Students Riding School Buses
“Safety Guidelines for Students Riding School Buses” in Jefferson Parish are listed below. These “Guidelines,” which may not cover every conceivable situation that may occur, are designed to create a safe environment for school bus students. It is requested that you read the “Guidelines” and retain them for future reference. Throughout this document the term “school bus” will mean a school bus owned by, contracted to, or jointly owned by the Jefferson Parish Public School System.

Safety Guidelines for Students Riding School Buses
The school bus driver is assigned one of the most important roles in the school system: transporting our students safely to school and then home. The school bus driver must observe constantly what is taking place outside the school bus and inside the school bus. Anticipating the movement of other vehicles and pedestrians, listening for sounds that may signal mechanical problems with the school bus, and protecting all passengers from danger caused by improper behavior on the school bus are part of the school bus drivers daily responsibilities. As a trained professional, the school bus driver is the person in charge of the students he/she transports and is responsible for taking appropriate action to protect persons and property from injury and damage.

Parents/legal guardians can assist the school bus driver by periodically reviewing with their children behavior and safety standards, by supporting the school bus driver when a child misbehaves, by helping keep the neighborhood safe for school buses, and by supervising children at school bus stops. Parents/legal guardians should take the time to check their children’s clothing to make sure it is SAFE. Certain types of clothing can create a hazard as children get off the school bus. Especially dangerous are: long dangling jackets, sweatshirt drawstrings, long backpack straps, long scarves, or other loose clothing. Such clothing can be caught in the school bus handrail, door, or other equipment as children get off the school bus.

Students must be safety-conscious at all times and must conduct themselves in a manner that will minimize hazards. The following guidelines, if followed by everyone, will make the daily school bus ride both safe and enjoyable:
1. Remain at home when you or any member of your family has a contagious disease.
2. Leave home at a time appropriate for arriving no more than fifteen (15) minutes and no less than ten (10) minutes before the scheduled pick-up time.
3. Walk on sidewalks whenever possible. If there are no sidewalks, walk on the edge of the left side of the street, facing on-coming traffic.
4. Proceed to the assigned school bus stop.
5. Stand off the road at least ten (10) feet when waiting for the school bus.
6. While at the school bus stop, do not play, run, or talk loudly. Conduct yourself in an orderly manner, avoiding damage to private property and safe-guarding against injury to yourself and others.
7. If necessary to wait across the street from the school bus stop, await the school bus drivers’ signal before crossing, and cross only in front of the school bus.
8. Board the school bus only when the school bus driver is seated at the controls.
9. Board the school bus in single file and promptly proceed to the assigned seat.
10. Store band instruments and school bags under the seat or where designated by the school bus driver, but never in the aisle, the entrance, or the exit.
11. Remain seated at all times when the school bus is in motion. This will minimize injury in case of emergency stops or collisions.
12. Sit straight in your seat with both feet on the floor in front of your seat.
13. Always keep the aisle clear.
14. Speak quietly and carry on normal conversations with the other passengers in your vicinity, loud talking and shouting may distract the school bus driver.
15. Avoid unnecessary conversations with the school bus driver.
16. Abstain from eating, drinking, or smoking on the school bus.
17. Keep arms and head inside the school bus window at all times.
18. Refrain from using profanity.
19. Avoid littering at the school bus stop and/or in the school bus and never throw objects inside or outside the school bus.
20. Respect pedestrians and other motorists at all times.
21. Report to the school bus driver as you leave the school bus any damage you notice, because parents/legal guardians shall be required to pay for damages caused by students.
22. Avoid touching any mechanical controls, including entrance and emergency exit doors, except in cases of emergency, and only then in accordance with emergency procedures practiced once each semester as explained by the school bus driver.
23. Never ask the school bus driver to permit you to get off at any stop other than your designated stop. (Note: Parents/legal guardians must send written requests in advance to the school principal, who then may authorize the school bus driver to pick up or discharge students at an alternate stop.)
24. Any student who must cross the street after exiting from the school bus should wait for the school bus driver to signal that it is safe to cross. The student should cross approximately ten (10) feet in front of the school bus, never behind it.
25. Students should go home immediately after reaching the “home school bus stop” location after school.
26. All pencils, pens, and/or any other sharp objects shall be stored in the
student’s books or school book bag while riding on the school bus.
27. Any student sustaining an injury while riding on the school bus should report this injury to the school bus driver immediately.
28. The following items are not allowed on the school bus: tobacco, alcohol, drugs, pets, glass objects (except eye-glasses), weapons of any kind, and objects too large to be held in the student’s lap or placed under a seat.
29. Students with temporary disabilities or pregnant students must present an initial letter from the attending physician confirming the disability/condition and stating the student’s physical capabilities and limitations as far as riding the school bus is concerned. A monthly report from the physician must be submitted certifying the student’s ability to continue to ride on the school bus.
30. Report to the school bus driver anyone who is sleeping or is sick on the school bus.
31. Once the child has boarded the school bus and has left the school bus stop in the A.M., a parent/legal guardian cannot remove the child from the school bus. (The parent/legal guardian must go to school to formally check the child out of school.) In the P.M., the parent/legal guardian must wait until the child reaches the regular school bus stop.
32. If a child is late and missed the school bus in the A.M. at the regular stop, the school bus driver will not allow the child to board the school bus at another school bus stop. (Parents/legal guardians should not chase or block the school bus with their vehicle or their body.) A parent/legal guardian must bring the child all the way to school.
33. If you have requested that your school bus driver deliver your child to a stop other than the usual pickup location in order for the child to go to a day care center, it is your responsibility to notify the school bus driver at his/her home or the Jefferson Parish Public School System’s Transportation Department at East Bank 349-7720 or West Bank 349-7721 if the day care center will not be able to accept the child that day.