GO the Riteway. Serving the School District of La Crosse. About GO Riteway. What does it take? Our friendly staff

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1 GO the Riteway I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : About GO Riteway Meet the Team About our drivers How to identify your child s bus Safety on the bus Danger Zone District Focus Our friendly staff goriteway.com members are available to answer your school bus questions or concerns at any time. Feel free to contact us when you need us! (608) Serving the School District of La Crosse About GO Riteway S P R I N G / S U M M E R GO Riteway is a family owned and operated company, that has been in business in Wisconsin since We are pleased to have been chosen as the transportation provider for the School District of La Crosse. Currently we serve nearly 30 School Districts in Wisconsin, and are excited to grow here in La Crosse. As we start our operation here we re learning about the benefit of a wide variety of school choices, the La Crosse community, as well as current school bus drivers. We intend to hire locally, and we re excited to keep learning about this friendly, scenic and vibrant community! In August you will receive a mailing from us with your route information. It will include your route number, stop location and pickup time. Please keep this info handy when school starts. What does it take? What does it take for a school bus company to get ready for the first day of school? A lot! As GO Riteway opens our doors in La Crosse there are many pieces that have to fall into place and we are well on our way. Currently we are operating out of a temporary location until we secure our permanent facility. Our management and operations team have been hired. Interviews with perspective drivers (many drivers who have been driving for the district for several years!) have been conducted, and we will continue hiring during the summer. We have taken a lot of time learning about the La Crosse community. Our routing specialists are learning about the school choices and transportation policies and are working closely with the school district to develop a timeline for routing that works for both of us. We also work very closely with current drivers to find out what works with their route and what may need updating. Additionally, we have a high focus on training drivers in a variety of areas. The first year we work in a new community we typically don t change how routes run, therefore, you probably will not see a big change in your child s route next school year. The one thing you may see a change in is your child's route number - see page 5 of this newsletter on where you will find that on the bus. We always look forward to getting to know the parents, administrators and students! Riding the School Bus is a safe convenience that we at GO Riteway are proud to offer in partnership with the School District of La Crosse. If you have questions about your service, please call us so that we can review and respond to you promptly.

2 P A G E 2 Meet the Team A good operation needs a strong team. Here we will introduce you to the team behind the counter. This group has many roles to fill. We start by creating a pleasant and accountable work environment for the team that services your school district. When our drivers come to work they should be greeted by positive, knowledgeable people who will give them clear directions. Second, we re here to serve you. This group will work hard every day to ensure busses are arriving on time and operating in a safe manner. When things don t go as planned, reaction time is critical. We expect every member of the team to be proactive when issues arise. Pam Usher-Miller, Operations Manger Pam is relatively new to the school bus industry but is a fast learner! Previously, Pam was in the United States Army working in Transportation, Logistics, and Transportation Management, for over 16 years. During that time she spent multiple tours overseas learning about transportation and logistics from a variety of angles. Following her Army career she worked in logistics for Waste Management and WCA in locations in Alabama and Arkansas. Michelle Seiler-Scott (Chelle) - HR/Safety Coordinator Chelle has been in the school bus business for over 14 years as a driver, trainer and tester. Chelle will be key in finding great people to drive your buses, ensuring they are well trained, safety minded people. Chelle will be out and about in the community at recruiting functions like job fairs, parades, markets, and any other venue where quality people may be found. GO T H E R I T E W A Y W W W. G O R I T E W A Y. C O M

3 GO T H E R I T E W A Y P A G E 3 Andrea Gaulke, Charter and Dispatch Operations Assistant Andrea grew up across the river and has spent most of her life in the greater La Crosse region. She is a graduate of Winona State University and has spent her career working in both the School Bus and Motorcoach industries. Prior to working at GO Riteway and since graduating college, Andrea had spent 8 years in the ground transportation industry working with a variety of customers. She will be working with customers and drivers on a daily basis to make sure they have all the information they need to make every trip successful! Bill Rickert, Routing and Dispatch Operations Assistant Bill has the greater La Crosse map ingrained in his mind. Bill has worked in transportation moving a variety customers on a daily basis for the past 16 plus years. Bill s understanding of the La Crosse community will be invaluable from a routing perspective, and his experience with customer service, logistics and scheduling will add a lot to the team. Bill s expertise in getting people where they are supposed to be is a huge asset to the GO Riteway team. You can find the most recent newsletter and other timely information about bus transportation here: Or Call the GO Riteway office with any questions at

4 P A G E 4 About our drivers Safety Starts With Me Our company safety slogan for the School year was Safety Starts With Me. With this message, each Go Riteway employee knows they are responsible for safety in their daily work. This fall we re excited to roll out our message! Our school bus drivers are professionally trained and licensed Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) operators. The State of Wisconsin licenses each driver with a Commercial Driver s License (CDL) and grants School Bus and Passenger Endorsements which require additional training. GO Riteway has detailed hiring criteria that driver applicants must meet in order to be employed. We conduct a criminal background check, including a national sex offender search, and review the motor vehicle safety record of each applicant. Before hiring is complete, driver applicants are required to pass a physical and drug screen. Drivers complete and pass a thorough training program that focuses on defensive driving techniques and managing students on their bus before going on the road. Training Drivers complete and pass a thorough training program that focuses on defensive driving techniques and managing students on their bus before going on the road. Drivers are required to pass a physical and background check at least every 2 years, participate in random drug and alcohol testing and attend ongoing training. Our on-going training program reinforces having well-trained, professional drivers. At the beginning of each school year, our drivers return for re-evaluation and testing of driving skills. The summer of 2016 will bring a significant amount of training to the drivers hired here. In addition to learning GO Riteway s policies, some of those trainings include Operation Lifesaver (railroad crossing safety); Defensive Driving; Student Management on the bus; Situational Awareness; Backing; and Pre-Trip Inspections. National Night Out We will be around town that evening participating in GO T H E R I T E W A Y W W W. G O R I T E W A Y. C O M the event we hope to see you there!

5 G O T H E R I T E W A Y P A G E 5 How to Identify your Child s Bus Route number identified here We use ROUTE numbers to identify the route that your child is on, not bus numbers. Each student will receive a ROUTE number prior to the start of school - that is how you identify what bus your child will take to and from school. You will receive a route letter from us in August indicating the ROUTE number, stop location and pickup time for your child. The ROUTE number is located to the left of the door of the bus. Please look here for your child s ROUTE number, and teach your child to do the same. If you have any questions feel free to contact our office at We re happy to answer any questions for you! Watch for mail in mid-august from GO Riteway! We will be sending you your bus route information with your child s bus stop and times.

6 P A G E 6 Safety on the School Bus Our number one customer is the student who rides our school bus. We want our students to travel to school safely and feel comfortable inside the bus. We work closely with our School Districts to design the safest bus routes and bus stops, develop student behavior guidelines and train our drivers to use them. Having your parental support of these guidelines is critical to maintaining an environment in the bus where students feel at ease traveling to and from school. Bus Behavior Expectations Our team is working closely with school district administration to learn about behavior expectations that students should be showing from the bus to the classroom. This year we will be focusing on those expectations that many students are already aware of. Those expectations include the principals of being Respectful, Responsible and Safe. Know the Danger Zone School Bus Safety is on top of mind to all employees of GO Riteway. We work hard every day through training, communication, ongoing feedback and follow-up to ensure that your child is receiving the safest ride possible. As a parent it s important for you to know school bus safety tips that you can teach your child. The Danger Zone is a specific area around a school bus that children are told to avoid. We encourage you to discuss this Danger Zone information with your child. GO T H E R I T E W A Y W W W. G O R I T E W A Y. C O M

7 G O T H E R I T E W A Y What Parents Should Know About Riding a Riteway School Bus P A G E 7 We at GO Riteway are committed to providing safe, quality transportation to our customers. We know that we transport our most precious resource your children. To meet this commitment, we ensure that our school buses meet and exceed all safety requirements, our drivers are welltrained to drive and manage the students, and that our staff provides the high level of service you expect. About our School Bus Fleet GO Riteway s school busses consist of well-maintained, updated vehicles that meet all Federal and State requirements. They are serviced by our own mechanics who schedule preventative maintenance on an established schedule. Our school buses are inspected annually by the State and meet the requirements of the Wisconsin State Patrol. Any time our drivers operate the bus they conduct a thorough pre-trip inspection to ensure it is safe and ready for transport. Vehicle defects are noted, reported to our mechanics and promptly addressed. When returning to the Terminal from any assignment, drivers complete a post-trip inspection to make sure that the vehicle will be ready for the next day. Teach your Children about the Danger Zone Guidelines to Follow Avoid the Danger Zone! It is difficult for the bus driver to see you in this area. When you get off the bus take 5 giant steps away from the bus out of the danger zone. Always take 10 giant steps beyond the front of the bumper before you cross the street the driver wants to see you! The driver will tell you when it s ok to cross the street - Cross carefully, and look! Never, never run back to retrieve a forgotten item or to pick up something that you have dropped near or under the bus. Never bend down near or under the bus.

8 2915 East Ave South La Crosse, Wi goriteway.com/lacrosse District Focus Now Hiring! Apply today to make a difference in the life of a child When you greet a child in the morning with a smile it starts their day out on the right foot! Call our office for more information or apply on line today! Family-owned and operated. Providing safe & dependable transportation for Over 55 years! Keep an eye on the school district website this summer for timely bus information and procedures. GO Riteway and the School District of La Crosse are working closely to partner in creating, training and reinforcing Common Bus Expectations for riding the school bus. Over the summer the School District leadership will train GO Riteway staff in these expectations. These are skills that students are taught to make sure their rides to and from school are orderly, positive and safe. It s important that children understand that the safe, respectful and responsible behavior that is expected in school is also expected on the busses. The Common Bus Expectation guidelines can be found on the school district website and on the GO Riteway website. Who do I contact? What s my child s route number? You will receive a letter from GO Riteway in mid-august if your child is scheduled for the bus for the coming school year. Keep this handy if you need to contact us. What if I have a concern, what if my bus is running late? Call our office at , we re happy to listen and help. What if I move? If you move, your address needs to be updated. This can be accomplished by bringing in proof of the new address to either the school or the registrar s office. Please allow 3 business days once the address has been updated to allow for updated routing. GO Riteway will contact you with updated bus information. What if I need to make a change to my transportation schedule? There will be a Transportation Request on the School District website under the Parent section. If your child is in Preschool or the Special Education Program any changes must go through the school district. In those situations: For Preschool contact Julie Lawrence at For Special Education contact Sue Dwyer at (some changes may need to be a part of the IEP process)