Frequently Asked Questions About Transportation
Find your question below and click to quickly view the answer:Can my child ride the school bus?
Will you transport my child to and from a childcare facility which is located outside of their attendance area?
How is eligibility for transportation determined?
Are there any exceptions to the one mile rule?
How do I get my child to school if they can't ride the school bus?
How do I go about getting my child on the school bus?
How are school bus stops established?
How do I request a school bus stop be added or changed?
I don't think my child's bus stop is in a safe location. What can I do?
There is no room for my child at the designated school in our area. My child has been assigned to another school. Will you provide transportation to and from the school to which they have been assigned?
I have a special needs child. How do I arrange for transportation services?
I have permission (choiced) for my child to attend a school other than the one designated for our area through the open enrollment policy. Will you provide transportation to and from school?
My child will be attending summer school. Will you provide transportation to and from school?
How do I contact Central Valley School District Transportation Department? Questions and Answers:Q. Can my child ride the school bus?
A. It depends on where you live. According to Central Valley School District Policy (6000): "It shall be the policy of the Central Valley School District Board of Directors to provide school bus transportation to and from school for all eligible students. All bus stops shall be at least one (1) radius mile from the destination school unless identified hazardous conditions or other district identified special circumstance, require stops within the radius mile. Students in grades K-5 residing beyond a distance of 1/2 radius mile from their assigned school, and students in grades 6-12 who reside beyond one (1) radius mile from their assigned school shall be transported to school if they walk or parent/guardians transport them to their assigned pick-up/drop-off location approximately one (1) radius mile from school. Ridership guidelines shall be enforced."
If the child uses a childcare facility (daycare) and that facility is both within the school attendance area the child attends and more than 1 mile from the school, or in a designated "safety busing zone," transportation will be provided to and from school.
Please call the District Transportation office at 228-5491, or e-mail us at transportation@cvsd.org, to see if your child is eligible for school bus transportation. In order to provide accurate information concerning eligibility, we will need the exact address of the child's residence or childcare facility.
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Q. Can my kindergarten student ride the bus?
A. Yes, call the school secretary and she will give you busing information. The school will notify transportation and your child will then be added to the route. Remember Kindergarten students MUST be met by a parent at the bus stop. If you want your child released without a parent meeting them, we must have a written note on file. Your child’s safety is our utmost concern.
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Q. Will you transport my child to and from a childcare facility which is located outside of their attendance area?
A. No. The childcare facility must be within the school attendance area the child attends and more than 1 mile from the school, or in a designated "safety busing zone," for transportation to be provided to and from school.
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Q. How is eligibility for transportation determined?
A. Central Valley School District determines transportation eligibility using a global positioning system (GPS) device, which measures mileage to the nearest hundredth (0.01) of a mile. The distance is measured by the nearest and best route from the junction of the driveway of the pupil's home and the nearest public road to the nearest door of the schoolhouse in their attendance area.
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Q. Are there any exceptions to the one mile rule?
A. Yes. According to Central Valley School District Policy (6000), "the district shall provide transportation to and from school for students whose walking route to school is considered hazardous by the district; whose disability prevents him/her from walking or providing for his/her own welfare while walking; or who has another compelling and legally sufficient reason to receive transportation services.” For an area to be designated as a "safety busing zone," it must meet criteria which has been approved by the School Board. If you live in an area, or your childcare facility is located in an area, designated by the School Board as a "safety busing zone," transportation will be provided to and from school. Please call the District Transportation office at 228-5491, or e-mail us at transportation@cvsd.org, to see if your address (or childcare facility address) is located in a "safety busing zone".
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Q. How do I get my child to school if they can't ride the school bus?
A. The final decision about what is the most appropriate way to get a child safely to and from school must rest with the parent(s)/guardian(s). The parent/guardian is the person most knowledgeable about the child's abilities and is in the best position to choose the safest and most appropriate way in their area to get the child safely to and from school. Some options for consideration include: walking with a parent/guardian; walking in a group with other students/parents; being driven to school (by a parent/guardian, grandparents, friends, etc.); carpooling; riding bikes; public transportation; private transportation providers (see telephone book); and childcare providers.
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Q. How do I go about getting my child on the school bus?
A. The first step is to let the secretary at the school know that you would like to request transportation. The secretary will review whether or not the student meets the eligibility criteria and inform the parent/guardian whether or not the student is eligible. If your child is a special needs student, please contact your child's special needs teacher or case worker to begin the process for transportation services.
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Q. What if my student would like to get off at a different stop then their assigned stop?
A. If they want to go home with a friend after school then the driver will need to have a written request from the parent. The safety of your child is of utmost importance and our drivers are aware of your student’s normal stop. WAC 392-145-015 (7) states: “A school bus driver shall not allow a student to depart the bus other than at his/her boarding or alighting place except as provided in WAC 291-145-070(7).
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Q. How are school bus stops established?
A. Routes are established to serve all students in an area. Every effort is made to establish school bus stops near where students live. While we do not stop at the home of each student, we do use the homes of students whenever possible as a stop for students living in that area. Stop locations and distances may vary depending upon the number of students in the area and the type of area (urban/rural) served.
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Q. How do I request a school bus stop be added or changed?
A. Please call the District's transportation office at 228-5561 to request a stop/change request form. Each request is evaluated before the decision is made to add or change a stop. Once a stop change is approved, it may take three to five working days to have it implemented because other riders need to be notified of the change and, in some cases, a bus or buses may need to be rerouted.
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Q. Can my student get on at one bus stop in the morning and get off at a different stop at the end of the day?
A. No. Safety and consistency are essential with transportation. Your child’s AM/PM stop must be the same. If you have extenuating circumstances, you may contact the transportation office to evaluate your request at 228-5491 or ssilva@cvsd.org
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Q. I don't think my child's bus stop is in a safe location. What can I do?
A. Please call the District's transportation office at 228-5561 and advise them of the situation. They will investigate your concern and provide a response to you after completing an assessment of the situation.
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Q. There is no room for my child at the designated school in our area. My child has been assigned to another school. Will you provide transportation to and from the school to which they have been assigned?
A. Yes. The school secretary will forward the request for transportation to our office. Transportation will be set up within three to five working days.
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Q. I have a special needs child. How do I arrange for transportation services? Please contact your child's special needs teacher or case worker to begin the process for transportation services.
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Q. I have (choiced) permission for my child to attend a school other than the one designated for our area through the open enrollment policy. Will you provide transportation to and from school?
A. According to Central Valley School District policy (6000), “a parent or guardian who elects to have his/her students attend a school outside his/her normal attendance area is not eligible for 'to and from' school transportation. An exception may be made if the student can access an existing bus stop serving the school of choice and seat space is available. A release form for the exception must be on file in the transportation office.”
If space is available on the bus, open enrollment students may ride. No stops will be added and no routes will be altered in order to accommodate open enrollment students.
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Q. My child will be attending summer school. Will you provide transportation to and from school?
A. No. The Central Valley School District does not provide transportation for the summer school program.
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Q. How do I contact Central Valley School District Transportation Department?
A. You may contact the Transportation department through any of the following phone numbers: - Transportation Secretary – 228-5561
- Main Dispatch – 228-5491
- Special Needs Dispatch 228-5493
- Trips & Sports Dispatch 228-5492
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