Rules and Procedures

Current School Bus Riding Rules:

  • Obey Driver at all times.
  • Be respectful & On Time.
  • Use the handrail.
  • Wait for the driver’s signal when loading & unloading the bus.
  • Keep hands to yourself & Inside the Bus.
  • Face forward & keep aisle clear.
  • Walk to, from, and on the bus.
  • No electronics when loading or unloading the bus.
  • Keep the bus clean. ☺

School Bus Stops:

Be at the bus stop five minutes before scheduled time with school supplies in backpack.

Stops are established in the following manner:

  • Bus stops are assigned so that elementary students walk no more than 1.0 miles and middle/high students walk no more than 1.5 miles.
  • Rural area stops will be located at the driveway of the student's residence. In accordance with state and local policies, whenever and wherever possible, students will be picked up and dropped off on the same side of the road on which they reside. Every effort will be made to preclude the need for a student to have to cross the road going to or from his or her bus.

Laws pertaining to School Bus Stops:

Virginia traffic regulations 46.2-859 Passing a Stopped School Bus states that "a person shall be guilty of reckless driving who fails to stop, when approaching from any direction, any school bus which is stopped on any highway or school driveway for the purpose of taking on or discharging children, the elderly, or mentally or physically handicapped persons, and to remain stopped until all such persons are clear of the highway or school driveway and the bus is put in motion."

Motorist are not required to stop for a stopped school bus under certain condition but only under these conditions. When approaching a stopped school bus which is stopped on the other roadway of a divided highway or any other type of road or driveway that is separated from the road the motorist is driving on by a physical barrier or unpaved area. Motorist need not stop for a school bus that is loading or unloading passengers from or onto property immediately adjacent to a school if such driver is directed by a law enforcement officer or some other duly authorized uniformed school crossing guard to pass such school bus.

Additional Rules

  • Students must not run alongside a moving bus. Wait until it has stopped then walk to the front door.
  • Any object that is to be transported on a bus must be able to be held on a student's lap. The aisles on the buses may not be blocked under any circumstances nor can there be objects on the bus that are not secured.
  • Based on available space, if a child has a valid bus pass signed by the school, he/she may ride a different bus to an authorized bus stop.
  • Vandalism is prohibited. Families are responsible for any damage.
  • Students will remain in their seats at all times, keeping all body parts inside the bus.
  • No tobacco, alcohol or drugs are allowed on the bus.
  • Students using profanity or racial slurs or who fail to follow directions of the bus driver will be referred for disciplinary action.