Transportation Q & A Site last updated on July 2010

Transcription

1 Transportation Q & Site last updated on July 2010 Subject Categories: Group 3: Eligible / Scheduled Riders Kindergarten Special Education General Information Miscellaneous Saint loysius School Dismissal Manager Program Eligible / Scheduled Riders: E1 Who is eligible for bus transportation? ll students with permanent residence in New Canaan attending public schools located in the town and who live beyond a short distance from the school as defined in the transportation policy are eligible for bus transportation. It should be noted that this applies to transportation from home to school and school to home. The transportation system is not required to move students to alternate locations although accommodations have previously been provided to transport a limited number of students to the YMC or Town Day Care programs as necessary to support families requiring such services. E2 Do I need to request bus transportation service? Yes, you are asked to submit a request for service form to the district each year. The form can be obtained electronically via the school s website. By completing and submitting this form, your action will help the district to better manage available resources and result in a more cost effective transportation program. You simply indicate that you do or do not want bus service for your student. E3 What is the opt-out program? The opt-out program was implemented several years ago to identify those students who would not require scheduled bus transportation. For students with alternative means of transportation to and from school, anyone opting out enabled the district to not assign such student(s) to a particular bus route thereby avoiding unnecessary stops for those who did not plan to ride the bus. E4 If I elect no bus transportation service, can I change my mind and have my student assigned to a route at a later time? Yes. The district can assign a student to a route with 2 working days notice period. The 2 working day period is necessary to allow the change to be factored into the scheduling process and to communicate to all parties including providing 1

2 E5 E6 E7 E8 the necessary paperwork to the driver. Due to an anticipated higher volume of inquiries and adjustments during the first few weeks of the school year, it may require a slightly longer notice period at that time. How much notification time does it take to have a change become effective? Usually, a change can be implemented within 2 working days. dditional lead time would be preferred, especially during busy periods, as at the beginning of the school year, to insure that everyone receives an appropriate communication in advance of the change. Why do some bus routes allow buses to go out of town (or into NY state) to transport students? Due to BOE imposed safety constraints regarding the policy to not allow students to cross certain roads (123, 124, 106) and because of the locations of some students, it occasionally becomes necessary to travel out of town to allow the buses to be turned or routed in the proper direction. s well, to access some New Canaan streets, it is sometimes necessary to travel into neighboring towns to get to those streets or to enable the bus to turn around. In some instances I ve been told that my bus is not allowed to travel on a particular road yet I have seen another bus on the same road. What is happening? The buses for New Canaan Public Schools are not scheduled to travel on certain roads. However, buses for other schools, e.g. private schools and schools located outside of the town, may regularly travel such roads in town. If you see a bus traveling on a road that the Board has indicated as a no travel road, it is most likely a bus from one of these other schools. Can a bus be routed to travel on a private road? Yes, but only if all residents on the private road grant permission to do so. Of course, it is also dependent upon the need for the bus to enter and the ability to negotiate the road safely at all times during the school year. Kindergarten: K1 Do you do anything special for those in Kindergarten? Yes. Kindergarten students are typically designated to ride in the first two rows of seats on the bus, or three if necessary. This enables these newest and typically smaller riders to be closer to the driver where it is easier to observe and hear these students. K2 If I have a Kindergarten student, what must I do regarding transportation? When the student is registered at the school, transportation is notified via a defined internal process. During registration, you may be asked to indicate if you want transportation service. lternatively, you may submit an electronic form, which can be obtained on this transportation website, to indicate your desire. K3 Can I have my student delivered to an alternate location? 2

3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 Yes, if it is the YMC or Town Day Care. What happens if my student cannot be delivered to the normal delivery stop? The student is returned to the school. The driver notifies the dispatch office by radio and the dispatcher in turn notifies the school. parent/guardian will be required to travel to the school to retrieve the student. How can I find out who else may be assigned to my student s bus route? The routes, including names of the students, can be viewed at the school. While this may appear to be somewhat restrictive, the Board is operating under the premise of safety first and that such information should be made available only on a need to know basis. What happens to Kindergarten students in the event of an early dismissal? Kindergarten students are managed the same as other elementary students and they will be returned to their designated delivery location based on the earlier dismissal time. What process is used to assure kindergarten students are placed on the correct bus? Each elementary school has responsibility to develop their own process that works best for them. Generally, elementary school administrators have tags that can be worn by the student or placed on the student s back pack. These tags indicate the students name and to which bus the student is assigned. The students are grouped by bus number in a staging area within the school. Loading the buses is usually done one bus at a time to minimize the chance of a student being placed on the wrong bus. The drivers represent an additional check to insure the student is on the appropriate bus. lthough a little slower at the beginning of the year, drivers quickly learn to recognize those students assigned to his/her bus. What are the arrangements for Kindergarten students during the first week of school? Kindergarten students are scheduled to have a shortened school day during the first week of school. The students will be returned to their designated stop locations (same as morning pickup location) on special kindergarten buses. Following the first week of school, they will return home on their normal school bus. You will receive a communication indicating the approximate delivery time prior to the start of school. parent/guardian (adult) is required to meet the child at the bus stop or the child will not be allowed to exit the bus and will be returned to the school. Special Education: SE1 Why does the BOE have smaller white vans as well as both smaller and larger yellow buses? The smaller white vehicles are used to transport students with special transportation needs. They may be used for students with specific health 3

4 SE2 SE3 SE4 challenges and/or for those to be transported to alternative schools or locations to address special education needs. How are the smaller white NCPS vans used? They are used to transport students to and from various schools in the morning and afternoon, including schools located both in town and out of town. They are often used to move students to various locations during the school day for selected classes that may only be provided at certain sites. In addition, these vehicles may be scheduled to make various deliveries including small group field trips to address other school requirements during the day. These are conducted on a time as available basis as the priority is assigned to the transport of individuals with special needs. re there monitors [adults] on the school buses? No. However, on occasion, if a student rides a yellow bus and is subject to certain medical conditions, a monitor may be assigned for safety reasons. The monitor s focus is to be on the assigned student and the monitor is not responsible for the other students. re there monitors on the white vans? Usually. These vehicles are typically used to transport students with medical concerns or other identified challenges. Usually a monitor is assigned to care for and assist the student(s) so the driver can fully focus her/his attention on the road. General Information: G1 How does bus service in New Canaan compare with that in other towns? This is difficult to quantify but some observations can be made. It is believed that many New Canaan families desire a somewhat higher level of service than that provided in other towns. Previously, this has been manifested in the perceived need for more accommodation for individual concerns. This has contributed to more stops, traveling on more roads (including cul-de-sacs), requiring buses to travel both directions on many roads so students do not cross the road, etc. each of which require additional route time within the somewhat limited windows of time available. This has contributed to the need for more equipment, some of which is specialized to address specific travel situations, and all contributing to a higher cost of operation per student. G2 Why does it take so many buses to provide student transportation? There is no simple answer to this question. There are many factors that must be considered in developing the various routes used to move students from home to school and school to home in a three tier systems as used by NCPS. The more important variables are the distance that buses must travel to serve all students, the speed they can travel on the various roads and the time available to make the trip. The time available is tied to the school start and end times used by the various schools in each tier. On average, only about 30 to 40 students can be assigned to a particular bus route if the bus is to complete the run within a limited 4

5 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 window period (in some cases less than 30 minutes) as designated by school times. How much do we pay for each bus? For the current school year, each bus used will cost the district about $80,000 over the length of the school year excluding the cost of fuel. The cost avoidance for each bus taken out of service by improved efficiency is substantial. It is to each tax payer s benefit that the district only use the number of buses absolutely necessary to meet fair and equitable service levels. How does the BOE know what is going on regarding drivers following assigned routes? The BOE has required all buses to be equipped with electronic tracking devices (GPS). Routes are monitored on a real time basis including speed, direction, location, and stops. If I drive my student, where do I drop him/her off at school? Each school is slightly different relative to location. Please contact the main office at the school to better understand that school s procedures. Generally, individual student drop offs are not to be in the same area as that used by the buses. The intent is to keep these areas separate to minimize the possibility of any accidents and/or injury. What are the rules regarding when a student must walk to school? The Board of Education s policy, #3800 School Bus Transportation, states that transportation services will be provided to all pupils in grades K-4 who live more than 1/2 mile from the school they attend, to all pupils in grades 5-6 who live more than 2/3 mile, and to all pupils in grades 7-12 who live more than one mile from the school they attend. t the discretion of the Superintendent of Schools, distances may be waived for children with physical conditions or certified medical conditions or if hazardous conditions exist. Due to the length of the definitions, you are referred to the policy for additional information regarding what conditions are considered to be hazardous. What happens if my student misses his/her bus in the afternoon? Students missing their assigned bus for the afternoon school to home trip will be required to contact a parent/guardian or other designated person to arrange for transportation. The buses are not expected, nor required, to return to the school to provide such students with transportation services. Saxe Middle School and New Canaan High School have late buses assigned to leave after 3:45. Middle and high school students have the option of riding these buses assuming they are willing to wait for the later departure time. Can I expect that my student s bus route will remain constant over the course of the year? The district intends to avoid reassigning students to alternative routes whenever possible. Especially for the younger students, changes are generally disruptive and may lead to confusion of the student as to which bus he/she is assigned. Minor adjustments, such as stop times, stop location, or sequence on the assigned route, 5

6 G9 G10 G11 G12 G13 are subject to change to accommodate other eligible riders. The district intends to provide advance communication in the event of the need for a reassignment. Why are vans used in some areas and not others? The smaller 29 passenger buses (vans) are used in selective locations to address specific conditions. They may be used to negotiate narrower roads, provide access to stop locations with limited turning radius, or enable access to more hilly terrain in a small number of locations. The cost of a smaller bus/van is almost identical to that of the larger 71 passenger bus. Because the larger bus offers more overall capacity for similar cost, most buses used are the larger 71 passenger size. How does the driver maintain discipline on my student s bus? The driver may employ many techniques to maintain discipline on the bus. Generally, students are instructed by the driver as to his/her expectations relative to the safe and acceptable behavior required while riding the bus. If a student has been warned, or corrected, regarding his/her behavior and he/she continues to behave in a manner deemed unacceptable to the driver, the driver may assign the student to a particular seat. ll such instances are to be reported via an incident report completed by the driver. This report is provided to the bus company and is referred to the School and the district for further action. Typically, the video for that occurrence will be viewed and the Principal, or designee, will interview the student and implement remedial action as deemed necessary. In a situation where a group of students are deemed to be acting inappropriately while on the bus, the driver is instructed to pull to the side of the road and stop while he/she attempts to regain control of the students. The driver may radio the dispatch office for additional assistance as necessary. Only after order is restored, the driver may continue with the assigned route. How many students are scheduled to ride each bus? Most buses are scheduled to provide service to 40 to 50 assigned students on each tier. South Elementary has the highest average number of eligible students scheduled on each bus due to the more limited geographic area that needs to be covered. Saxe 5/6, also a tier 2 school, has the lowest average assigned. This is attributed to the need to cover the entire geographical area of the town coupled with the limited time between tier 1 and tier 3 school times. What process is followed in loading elementary students at the end of the school day? Elementary school administrators carefully group students by bus (route) in convenient locations within the school. Each group is moved to their assigned bus individually to minimize the chance of placing a student on the wrong bus. Once loaded, the bus is released to deliver the students to avoid any excess time spent on the bus. What is the loading process for middle and high school students? Buses for these students are staged in the designated loading area at each school. Markings, identifying the route for each bus are placed in selected locations on each bus so students coming from the building may quickly find their bus. 6

7 Students have 8 minutes from the end of the school day to board the bus. t such time, all doors are closed and buses are released for deliveries. Students are not allowed to board a bus after the 8 minute window has expired. Lists are available that indicate route numbers for students in the event that someone is unsure of his/her route. Buses are required to leave at the designated time or their ability to return in time for the next tier of students will be adversely impacted. Miscellaneous M1 What are the (key) variables considered in developing routes? Distance, speed limits, and load times are defined variables that must be considered. The next most important variable is the time available for a bus to make a run. This is generally established by the start and end times of each school. The direction of travel is a factor of concern for some roads and/or stop locations. Variables relating to level of service including the ability to negotiate certain roadways, the location of designated stops, the number or frequency of stops, the time to merge into traffic from various intersections, etc. are all important parameters that must be considered to fit within the limited time available. M2 What is the single most limiting factor in determining the number of buses used to transport students? School times, the times between school starts or end of day for schools on different tiers, dictate the amount of time available to make trips with the same bus. The recommendations of a transportation consultant retained by the Board in the recent past suggested that tiers should be designed with 60 minutes or more spacing if the district wanted the most efficient utilization of transportation resources. Due to the existing school times, NCPS has as little as 27 minutes up to about 50 minutes. This clearly limits how far a bus can travel and how many stops it can make within the window period. The number of students assigned to each stop determines the total number that can be assigned and yet allow the bus to meet the time requirements. This and the total number of eligible and scheduled riders contribute to the number of buses required for each tier. M3 Why do high school students and 7&8th grade students ride on some of the same buses? This is a recommendation of a traffic consultant with considerable experience in student transportation and an alternative that has worked effectively. The scheduled riders on tier 1, Saxe 7/8 and NCHS, are scattered over the entire town. Without combining service for these two schools, two buses would be required to travel most roads. Combining the students on one bus route equates to a need for somewhat fewer buses. The loading/unloading of students at each school for such combined routes represents a significant time factor to be addressed. Space and time limitations in and around the schools make it impractical to combine these students on all tier 1 routes. M4 Can we keep the same bus driver as we had last year? 7

8 The Board of Education does not control which driver drives a particular route. The Board contracts with Dattco to provide the drivers, equipment, and support personnel to facilitate the actual transportation of students. The drivers are employees of the bus company and are members of a Union. The district defines each trip package, a combination of routes for each tier. The bus company, consistent with union rules, determines who drives a defined trip package. Drivers are allowed to choose a package based on their seniority. Many drivers typically prefer to retain the same general routes from year to year. However, route changes are ongoing due to student population shifts and trip packages from one year may not be grouped the same the following year. M5 Why can t the district provide a bus to take my student to CCD or other after school activities? The town is required to provide home to school and school to home transportation. The district recognizes that it has responsibility for students during the school day including the time students are transported to and from school. While transportation to other activities may be convenient for some families, the district is not required to transport students to these non-school activities. The district has chosen to manage liability concerns by electing to provide only home to school and school to home transportation services. M6 Wouldn t it be more cost effective to use only smaller buses? No, currently there is little contracted cost differential between a large 71 passenger bus and the smaller 29 passenger bus. Yes, there may be some fuel savings as the smaller bus is somewhat more fuel efficient. Excluding fuel usage, having a greater load capacity as provided by the larger buses offers a potential for more flexibility in their use. If the district only used the 29 passenger buses, a larger number of vehicles would likely be required based on the existing student demographics. M7 Why don t you allow play dates on some elementary buses? Play dates are categorized as after school activities. lthough allowing friends to ride to another student s home may be convenient for families, such action does not comply with the objective of providing school to home transportation. While few buses are filled to close to capacity, most often this occurs on the smaller 29 passenger buses. Elementary school administrators have elected to not allow play dates on selected smaller buses to avoid any perception of favoritism toward a few on the bus. The agreed objective of transportation is to move students safely and efficiently from home to school and from school to home. Transportation will attempt to accommodate requests by elementary school administrators on a space available basis and assuming proper authorization is in place for each occurrence. M8 Most of the elementary buses don t appear to be filled, why do you use so many buses? Based on contract language with the service provider, a bus used for one tier or two tiers costs the same as a bus used for all three tiers. The number of buses in use was determined based on the needs to accommodate other tiers. s the district 8

9 is required to pay for the bus whether used or not, a decision was made to employ the use of all available buses thereby reducing ride times for younger students. Fewer buses could be used on these tiers. However, the district would realize no cost savings and some students would experience longer ride times. St. loysius S1 What are the transportation accommodations for students attending St. loysius? In support of the New Canaan families with students attending St s, students requiring transportation are routed on buses supporting Saxe 5 th & 6 th grade students. These buses, which cover the entire Town, transport all students to Saxe Middle School. Those attending St s are transferred to a shuttle bus which completes the route to the school. t end of day, students are shuttled back to Saxe to board buses for the return trip home. St s start and end times have been chosen to support this transportation arrangement. S2 Why don t St s students have their own buses? Due to the small number of students and the geographic scatter across the Town, separate buses are not economical. Ride times would be very long and buses used would transport relatively few children. The daily cost per student is considered excessive. School Dismissal Manager SD1 What is School Dismissal Manager? School Dismissal Manager, previously referred to as Carline Manager, is a web based service currently used by all three New Canaan Elementary Schools to assist with the proper routing of children at the end of the school day. Ensuring that these students are placed on the proper bus, are held at school for after school activities, or are available for individual pickup to best address busy schedules requires an effective communication process between parents and the administration. SD2 If web based, is information on School Dismissal Manager secure? Yes, information is limited and to access any information for a specific student, the parent must log on to the website with an approved ID and password. The parent will then be able to view a two week rolling calendar and be able to indicate the desired plan for the end of each school day. Without the proper ID and password, no student information can be viewed. The only information retained at the web site is the student s name, grade, teacher s name, and the driver s name for the end of each school day. SD3 Do I have to log in each day to indicate what I want to have happen at the end of the school day? No. default is assigned for each student. You only need to log in to change from the default to some other action for a specific day. You may change any day 9

10 shown on the two week rolling calendar. Normally, the default is the school bus assigned for your stop location. The default assigned can be changed but it must apply to all school days. SD4 Is there a cut off by which time I must indicate what I want to have happen at the end of the school day? Yes. The time varies depending upon the school attended. Generally, it is about 1 hour prior to the end of the school day. Please contact your school for the specific cut off time. SD5 What must I do if I have to make a change past the cut off time? If this occurs, you will need to contact the school by phone to provide some notification. The school will need to arrange to have your child routed for the desired arrangement. You are not to go to the classroom to retrieve your child. SD6 Will I also have to provide a note to indicate what I want to happen that day? No. This web based system enables you to communicate what is to be done. No additional note is required. SD7 SD8 If another child is to accompany my child home on the bus for a play date, do I need to indicate this on my child s calendar? No. The parent of the child accompanying your child is responsible to indicate this on his/her child s calendar. If I plan to pick up my child rather than have him/her ride the bus, what information must I provide? The SDM system requests the (formal) name of the person responsible to pick up the child. dditional information describing the activity can be included for convenience. SD9 What happens to the information recorded on the School Dismissal Manager web site? Each school day, an is generated and distributed to the school s administration. The contains a listing of all exceptions submitted for the day and lists the remaining students as well with their default. The is sorted by teacher s name. Each teacher receives this prior to the last period for the day so he/she can determine what action is to be taken for each student. This system provides the school administration with an organized tracking system for end of day dismissals. SD10 If I plan to pick up my child prior to lunch, do I still use the SDM system? No. This web based system is intended to be a relatively simple end of day notification system. If circumstances require that you pick up your child earlier in the day (before lunch), you should contact the office to arrange for such exceptional situations. 10