Transportation

Additional Safety Information

Below is a picture of the area around a bus where the driver can't see you.  This area is the same for all buses. Please become familiar with these blind spots. The most dangerous spots are the front and the back of the bus. 

 

Do's and Don't at the Bus Stop

• Do make sure the driver can always see you

• Do stay back from the road

• Do stay back until the bus stops, its lights start flashing, the door opens  

• Don't stop to pick up anything that drops while you are crossing in front of the bus

• Don't bring your pet on the bus

KINDERGARTEN, PRE-K & SE STUDENT TAKE HOME POLICY 

Background:
There have been several incidents of Kindergarten, Pre-K or SE students not being met by their parent/guardian during the take-home ( PM Dismissal) that have necessitated the return of the student to the school – causing undue stress and anguish for the student and causing a disruption of bus service to other students and/or routes. In order to continue a safe, efficient and thorough transportation system, the following transportation policy will be implemented, effective 9/1/03:

Policy:
During the PM Dismissal, Kindergarten and younger students must have a parent/guardian, an assigned older sibling or an authorized parental representative at the bus to receive the student or he/she will be returned to the school office. Parents will then be responsible to pickup their student from the school. 

Abuse of the policy will be considered after 3 occurrences and the parent/guardian may need to appear before the Board of Education.

Procedure:
AT REGULAR PM OR EARLY DISMISSAL:

1.  No kindergarten student will be let off of the bus until a parent/guardian or an assigned older sibling is at the bus to receive the child.

2.  When the parent/guardian is not available, then only persons expressly authorized by the parent/guardian will be allowed to receive the child.

3.  If no authorization is found, then the student will be returned to the cafeteria of the school at the conclusion of the bus route and turned over to the after-school daycare provider.

4.  The parent/guardian will be responsible to pay the appropriate fees to the after-school daycare provider for the time that the student is in the program.

This policy applies only to those students in Kindergarten, Pre-K or special needs.

MT. OLIVE TOWNSHIP HAS INSTALLED NEW BUS VIDEO CAMERA SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP ALL STUDENTS SAFE! Click here for the News Channel 12 video.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding School Bus Transportation

Mt Olive Township Schools Transportation Office receives as many as 100 phone calls daily. Here is a list of FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS to assist you with answers to the most commonly asked questions. If your question is not answered here, please do not hesitate to phone 973-691-4005. 

Why is my child's bus late?

Weather, traffic, driver absenteeism, maintenance difficulties, and unforeseen incidents are responsible for delays in the arrival of school buses in the morning and afternoon.

·            Sometimes the bus routes must be doubled out or run as a second load to or from the school due to the regular driver being absent.

·            Traffic in the Mt Olive area is increasingly snarly.

·            Drivers check buses before their routes and sometimes find mechanical problems that can cause delays and require driving another bus for that day. This can cause the bus to be unpunctual.

Please know that we are doing everything humanly possible to have all buses running on schedule everyday. In the event that your bus does not arrive as scheduled, please allow ten to fifteen minutes before calling the transportation office or the school.

Why can't you come further into my sub-division?

School buses come in various sizes ranging from 25 to 36 feet long, 20,000-33,000 pounds, 12-13 feet high and 6-9 feet wide. The length is what limits the school bus to be maneuvered in cul-de-sacs and tight places. Smaller buses can turn in a shorter radius, while longer buses cannot maneuver the same circle without backing the bus, which is avoided in routing if possible. Residents sometimes park trucks, boats, and trailers on the streets. Children leave their bicycles, skateboards, and basketball backboards on the streets. Although our drivers are trained to be able to parallel park their buses, some sub-divisions are not designed with school bus transportation in mind. Please know that we will design school bus routes to be safe and convenient to the majority of students within the limits of time and physics.  

Why does my child have a seat assignment?

Seat assignments are a positive way for the ride to be consistent and safe. It is also our policy for elementary, middle and high school students to be assigned to a specific seat. This aids the driver with discipline and learning each student's names at the beginning of the school year. It also aids the driver in the event of an accident to identify quickly those students who may be injured.

Why can't my child get off wherever they want in the afternoon?

To avoid multiple problems, the driver requires a note, signed by the parent and school administrator to alter the destination of students, for emergency reasons only. This allows the drivers to focus on driving and safety instead of having to decide whether the student should be allowed to change their routine and get off at an alternate stop. This policy avoids confusion and the chance of students getting lost or running away.  

The Transportation Policy regarding day care stops is as follows:
 
The Mt Olive Township Schools policy regarding daycare/emergency requests is intended to reduce, as much as possible, potential errors in picking up/dropping off students at incorrect locations.  In this regard, only those requests outlined will be considered.
 
Daycare Stop Requests:
 
All requests must be submitted, by the parent or guardian, in writing  to the Transportation Department and will be considered permanent for 5 days a week, to or from the same stop, for the entire school year.  Requests will be filled on a first come, first served basis.  All requests must be made at the beginning of EACH school year . (daycare stops do not carry over from year to year) 
 
Requests for daycare stops that require a bus other than the one that normally serves the child, will only be accommodated if space is available and only if the bus does not have to leave its normal routing within the boundaries for that school. If at any time during the course of the school year, new students are admitted to the district, daycare students will be removed from the route if room is needed for these new students living in that area.
 
Changes to the permanent daycare stop will only be considered ONCE per school year and only if space is available.
 
Daycare pickup/drop off for PreK students must be within the same am/pm session as the child’s home address.

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