FAQ Transportation Services

Delaware City Schools operates a tiered routing system; each bus is assigned either a Hayes or Dempsey route and an elementary route. This enables one bus to serve more than one school and maximizes the efficiency of the bus fleet by using as few buses as possible.

Busing is only provided for students who live more than one mile from their assigned school

How do I find out at the beginning of the school year what bus my child rides and where my bus stop is located?

Answer. Bus route information is finalized about one week before school starts. Bus route information can be found  in powerschool under the transportation tab for your students. Any bus route changes made after school starts will be communicated through your driver.

How do I change my child’s bus service if we have moved during the school year?

Answer. If you have moved during the school year, you will need to present proof of residency at your child’s school or at the Willis Education Center so that your address and contact information can be updated. At this time, any changes to your child’s transportation eligibility and/or bus route information will be determined.

I can’t see my child’s bus stop from my house. How can I get the bus stop moved closer to my home?

Answer. Bus stops are placed at centralized locations in order to safely serve as many students as possible; this minimizes the time length of the route and also ensures safety. Students are safer waiting for the bus as part of a group; also, minimizing the number of times the bus must stop to load or unload students reduces the chance of an injury or collision. Students may be required to walk up to one-half mile to a bus stop if they do not have to cross more than two lanes of traffic at a time. Parents are encouraged to work together to provide supervision at assigned school bus stops.

The bus didn’t show up on time for my child. How long should he/she wait at the bus stop?

Answer. Your child should be waiting for the bus at the assigned stop at least five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled stop time. If the bus is late, the child should remain at the stop if it is safe to do so. The bus may have had mechanical problems that caused the route to be late. There may have been a road closure or other incident earlier in the route. There may be a substitute driver on the route. Substitute drivers should be expected to take longer to drive a route than the regular driver because they are not as familiar with the students as the regular driver and must take extra care to avoid an injury or collision. Regardless of the delay, a bus will stop at every assigned stop. If after 30 minutes your bus does not arrive, call the Transportation Department at 740-833-1650.
 

My child goes to a daycare provider in an area with bus service. May my child ride the bus?

Answer. If your child goes to a daycare provider within the boundaries of the school he/she attends, your child may ride on a regularly-scheduled bus from that school if space is available. Transportation is not available to daycare providers outside the school attendance areas. The bus stop may not be directly in front of the daycare provider; it will likely be at a regularly-scheduled corner stop. If your child normally rides a bus to school from home but is going to a daycare provider within one mile of the school, your child will not be provided bus transportation.

How can I arrange to have my pre-school or special needs student picked up or dropped off at a different location for just one day?

Answer. Unfortunately, the District cannot honor such requests. These routes provide door-to-door service and changing the schedule for just one student on just one day would disrupt the schedules of other students on the bus. In an emergency, contact the Transportation Department at 740-833-1650.

My child left something on the bus. How can we get it back?

Answer. Drivers check their buses after every run. Items left by students are usually held on the bus for several days for retrieval. Fragile items or items with obvious monetary value (electronic devices, wallets, purses, etc.) are removed from the bus and kept in the Transportation Office until claimed. Unclaimed items are donated to charity at the end of the semester. Parents can help avoid lost items by labeling them with the student’s name and school.

My child’s bus is overcrowded. Can some children be placed on another bus?

Answer. School bus capacities are rated according to the number of elementary-aged children the bus can safely seat. The largest buses Delaware City Schools uses seat up to 78 elementary students (three students per seat.) Two and sometimes three junior-high or high-school students can safely sit in a seat, enabling the district to transport approximately 50 secondary students on a bus. With a full bus, it will seem crowded but it will not be over capacity. This is one reason students should limit the number and size of the personal belongings they bring on the bus. It is our goal to fully utilize all the space on all of the buses in the fleet. For long field trips, schools are encouraged to only seat two students per seat.

We live within one mile of the school but there is a bus stop very close to our home. Can our child ride this bus anyway?

Answer. Students who live within one mile of the school they attend are not eligible to ride a bus. Bus routes will not be redesigned or maintained to accommodate non-eligible students.

What if I need to change the transportation arrangements for my child?

Answer. Parents should complete a Transportation Request Form which is available at your school office or with your bus driver. Return completed forms to your bus driver.