Beginning of School Year Questions

Many frequently asked questions are addressed on this web page.  Please note that each question may have a different answer for each of our school district due to different policies and geographic layouts.

If you have any questions in addition to those listed below, please feel free to contact the school building that your child attends or one of our offices:

Beaver Office:	724-371-0023
Rochester Office:	724-371-0023
Western Beaver Office:	724-643-9210
Daniel L. Frye (DJ)	Daniel.frye@fryetransportation.com

 

Non-Public and Private Schools

 

Will the district transport my K-12 child to a non-public or private school?  Yes, if the school is state licensed with non-profit status and is not beyond 10 miles.

 

What if the school district has a bad weather delay or cancellation?  Bus/Van transportation follows your child’s home school district regardless if your child is transported in or outside your home district.  Please check your home districts website or our companies Facebook page for alerts.

 

What about when the non-public or private school has an early dismissal?  Our company coordinates calendars with non-public and private schools. We will provide services that follow your child’s calendar which includes all early dismissals and/or delays. Please contact one of our offices if you have any questions.

 

What about when the non-public or private school announces a weather delay and the school district doesn’t? Our company will provide services that follow your child’s calendar which includes all early dismissals and/or delays. However, parents are not permitted to ask or demand that our company transport their child on a regular time schedule if their child’s non-public or private school is under a weather delay due to safety concerns and their home district is not on a weather delay.  We must always have the safety of every child in mind who may also be a passenger in your child school vehicle.  Please contact one of our offices if you have any questions.  

 

 

 

Kindergarten Programs

  

My child is starting kindergarten. Will the bus pick my child up in front of the house? There are no special laws or requirements for transporting students enrolled in kindergarten.

 

Am I am required to be at my kindergartener’s assigned bus stop for discharge? Yes, if no adult is present the bus driver will keep your child on the bus and will continue the route. Our team of dispatchers will attempt to contact you and will notify your child’s school building.  If we cannot get ahold of a parent, we will bring your child back to his or her school building where you will need to pick up your child in the main office.  Kindergarten students are permitted to be discharged to an older sibling only if permission has been granted by you the parent and communicated to the school and/or our company,
If I am required to be at my kindergartener’s assigned bus stop for discharge, what if I am late or unable to be at the stop at the designated time? The bus driver is not permitted to discharge kindergarten student unless an adult is at the stop to receive the student. If no adult is present the bus driver may return the student to the child’s school.  Please call one of our offices or the school as soon as you realize that you may not be at your child’s stop so that we can make other arrangements with you.

 

 

Bus Stop Change/Addition Requests

 

Very few bus stop changes or additions are made after the schedule is developed. 

The schedule is based on considerations of safety and efficiency. Each district has its own rules and policies on this topic.  Any change request must be submitted in writing and school board approved.

 

Each year, parents ask the following questions:

 

I think my child has too far to walk to the bus stop, can the stop be moved closed to my house?   Bus stops and schedules are not changed for this reason.  Pennsylvania State Law  allows a district to ask a child, regardless of age, to walk up to a mile and a half to a bus stop.  The average walking distance to a school bus stop for the students of our district is between 1/8 and 1/4 of a mile.  No children in our districts are asked to walk a mile and a half to a bus stop if transportation is permitted.

 

There is a bus stop for elementary students near my house, why doesn’t the middle school/high school bus stop at this stop?   The schedules and stops are designed based on ridership, safety and efficiency for each schedule.  Additional bus stops are not added for this reason.

 

 

I think my child’s ride is too long, can the bus schedule be changed?  Bus stops and schedules are not changed for this reason. Transporting nearly 3000 students will require some students to be first on the bus in the morning and last off in the afternoon, i.e., some will have a longer bus ride.  Routes are based on population distribution, efficiency and safety. There are no time limits set by Pennsylvania State Law or regulations. However, all of our districts try the best that they can to keep each route under 45 mins if possible.

 

My child has to walk up a steep hill, can the bus stop be moved closer to my house?  Bus stop locations are based on an analysis of both safety and efficiency.  If possible, bus stops are not located on steep hills where it may be difficult for the bus to stop or start.

 

My child is the only student at the stop this year, why can’t the stop be moved to my house?  Stops are evaluated each year. Once stops are established, stops are not changed for the convenience of an individual or a small number of students or families. Although stops are reviewed each year, it is important for reasons of safety and efficiency to maintain as much consistency as possible from year to year.

 

I can’t see my child while walking to the bus stop, can the bus stop be moved closer to my house?  Bus stops are not changed for this reason. Pennsylvania School Law permits student walking distance up to 1 1/2 miles.

My child has to cross the street to the bus stop, can the bus stop be changed to my side of the street? Some students will have to cross streets and roads to a bus stop.  Children should wait to cross the road to board the bus until the bus is at a complete stop with red lights activated.

 

We had a bus stop closer to our home last year, why was the stop changed?  Stops will change year to year depending on the number of students in each residential area and grade levels.

 

Why isn’t there a bus stop in our new housing plan?   Buses are not normally routed into “under construction” housing plans due to safety and efficiency concerns.  Construction vehicles often block access and cause route delays and safety issues.  Bus stop requests in new housing plans will be considered only after the streets are “turned over” and maintained by the township. 

 

Our neighborhood has no sidewalks, can we have an additional bus stop so our children do not have to walk to the existing stop?   With a large number of streets and roads in our School Districts, it is necessary for some students to walk on streets or roads in neighborhoods with no sidewalks.

 

What if I think that my child’s walk to the bus stop is unsafe?  Frye Transportation Group, Inc. and district personnel will both review bus safety concerns. This review may involve a site visit. Based on a review of conditions, the bus company submits a recommendation to the district to keep the current stop or recommends a new stop location.

 

How do I contact the district or bus company? A bus stop change/addition request should be made by contacting one of our offices which will lead to filling out a request form for District approval.  Allow a minimum of five (5) school days for a response.

 

 

 

School Delays/Cancellations/Late Buses 

Why was my child’s bus late? On occasion, a bus might be late picking up students due to traffic congestion/accidents, weather conditions or a substitute driver.  Please know that we do everything possible to have all buses running on schedule each and every day. In the event that your bus does not arrive as scheduled, contact one of our offices immediately.  Please allow 10-15 minutes before calling.

 

Will I receive a call if a bus is going to be late? Our company will know if your child’s bus is running late due to the technology that your child’s vehicles is equipped with. As a courtesy, our company will post any vehicle running more than 7 mins late via our Facebook page.

 

 

Pennsylvania Law – Frequently Asked Questions

 

The school district is often asked questions that relate the Pennsylvania State Law.  Many of these questions are answered on the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s FAQ web page.

 

Bus Passes 

 

 

Will the school issue a bus pass for a student to ride another bus?   Due to the high volume of ridership on many of our vehicles, Bus passes are issued on a limited basis from each building office depending on available bus seating.  Before issuing passes, schools are required to check the seat count to verify that there is enough room on a bus. Some of our Districts do not permit “Play Date Passes”  Please check with the your buildings front office for a more accurate answer to this question.

If a bus has open seats, depending on the age of the child, a pass may be used to accommodate alternate home situations over the full school year, e.g., divorced parents.  Because a young child could easily get confused, alternate arrangements should be thoroughly communicated with the front office of your child’s school building. Not all requests are approved, and the district’s decision is final.

 

 

New to District
 

We’re new to the district, what do we do to arrange bus transportation?  The first step is to contact the district office and enroll your child. The district office will notify our company.  A member of our staff will reach out to you immediately to welcome you and your family to our District and to share with you bus times and stop locations. We will begin service for your family immediately following our call.  You will also receive information in the mail from our company.

 

 

Bus Safety

 

What are some safety “rules” to teach your child? 

Students, parents, teachers, administrators, transportation personnel and the motoring public all play important roles in keeping our children safe while on or around the school bus:

Please take a moment to review the following safety tips to help ensure our children arrive to and from school safely each day:

 

• ALL STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO BE AT THE BUS STOP OR READY FOR VAN PICKUP 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE VEHICLES ROSTERED TIME. This is an important safety requirement, so you won’t have to run across the road to catch the bus.  This is also a requirement so that no vehicle is waiting for any student causing others to be late to school or the driver to be late to any additional stops.
• When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffic. Line up at least five giant 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 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.
• If crossing a road or street, wait until the bus has the red flashing lights on and all traffic has stopped before crossing.
• When the school bus is moving, always stay in your seat. Never put your head, arms or hands out of the window.
• Cell phone usage is not permitted for picture or video taking.  Music is not permitted to be played out loud through any device.
• 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.  Do not walk alongside a moving 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.

PennDOT provides a school bus activity booklet geared toward elementary students.

 

 

What if a bus breaks down? Do not drive to pick up your child. A bus will be sent.

 

Why does the bus company try to avoid bus stops in cul-de-sacs?  Except for special education circumstances, buses are generally not routed into a cul-de-sac. Cul-de-sac stops are considered unwise because cul-de-sac stops create blind spots often causing students to enter or exit in a danger zone around the bus.

(at a corner stop or street curb stop, they enter/ exit outside the danger zone).

 

Different styles, sizes of buses and sizes of cul-de-sacs make maneuvering difficult. In addition, parked cars and other obstacles create road hazards that may not be seen until entering the cul-de-sac and backing up a bus is dangerous.

 

What if I have a concern about a bus driver?  If you have a concern about the bus driver, contact one of our offices ASAP!!

 

Can I get on the bus to talk to the driver?  Due to safety and efficiency reasons, this is strongly discouraged.  Parents are not permitted by Pennsylvania State Law to get on a school bus after being forbidden to do so by a bus driver or school principal. Violation of this law is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

 

Can a child be suspended from riding the bus?  Yes, transportation is a privilege, not a right. Discipline is handled by the school principal.

 

Can my child be required to sit in a designated school bus seat?  Yes, students can be assigned to a seat. This is a practice used by many school districts to control behavior or maximize utilization of bus capacity.  We assign seats by grade level.  Front to back from lower to higher grades.  Siblings are allowed to seat together.  However, the older sibling MUST sit in the younger siblings’ zone on the bus.

 

Why don’t buses have seat belts?  Buses are constructed for the safe transportation of children. The seating is compartmentalized and padded to provide a seated child with a safe area in the event of an impact. The height of the vehicle places the seating above impact zones providing extra safety for the riders.  School buses are 10 times more likely to catch fire than roll over thus causing a greater safety concern to all.  Most routes have one adult and one seat belt cutter.  Trying to remove 48 – 72 seat belts from small children in a rather short period of time is a situation that would not be one that any of us would like to be in.

 

There is no room for my child to stand at the bus stop, is it legal for cars to park at a bus stop?  Cars should not park in the area where children can stand.  The Pennsylvania Vehicle Code addresses vehicles parking near an intersection with a stop sign or other traffic signal.

 

 

Other Questions

 

How soon should my child arrive at the bus stop prior to pick up? Students should arrive at the bus 5 minutes prior to their scheduled time.  (Please reference the bus safety paragraph above) Please allow the driver a window of 10 minutes especially the first few days of school.  There are some for variables such as changing traffic patterns or a newly added stop that can change the daily schedule.  Any changes that create a time change of more than 10 mins will be communicated with all impacted families.

My child left an item (e.g., coat) on the bus. How do I get it back?  Personal items will be left on the bus for two days or returned to the school building. The school district or bus company is not responsible for lost or misplaced items. Please call one of our offices to report anything missing.