TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION for Families with Students Enrolled in Pal-Mac School Buildings

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ENCLOSED

Page

Greetings 2

Timeline for Transportation 3

General Information 4

Eligibility For Student Transportation 5

Transportation To And From Child Care Locations 6

Bus Routes And Bus Stops 7

Changes In Transportation Requests 8

Transportation Form 10

Greetings Pal-Mac Families!

Our school district has extensively studied transportation policies and procedures to best serve our community. We have consulted with independent experts, reviewed research on best practices, taken into consideration feedback from parents, reviewed procedures in other school districts, and anticipate the continued implementation of tools to assist the transportation staff.

The material in this pamphlet provides a lot of information. It is extensive in order to provide parents with details regarding our transportation services, to assist parents in planning in advance for school transportation requests, and to minimize confusion regarding the district’s procedures. It is not meant to cover every detail but instead provide summaries of specific areas of transportation services.

Thank you for reviewing these materials to increase the quality of Pal-Mac’s transportation services for our children.

Sincerely,

Robert R. Ike, Ed.D.Superintendent

Palmyra-Macedon Central School

District151 Hyde ParkwayPalmyra, NY 14522

2

PLEASE READ: IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR REQUESTING SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION

REQUEST FORMA sample form for transportation requests is included in this pamphlet. A printable copy is available on the school website (pdf) at palmaccsd.org. For school officials to plan a safe and efficient route it is important that forms are returned according to the established timeline and contain accurate information. Child care provider information must also be identified on the request form. Indicate one stop for A.M. transportation to school and one stop for P.M. transportation from school.

TIMELINE FOR TRANSPORTATION REQUESTSApril 1 Preliminary child care requests are due to the

Transportation Department

On or about A form for a transportation request will be:April 30 lSent home with every child in grades PK-5.

Parents should look for this form. lAvailable (pdf) on the district’s transportation webpage

May 15 All transportation requests for the next school are to be made to the Transportation Department.

Week of July 1 The primary parent/guardian of a student requesting bus transportation for the upcoming school year will receive bus route information by US MAIL. Requests submitted by May 15 will be reflected in this mailing.

Any changes to the information in this mailing must be submitted on a new transportation request form and sent to the Transportation Department, 151 Hyde Parkway, Palmyra, NY 14522 no later than July 20.

Mid-August Final transportation routes for the upcoming school year will be sent to primary parent/guardian by US MAIL. Changes must be submitted immediately to the Transportation Office as any change may take up to ten days due to routes already being finalized.

3

GENERAL INFORMATIONOn any given day, Pal-Mac is transporting approximately 1,600 students to/from school on over 100 different bus routes (excluding field trips, athletics, and late buses). Each driver prepares him/herself and their vehicle to anticipate and navigate the challenges of the road with your child’s safety our primary responsibility.

Unlike other organizations, school bus transportation is governed by multiple state agencies including the New York State Department of Transportation and the New York State Education Department, and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, as well as federal, state, and local education & vehicle/traffic laws.

Every school bus in Pal-Mac’s fleet undergoes a biannual inspection by the NYS Department of Transportation; routine local inspections are conducted by mechanics highly-skilled in the area of school bus operations. Prior to any bus leaving the transportation facility a driver evaluates 157 points as part of a pre-trip inspection- and upon every return the bus undergoes a 40 point post-trip evaluation.

Pal-Mac’s transportation staff members must have the physical and mental abilities to operate a school bus as determined by a medical professional. A special operator’s license from the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles is required and transportation staff members are required to have training in school bus safety practices, vehicle operations and safety, and working with students with disabilities.

In addition, all drivers of school buses are required to annually attend two safety trainings on the operation of a school bus. Driver training is provided by a certified School Bus Driver Instructor; training for working with pupils regarding bus safety rules and emergency procedures is provided by a licensed educational professional.

The district conducts a program to provide alcohol and controlled substance testing of employees who operate a school bus, and controlled substance/alcohol tests are conducted at the time of initial employment and randomly throughout each school year. Such tests are also conducted on other occasions as permitted by law.

4

ELIGIBILITY FOR STUDENT TRANSPORTATIONPre-KindergartenAvailability of transportation services may vary from year to year as universal pre-kindergarten is a program dependent on funding from the State of New York. Attendance zones may be utilized. Transportation to a child care facility may be available depending on enrollment.

KindergartenTransportation is provided to/from home or child care location up to 15 miles away from the school that the kindergarten student attends and within the boundaries of the school district. Transportation for kindergarten students is “curb-to-curb,” meaning to/from the end of the driveway of the child’s home or child care location, whenever possible.

*Exceptions for kindergarten students:

A. When the end of the driveway is considered an unsafe area.

B. When two students’ homes or child care locations are situated within 150 feet of one another, bus stops may be assigned in order to assure proper distance for bus drivers to safely leave one stop, move into traffic, and correctly signal their intention to stop again.

C. Curb-to-curb transportation cannot be provided for students whose home or child care location is situated such that a full-size bus cannot safely reach it.

D. Curb-to-curb transportation cannot be provided to homes or childcare locations on dead-end streets without a suitable cul-de-sac that safely accommodates the turning radius of a full-size bus.

Grades 1-5Transportation will be provided to/from a home or child care location in excess of 1/2 mile away, and up to 15 miles away, from the school that the student attends and within the boundaries of the school district. Students will be assigned to a bus stop.

Grades 6-8Transportation will be provided to/from home or child care location in excess of 1 mile away, and up to 15 miles away, from the school that the student attends and within the boundaries of the school district. Students will be assigned to a bus stop.

Grades 9-12Transportation will be provided to/from home in excess of 1 mile away, and up to 15 miles away, from the school that the student attends and within the boundaries of the school district. Students will be assigned to a bus stop.

5

TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM CHILD CARE LOCATIONS Pursuant to Education Law §3635, transportation for a duly enrolled district student will be provided between before-school care, the school such student attends, and/or after-school child care location under the following conditions:

1. Transportation other than to or from a student’s home shall be limited to a single child care location, defined as a place where care for less than twenty-four hours a day is provided on a regular basis for a school-aged child, provided such location is situated within the school district. This includes family day care homes, and in-home care by non-relatives.

2. Transportation to and/or from a child care location is provided only to students enrolled in grades kindergarten through eight. Transportation for students with developmental disabilities shall be in concert with an Individualized Education Program.

A. Child care Location for Students in UPK Attendance zones may be utilized. Transportation to a child care facility may be available depending on enrollment.

B. Child care Location for Students in grades K-5 Transportation to and/or from a child care location is provided only to a student attending grades kindergarten through five if the location is greater than 1/2 mile and less than 15 miles from the school attended.

C. Child care Location for Students in grades 6-8 Transportation to and/or from a child care location is provided only to a student attending grades six through eight if the location is greater than 1 mile and less than 15 miles from the school attended.

3. State Education Law stipulates that requests for transportation to and/or from a child care location must be in writing by the parent/guardian and submitted not later than April 1 preceding the next school year. However, a parent/guardian of a student not residing in the district on such date shall submit a written request within thirty days after establishing residence in the district. Late-filed requests received in August and September may require up to 10 school days to accommodate. Late-filed requests received at other times during the school year may require up to 3 school days to process.

Please Note: The district understands that it is often difficult to secure child care for a future school year according to the State’s timeline. As such, the district has created an additional process whereby child care requests may be made in June preceding the next school year if made in writing to the Transportation Office.

6

BUS ROUTES AND BUS STOPSNew York State Education Law governs the district’s routing and establishment of transportation eligibility and bus stops.

RoutesAccording to State regulations school officials are to design routes and assign buses so that buses are used safely and efficiently. Whenever possible, buses should be filled to capacity. The State Education Department indicates that school districts should only have an available seat for those students who are expected to ride the bus. Timely submission of transportation requests by parents/guardians is important.

While parents may prefer curb-to-curb bus pick up out of convenience or perceived safety, the school district, with the exception of kindergarten, does not route buses based on stops at a student’s residence. Routes are established according to the parameters set forth by decisions of the Commissioner of Education, including minimization of frequent stops, efficiency and reasonable safety.

According to regulations, a student could be on a regular in-district bus route for 1.5 hours. The Palmyra-Macedon Central school district has made every attempt to limit any in-district routes having such lengths of rides for students. As long as routing is economical and efficient, the district has made it a priority to minimize lengths of times for students to spend on a bus for a regular route to/from a school building within the district’s boundaries.

Bus StopsBus stops for students in grades 1-12 may be assigned up to 1/2 mile away from the student’s home or child care location. The Primary School shall be the assigned bus stop for Intermediate School students living or attending a child care location within 1/2 mile of the Primary School. The Intermediate School shall be the assigned bus stop for Primary School students living or attending a child care location within 1/2 mile of the Intermediate School. It is the responsibility of the parent, not the school district, to see that his or her child reaches the pick-up point safely.

The district will not spur off a road less than 2/10 of 1 mile. A spur is defined as a portion of a route that requires the bus to leave the main route to make a stop, then make a backing turnaround, and then return to the main route.

Bus stop times are approximate and can be affected by, but not limited to, road conditions, railroad crossings, traffic lights, traffic conditions, and student boarding. Bus stop times are not guaranteed and may be adjusted as routes are altered throughout the year. Students are expected to be at bus stops five minutes prior to the estimated bus arrival time. Students should never run to catch a bus; it is dangerous. Alternative arrangements should be made for students who miss the school bus.

7

Student Bus RulesStudents are responsible for complying with all school rules and regulations relating to bus transportation. Parents are expected to speak with each of their children regarding the bus rules, bus safety, and following the rules. Students out of compliance present a safety concern to all passengers in the bus as well as the driver. Parents of students who are unable to comply with safety rules on a school bus will be provided with notice of any incidents. Parents are expected to discuss the violations with the child and corrective action to be made. Transportation privileges may be affected for students not able to maintain safety on the school bus.

Three simple rules for the school bus are:

1. Show respect to your driver and other students lListen to and follow directions lBe kind, friendly, and helpful

2. Be safe on your bus lStay in your seat lHave a calm, safe body lKeep your body inside the bus

3. Help take care of your bus lDo not eat or drink lTake care of your belongings lKeep the bus clean

CHANGES IN TRANSPORTATION REQUESTSEach time a change is made in the normal transportation routine as established with the school district, the chances increase for confusion, a child boarding a wrong bus, or getting dropped off at the incorrect location. For purposes of child safety, transportation changes are only appropriate for: lEmergency situation; lPermanent change in child care provider; or lPermanent change in residence

If at any time a child’s regular transportation needs do change, a new request form must be submitted to the Transportation Department. For identification purposes, only requests in writing or in person can be made to change a child’s transportation schedule. Changes may take up to 10 days depending on the impact to the bus routes to accommodate the request.

In rare emergency occurrences, a child’s transportation schedule may be changed to an emergency contact previously designated by the parent(s)/guardian(s).

Casual requests to transport students will not be honored (i.e., birthday party, playdate). School transportation routes are created based on student residence, and seating capacity is often limited.

OtherTransportation for nonpublic school students is governed by different policies and procedures.The Transportation Department should be consulted.

Content in this pamphlet is subject to change at any time.

8

High School 151 Hyde Parkway Palmyra, N.Y. 14522

Middle School 163 Hyde Parkway Palmyra, NY 14522

Intermediate School 4 West Street Macedon, NY 14502

Primary School 120 Canandaigua St. Palmyra, NY 14522

Website palmaccsd.org315.597.3400

Reminder regarding school closing: When Palmyra-Macedon schools are closed due to weather, the district does not provide transportation to any other school.

Complete the attached form to provide all information regarding your child’s transportation needs. If at any time you need to change your child’s regular transportation routine, you must complete a NEW form and submit the form to the Transportation Department. Blank forms are available in the Main Office at the Palmyra-Macedon Primary School, Palmyra-Macedon Intermediate School, and the School district web site.

Thank you for keeping our students safe.

Content in this pamphlet is subject to change at any time.

9

PALMYRA-MACEDON CSD TRANSPORTATION FORM

Any change in transportation that occurs after registration must be made through the Transportation Department at 315.597.3400 option 1.

Student’s Name Date of Birth School Year

Grade School Attending Today’s Date

Instructions: Use one (1) form for each student, provide one (1) child care location, allow three (3) business days for processing your request.

Student’s Information Child Care Provider’s Information

Parent’s/Guardian’s Name Provider’s Name

Street Street

City/Zip City/Zip

Parent’s/Guardian’s Phone # Provider’s Phone#

Email Email

Please check the appropriate choice below:

A.M. Pick-Up

Primary Residence Child Care Provider No Transportation Needed

P.M. Drop-Off

Primary Residence Child Care Provider No Transportation Needed

Parent/Guardian Signature Requested Start Date

Please return form to the Main Office of Child’s School orby mail: by fax: by email: Palmyra-Macedon CSD 315.597.3468 transportation@palmaccsd.org ATTN: Transportation Dept. 151 Hyde Parkway Palmyra, NY 14522

FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Received by Transportation Office

Routed AM Bus # PM Bus # Driver School Parent

Revised 02/17/17 10

Palmyra-Macedon Central School District151 Hyde ParkwayPalmyra, NY 14522

315.597.3400palmaccsd.org

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ENCLOSED