be on file within 48hrs of 1st use of school bus services. If the registration form is not received, the student will lose the privilege of riding the bus until the form has been submitted.
SCHOOL BUS SURVEY PERIODS FOR STATE FUNDING
The school district receives state funding for transporting students who reside 2 or more miles from their assigned school or live in a hazardous walking area through the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP). To ensure adequate funding (money to support providing transportation to your student) please be sure your child(ren) ride the bus at least once during the designated FEFP survey periods.
• Survey 1- July 14-18, 2025
• Survey 2- October 6-10, 2025
• Survey 3- February 2-6, 2026
• Survey 4 – June 15-19, 2026
PRE-K/K/1ST GRADE PARENT/GUARDIAN INFORMATION
Please place a book bag tag with your student’s full name, ID#, bus route, grade level and school name. At the start of the school year, having this information easily accessible helps transportation professionals ensure that students are transported to the proper bus stop/location. It is the parents’ responsibility to arrange for supervision 10 minutes prior to the bus arriving for morning pickup and afternoon drop-off. PRE-K/K/1st graders cannot exit the bus unless there is a parent/guardian/designee at the bus stop in the afternoon to provide supervision. If no one is at the stop location at pm drop off, the driver will return student to their enrolled school campus for supervision by school administrators who will then contact the family. Upon the 3rd reoccurrence of the family’s failure to provide supervision at the bus stop location, the Department of Children Family Services (DCF) will be contacted and informed of violation to this policy.
BUS DELAYS
During the school year buses may be delayed for various reasons (e.g., a substitute driver being assigned, mechanical failures, road detours, trains stalled on the track, rainy weather, etc.). This may cause your students’ bus to run late. Our first concern is always the safety and well-being of our students. Schools are notified in advance when buses are anticipated to run behind schedule. Schools are responsible for notifying parents accordingly. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
SRHS IB PROGRAM & IR PREP TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
Students attending IR Prep or the Sebastian River High School (SRHS) International Baccalaureate (IB) program, please contact your school for transportation assignments. IB program students residing outside of the SRHS attendance zone that are in need of transportation to/from SRHS, must contact the SRHS administration for transportation information/arrangements
VIDEO SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS
All school buses are owned and operated by the School District of Indian River County (SDIRC). Each bus is equipped with video surveillance cameras. Videos are viewed during investigations and at random to ensure proper school bus behavior and to provide transportation professionals ongoing training throughout the year.
The Director of Transportation, Operations Managers and/or School Administration Teams of students in which a bus violation is reported, will have access to view the video surveillance for investigative purposes and to determine actual events occurrences. Videos are confidential and are not open to viewing by anyone outside of SDIRC personnel.