MADISON SCHOOL DISTRICT #321 TRANSPORTATION
The MadisonTransportation Department operates a fleet of 60 buses. State law requires districts to provide busing for students who live more than 1.5 miles from school and also provides exceptions for safety busing in high traffic areas. Buses are used to transport students to and from school, field trips for instructional purposes, and extra-curricular activities and events. District school buses travel nearly 485,000 miles annually and transport approximately 3,200 students daily.
General Information
MADISON SCHOOL DISTRICT #321 TRANSPORTATION MISSION STATEMENT:
It is the mission of the Madison School District #321 transportation program to provide safe and efficient transportation to the students and staff of the Madison School District. The transportation program will provide professional drivers who are competent and well trained. We will conduct our daily responsibilities in a co-operative, courteous, and helpful manner, to our co-workers, the students we transport, and the general public. This mission will be accomplished by assuring efficient and cost-effective use of resources, and encouraging professionalism in a caring environment.
The Madison Transportation Team commits to our five core values: Safety, Integrity, Excellence, Service and Relationships
Safety First – Basing all our decisions on the safety of our students
Integrity – Doing the right thing, even when no one is watching
Excellence in All We Do – Giving our best every day
Service Before Self – Placing others needs before ours
Relationships – Build strong relationships with our students, parents and communities
WHEN RIDING THE BUS:
Together we share an equal concern with parents regarding the safe transportation of children to and from school.
We ask that you help us in our effort to teach your children to be aware of and understand the bus rules, and school bus safety. Doing so will ensure a safer ride for your children.
Bus Safety
We encourage everyone in the community to be extra cautious when driving in
school zones and around school buses.
Please stop when red flashing lights have been engaged and remain stopped until school bus lights have been turned off. NEVER pass a school bus if the red lights are flashing, and the stop arm is extended.
Please have your children at the bus stop 5 (five) minutes prior to the scheduled time. The
school bus driver does not wait for late students.
Stay away from the street, road, or highway when waiting for the bus.
Wait until the bus stops, and the door opens before approaching the bus.
After getting off the bus, move away from the bus.
If you must cross the street, always cross in front of the bus where the driver can see you. Wait for the driver to signal to you before crossing the street.
Bus Rules
Stay seated while the bus is moving
Keep noise and voices to an acceptable level
Respect each other
Respect the bus
Bus Conduct Reports
Bus conduct reports are used as a tool for the transportation department to communicate negative student behavior with the parent/guardian of a student. A student may receive a bus conduct report from their bus driver, if the driver is unable to correct the negative bus behavior with verbal coaching. Depending on the nature and severity of the incident, bus riding privileges may be suspended. The length of the bus suspension will be determined by the transportation supervisor based on the severity of the incident.
BusRight App
MSD is partnering with BusRight to provide a free app displaying their child's bus location in real time! To take advantage of this opportunity during inclement weather or anytime, parents should:
1. Download the BusRight App.
2. BusRight will send an email invitation at the beginning of the year to all parents that includes a personal link specific to your child's BusRight account. Click this link to login to BusRight and view your child's routes.
3. If you cannot find the email invitation in your spam folder at the beginning of the year, parents should send an email to support@busright.com.
For additional information on BusRight, check out this training video, FAQ page.
Troubleshooting: If you log into the system and observe the bus appears to be offline, it does not mean the bus route is not in operation, but rather, it is the result of one of the following reasons:
The bus route has completed its run and is back at the bus lot and the GPS is not turned on.
The driver is using a spare vehicle that is not equipped with BusRight's GPS tracking system.
The GPS tracking system on the vehicle is not online due to technical issues.
If the route does not show as an option on your route list, you might not be assigned to that stop in the BusRight system.
If you have any questions Please contact the transportation office at 208-359-3265
BUS RULES
Students need to be at their schedule stop 5 minutes prior to the scheduled pick up time.
Afternoon route buses will depart from all campuses 7 minutes after the bell rings. For the safety of our students, once the buses are in motion, students may be denied boarding of a bus, and may be sent to the office to make arrangements for a ride home.
Please remain seated while bus is in motion, and use appropriate level of voices
Respect each other, and respect the bus.
Students who wish to get off at a bus stop other than his/her regular assigned stop, or wishing to ride a bus other than his/her assigned bus must have written permission from a parent/guardian.
Kindergarten student's must be accompanied by an adult, or older sibling when borading, or being released at his/her bus stop.
The following rules apply when transporting objects on a school bus.
No skateboards, scooters, or helium filled balloons are allowed on the buses.
Students may not transport large musical instruments, or other objects that stick up above the seatback. All objects MUST fit within the seating compartment, and remain under the student's control for the duration of the bus ride.
No glass containers, insects, pets or other animnals shall be transported on the school bus.
Curb to curb pickup and drop off for special needs:
Curb to curb pickup for special needs transportation means the vehicle picks up and drops off the rider at the edge of the curb or driveway, typically at the end of their driveway, without the driver providing assistance from the vehicle to the front door of the child’s home. This requires the rider, or an escort, to be able to get to the vehicle safely on their own, but ensure the pickup and drop-off points are as close and safe as possible. Key aspects of Curb-to-curb service:
No door-to-door assistance. This service does not include assistance from the home’s front door to the vehicle, which is the responsibility of the parent or escort.
Safety: The pickup and drop-off location is chosen based on safety considerations for both, the driver of the vehicle, and the rider. Per Idaho Code, buses will not enter apartment complexes or other private property complexes.
Per Idaho Code; Buses may not enter public parking lots, multi-family home properties, privatly maintained roads, or unmaintained roads to pick up or drop off students. The bus stop shall be located on a public road, and parents are responsible for getting their child to and from the bus stop.