Bus Route Information

Bus Route information will be available using the Stopfinder application approximately two weeks prior to the beginning of each school year.

• Students are required to be waiting at their assigned bus stop five (5) minutes prior to your child’s scheduled departure time.

Riding The School Bus

• Students must ride their assigned bus.
• Students must board and exit the bus at their assigned bus stop.
• Students may not ride another bus route to or from school with another student for any reason.
• Notes from parents granting a student permission to get on or off at any other stop other than their assigned stop will not be honored.
• Parents/Guardians are responsible for transporting students to or from a friend’s house when necessary–students may only ride their assigned buses. No Exceptions.
• In the event of an emergency situation, a student may be granted permission to get off the bus at an alternate location on the same bus route. In this case, the Transportation Office must be contacted prior to the time of the occurrence with an explanation of the emergency.

At Your Assigned Bus Stop

• Be ready and waiting outside for your bus at least five (5) minutes prior to your scheduled pick-up time.
  • The bus driver is not expected to stop the bus and traffic unless they know that the student will be taking the bus. Be outside and be visible!!
  • Be on time to be courteous to other motorists and fellow students that are waiting for the bus.
• Students who have to walk to their assigned bus stop–
  • Use a direct route from home to the bus stop and from the bus stop to home.
  • Do not accept a ride to the bus stop from another person.
  • When possible, please remain on a sidewalk.
  • Walk facing traffic.
  • When crossing the road/street–
    • Look left, right, and left before crossing.
    • Listen for other vehicles.
    • Ensure that no vehicles are approaching or that all vehicles have stopped completely.
    • Use crosswalks, traffic signals, and pedestrian traffic signals (where available).
    • Wear bright-colored clothing, to increase visibility to motorists.
• When waiting for the bus–stand at least ten (10) feet from the edge of the roadway whenever possible.
  • Never stand in the road/street!!
  • Never walk towards a moving school bus–wait for the bus to stop and for the doors to open, your driver will indicate it is safe to cross the street and board the bus
• Respect other people’s property and be respectful and courteous to other people waiting at the bus stop.
• Parents/Guardians should accompany students to/from the bus stop whenever possible.
• School rules apply to student behavior while at bus stops.
  • Consult student handbooks and other school documentation for school rules.
• Oversized items including oversized backpacks, oversized athletic bags, large musical instruments, skateboards and the like are not permitted on any Wilson School District School Bus or Van due to safety concerns associated with delays and difficulty during the boarding process and our inability to safely secure larger items in the seating area.
  • Students must be able to carry his/her belongings with ease and hold their belongings on their lap–not in a seat or aisle which could block emergency exits in the event of an emergency.

Boarding the Bus

• The yellow flashing warning lights.
  • Warn pedestrians and motorists that the bus is approaching a bus stop.
  • No one should walk towards the bus when the yellow lights are flashing because the bus may still be moving.
• The red flashing warning lights.
  • Warn pedestrians and motorists that the bus is stopped at a school bus stop.
  • All motorists are required to come to a complete stop and remain stopped until the red warning lights are turned off.
• When the bus driver opens the door completely, students may board the bus.
  • Be orderly–no pushing or shoving.
  • Students may need to cross the road in front of the bus.
    • Wait for the driver to signal you to cross the street.
    • Stop, look, and listen before crossing the street.
    • Walk at least ten (10) feet in front of the bus.
      • Students should always be visible to the driver.
    • Never cross the street behind the school bus.
    • Always use the handrail to avoid slipping while on the steps of the bus.
    • Find your assigned seat (if applicable) and sit down immediately (back to seat back, and bottom on the seat).
      • Remain seated until the bus arrives at your destination–school or home.
• When the bus driver closes the door and the red lights are not flashing, the bus will begin to move away from the bus stop.
  • Everyone must be ten (10) feet away from the bus after its doors have closed.
  • NEVER run or walk towards the school bus after the doors have closed.
  • Parents/Guardians are responsible for taking students to school who miss the bus.
    • Do not follow the bus to another bus stop location, your child will not be allowed to board at any stop other than their assigned bus stop.

Exiting the Bus

• The bus driver will determine the best way for students to exit the bus in an orderly manner.
• The reverse procedures apply as the “Boarding the Bus” section above.
• Students should go home immediately after exiting the school bus at their assigned bus stop.

Student Conduct on Buses

Safety is of prime importance for our students as we transport them to and from school and for school-sponsored activities. Safety requires the cooperation of students, parents/guardians, and school personnel. Parents/guardians should review and discuss school bus rules with their child/ children in an effort to help them understand and assume responsibility for good school bus conduct.

• Failure to abide by the School Bus Safety Guidelines may result in school personnel issuing one or more of the following consequences
  • Verbal warning.
  • Change in seat assignment (at the discretion of the Bus Driver or other Wilson School District staff).
  • Written School Bus Conduct Report.
    • Written notification from the school vehicle driver to the building Principal/Designee and the parent/guardian.
    • The school Principal/Designee determines which disciplinary step(s) will be taken in response to the report.
    • Parent/Guardian cooperation is greatly appreciated in addressing student behavioral issues that occur on Wilson School District Vehicles.

Transportation Audio/Video Surveillance

• Please click here to review Board Policy 810.2 regarding Video/Audio Monitoring on School Buses
• Audio/Video recorders may be placed on board school vehicles to be a deterrent against acts of misconduct, thus providing a safer environment for students, drivers, and the motoring public.
• District vehicles may be equipped with digital video recorders (DVRs) and cameras so problems can be pinpointed and appropriate disciplinary actions can be taken. Although DVRs and cameras will be in most buses–they may or may not be recording at any time individuals are on board the vehicle.
• Recorded audio/video recordings capturing misbehavior may be used at conferences with parents/guardians as evidence for disciplinary action.
• A video recording is not required to support a school bus conduct referral written by any district employee.

In Summary

Students are charged with the responsibility of conduct that will result in safe transportation, respect for school personnel, and respect for other students. Failure to abide by the school bus rules, show proper respect to others, and comply with requests of school personnel may result in a student being issued a School Bus Conduct Report and subsequent suspension or denial of bus transportation.

Wilson School District Guidelines for Discharging Young Students

Kindergarten and 1st Grade Students

All Kindergarten and 1st Grade Students riding home from school on Wilson School District buses will only be discharged from their buses if a parent or other authorized caregiver is present to meet the child. We require that parents and caregivers are out of their homes and/or vehicles and visible to their children and their bus driver. If you cannot meet your child at the bus stop, develop an emergency plan and include the following:
** Call your school building’s office
** Call the transportation office
** Call a friend or relative for assistance

Students with a bus stop located along rural routes, door-to-door routes, or routes that are located within walking areas deemed hazardous by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

• Younger students, kindergarten or first-grade students, riding home from school on Wilson School District buses will only be discharged from their buses if a parent or other authorized caregiver is present to meet the child. We require that parents and caregivers are out of their homes and/or vehicles and visible to their children and their bus driver.
• If no one is present to meet the child, the transportation department will attempt to contact the parent/guardian. If necessary, the driver will return the child to their assigned school building.

Students with bus stops located at school buildings or in residential developments at stops with a large number of students:

• Younger students will be discharged from the bus without a parent or caregiver being present.
  • Under these conditions, it is not possible for a driver to ensure that each child is greeted at their stop due to the number of students departing from the vehicle and dispersing in all directions.
  • While the safety of our students is our priority, we need our parents/guardians to be active participants in ensuring the safety of their children.
    • Implement a bus stop buddy system, and discuss with your child that they should walk home with an older sibling and/or other older neighborhood children whenever possible.
    • Create an emergency plan:
      • Discuss whom you should call if you cannot meet your child.
        • Call your school building’s office
        • Call the transportation office
        • Call a friend or relative for assistance
      • Discuss with your child what they should do if no one is there to meet them:
        • Should your child get off the bus if they do not see their parent/guardian?
        • If your child does get off the bus and their parent/guardian is not present where should they go?
          • To their house
          • A friend’s house
          • A trusted neighbor’s house
      • Maintain and communicate your contingency plans to your family and friends to be as prepared as possible for all emergencies that may arise.