When the school bus comes to a child's bus stop, it may be necessary for the child to cross the street to board or exit the bus. It is required that the child follow the "Safe Crossing Procedure" that was developed for school bus safety in New York State.

Exiting the School Bus

 "Check BEFORE You Step"

It has been reported that young people have been hit by bicyclists and passing motorists as they stepped off the school bus. A glance both ways before exiting the door provides that extra margin of safety.
 
"I See the Driver, the Driver Sees Me"

Children should walk 15 feet (at least 10 GIANT steps) out in front of the school bus. The child should be in the driver’s VISION at all times.
 
"Wait for the Driver’s Signal to Cross"

The driver, utilizing mirrors and proper crossing procedures, will signal the child to cross. Wait for the “Universal Crossing Signal.”
 
"Look Left, Right and Left Again"

Children need to stop at the front left corner of the bus, in front of driver and look both ways before they cross the rest of the street. This will help them spot passing motorists (on the left side of the bus) early enough to retreat to the safety of the bus. They should never run across the street without stopping to look.

• Safe Crossing Procedure for boarding the school bus

These same procedures can be adjusted for the time when a student must cross to board the school bus. The illustration shows proper crossing procedures for school bus riders who must cross the road prior to boarding the bus or after being discharged from the bus. Please review these procedures with your children; if they must cross the road in front of the bus, knowledge of safe crossing procedures is vital.

•  “Universal Danger Signal”

The driver sounding the bus horn is the "Universal Danger Signal". This sound means the area the child is about to walk into is not safe. If the child hears the bus horn, they are possibly in danger of a passing car and need to go back, immediately, in the direction that they came from.

• Use Backpacks or Book Bags

Students should carry loose objects in backpacks so they are less likely to drop something while crossing in front of the bus. Do not attach things to the outside of the backpack, they could become caught on the bus. If the backpack should became caught on something near or on the bus they should leave it and move away from the bus quickly and wave their arms to get the bus drivers attention.

DO NOT EVER RUN AFTER THE BUS.

Bus riders have responsibilities before they board the bus at the bus stop, while they are riding the bus and when they are exiting the bus. These responsibilities are in place to keep everyone safe and families should review them with their children.

• Bus Riders' Responsibilities

There are numerous streets/roads that the District does not recommend crossing students for one or more of the following reasons: speed limit, lack of clear sighting and/or high traffic.  This does affect bus routes and the length in which some students may ride.  The District along with the Transportation Department considers all factors when routing to limit the length of time students are on buses.

• See the list of streets/roads here.

This request form is to be used when transportation is a Joint/Shared Custody situation.  This form is intended for use when both parents are residents of the District, but are living in separate households, in the attending school zone in which the student attends.  Transportation is NOT provided to the parent living outside of the attending school zone or district.  Please provide a copy of the most updated Custody Agreement/Court Order on file with the Courts to the school building’s main office. The District will not condition enrollment on receipt of such documentation. This request EXPIRES at the end of each school year.  This form is to be submitted to the Transportation Department each year before JULY 31st. A calendar for those schedules that alternate and/or are not routine, i.e. altering days or weeks must be noted on calendar.

• Click Here for Form
• Click Here for Calendar Example
• Click Here for Printable Calendar

We are happy to announce that our Transportation Department will be using the My Ride K-12 App beginning on the first day of school. The My Ride App replaces Versatrans My Stop App. With the My Ride App, parents and students can access their bus stop location, route, and pick up time. The app uses vehicle GPS geolocation to show bus arrivals each day. 

The My Ride K-12 App is available on a computer or on a smart phone. Instructions on how to use the program can be found here. You will need your child’s student ID when registering. Your child’s student ID can be found in SchoolTool. 

If you have any questions about the app, please call the Transportation Department at 315-638-6097.

Each student will have one designated pick up point and one designated delivery point. We do not handle multiple requests. Any variance from the set schedule must be handled through the child’s school on a case-by- case basis. With over 6,000 children being transported daily the Transportation Department is not capable of tailoring individual plans.

If a child’s plan needs a permanent change (moving to new home, etc.), that is handled through the school. They will send the necessary paperwork to the Transportation Department.

The District establishes bus routes for the new school year over the summer months. Due to safety concerns, changes to daycare/sitter stops or bus stops for the newly established routes will be processed on a first come, first serve basis from Thursday, August 22, 2024 to Friday, September 13, 2024.

Day care/sitter forms received after August 21, 2024 will be processed to take effect only with email notification from the transportation office. You must submit a request form for day care/sitter transportation EVERY YEAR, even if your daycare/sitter is the same as the previous year.

You can download a Request for Transportation form from the Transportation Department’s webpage.

Please submit it by 5 p.m. August 21, 2024, to ensure your child has transportation on the first day of school, September 4, 2024.

If you have any questions, please contact the Transportation Department at (315) 638-6097.

You can download a Request for Transportation form here.

Bus stops are selected to maximize the efficiency of each route.  In all cases, particularly in housing developments, group stops are utilized. However, many rural students will be set up at home, due to geography and distance between homes.

Since we centralize each bus stop, there will always be the scenario of a bus passing some students homes in order to get to the bus stop.

All students are required to be waiting at the designated bus stop five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled bus arrival. Our bus routes are all “timed”, and must remain on schedule. At multiple student pick up points, drivers pick up only those who are there. For pick up points that serve only one student (or one family), the driver will stop, open the door, look for the student(s), and then proceed to the next stop.

Please check the form HERE, and read it carefully, as many questions are answered on the form.

There can be a maximum of four (4) people registered to pick up a student at the bus. Click here for Authorization to Release Students form. Any additional people must be dealt with from the school with a pass stating they are authorized.

Elementary buses may be calculated at three students per seat. Each bus is marked with the maximum legal capacity. We try to only use two students per seat as much as possible with the older grades.

Students who opt to attend schools that are not in the Baldwinsville School District are transported in one of two ways:

When home address to school address is 15 miles or under - the student will be transported to and from home to the pick-up/drop off point, then to school. Your student may have to be transported to a transfer point to meet the bus going to your private or parochial school.

When home address to school address is over 15 miles – parents are responsible for transporting the student to and from the designated pick up/drop off point for pick up and drop off.

Distances from home to school are not determined in direct air miles. We utilize Map Quest, shortest route, in order to optimize opportunities.

Private and Parochial Transportation Request Forms must be submitted annually before April 1st each year.