For students who participate in NPS Courtesy Shuttle Service and students who receive busing based on their IEP, there are guiding policies to keep children accounted for and safe.
PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN RESPONSIBILITY
- Read and discuss with your child/children the responsibilities, behavior expectations and warnings.
- Inform your child/children of the location of the Hub and pick-up and drop off times or pick up and drop off times at home.
- Support school officials in their efforts to operate a safe and efficient transportation system.
If your child is walking to or from their Hub location, please ensure the following:
- Walk the route with your child/children before the first day.
- Ensure your child/children get to their Hub at least 10 minutes prior to their shuttle bus departure.
STUDENT ARRIVAL/PICK UP RESPONSIBILITY
- Respect yourself, others and bus property.
- Cooperate with the bus aide, bus driver and others.
- Enter and exit the bus one student at a time.
- Stay in your assigned seat, until you have reached your designated stop.
- Always keep your hands, head, and feet inside the shuttle bus at all times.
- Do not drop or throw objects inside or outside the shuttle bus.
- Do not eat or drink anything on the shuttle bus.
- Do not litter on the shuttle bus.
- No inappropriate language (name calling or cursing in any language).
- Never bring or keep weapons, alcohol, or drugs including tobacco for yourself or anyone.
- No physical or verbal altercations (screaming at each other, hitting with hands or any other objects).
BEHAVIOR POLICY
It is the district’s policy to focus on restorative behavior practices and progressive disciple. However, if after working with students on behavior improvement, there continue to be behavior violations, further action will be taken which is outlined below. According to NPS Policy: The principal, following regular disciplinary procedures, shall be allowed to suspend students who violate the code of conduct from riding shuttle buses. This does not imply suspension from classes. After two bus suspensions, and following regular disciplinary procedures, the student may be restricted from using transportation services for the rest of the school year or a portion thereof. A student’s riding privilege shall not be suspended until parents are notified of the problem. When a student has been suspended from riding a bus, it is the responsibility of the parent to ensure the student gets to and from school safely.
If any of the above behavior expectations are violated, the bus driver will make a referral of the violation to the school administration and the following disciplinary actions will be taken:
- 1st Warning
- Bus driver warning that repeated violations may result in a loss of school bus service privileges, as an attempt to correct the behavior when and where it happens
- 2nd Warning
- Principal, assistant principal, or Child Study Team Member will conference with the student and create a behavior modification plan or review student’s IEP needs
- Suspension from the bus may occur with this violation from one to three days.
- Parents or guardians will be notified.
- 3rd Warning
- Student will be suspended from the bus for three to five school days.
- Parents or guardian will participate in a conference with the principal or assistant principal to discuss student’s misbehavior and attempts by the school to correct. This is an opportunity to try and see if there are other issues (e.g., bullying) causing the students behavior.
- The behavior modification plan will be updated jointly with the parent and principal, with the understanding that further violations may lead to loss of bus service privileges.
- 4th Warning
- After three warnings, the student may be banned from the bus services for the rest of the school year or a portion thereof.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE
When a student has been suspended from riding a bus, it is the responsibility of the parent to ensure the student gets to and from school safely.
- Please note that a suspension from the bus does not mean that the student is suspended from school (the classroom).
- Parents are expected to interact appropriately with drivers and staff of all vendors & NPS buses. Unruly behavior may result in their child suspension from the bus until the parent is counseled.
- For acts of violence and threats, the student is subject to immediate suspension from the bus.