Student Safety Walking, Biking and Riding Bus to School
Student Conduct on Buses
The vehicle driver has authority and responsibility for the behavior of students using school district transportation. Students will conduct themselves in accordance with the following rules and regulations. Any misconduct by a student, which in the opinion of the bus driver or bus supervisor, is detrimental to the safe operation of the bus, will be sufficient cause for the principal to suspend the transportation privilege.
Rules of Conduct for Students Riding Buses
Cell Phone Use By Students On School Buses
The use of cell phones for verbal communication is prohibited. Cell phone calls need to be made prior to the student boarding the bus. A driver may allow a student to make a brief call to a parent or guardian if deemed necessary. Cell phones may be used for texting or as a personal music device with earphones.
Bus Passes And Parent Notes
Students must have a note or pass to ride buses other than their regularly assigned bus. The bus pass or note will be from the students’ parent or the school. Signed and dated notes from parents will be presented to the teacher or office staff. The notes or passes will be signed by the school official, otherwise the student will not be allowed to ride the bus.
Non-Military Students
Medical Lake School District transportation will no longer be transporting non-military students onto Fairchild Air Force Base. If a non-military student desires to visit on base they will need to follow the bus pass/parent note procedures to ride the bus to the Air Force Base. When arriving at the Air Force Base they will need to be met by the person vouching them on, at the visitor center, at a prearranged time and take the student from that point.
Personal Entertainment
Personal music devices, game boys, etc., may be used on the bus at the discretion and with the permission of the driver. Music devices may only be used with earphones. Open speakers are not allowed. The volume of all devices must be kept low so that it does not disturb other students or the driver. For safety purposes, ear pieces must be removed from both ears during the time the bus is at the students’ bus stop during the loading or unloading process. Students must be able to hear the driver and traffic.
Skateboards, Etc.
Skateboards and rollerblades are prohibited from being transported on any school buses.
Electronic Devices
Devices (toys/gadgets) (stun guns, tasers) that cause electric shock will be prohibited from school buses. These devices come in the form of pens, lighters, etc. and are considered dangerous.
Lasers
Lasers are considered dangerous and are prohibited from the bus.
Scented Products
The Medical Lake School District has the obligation to provide a safe environment for all persons in the schools or on the school buses. Perfumes, colognes, deodorants, etc., contain agents that may cause asthmatic or other adverse health reactions in some people. Due to the quantity of brands, it is impossible to determine which particular products may present a health risk to students or staff. Therefore, we ask all students and staff to be considerate of others by exercising moderation in the use of these products. If it becomes apparent that a person (student or staff) is wearing a product causing a potential safety hazard, they may be asked to moderate the use of or not use the product. The products will not be opened or sprayed on the buses.
Disciplinary Procedures
Principals are responsible for correcting students whose abusive behavior results in a bus-incident report or violates the rules above. The principal will provide supervision during bus arrival and departure times and receive reports (written and oral) from the drivers.
The principal will ensure that students comply with the specified regulations. Principals must maintain open lines of communication among school officials, bus drivers and the transportation department.
When waiting for a bus, or going to and from a bus stop, students are responsible for conducting themselves according to the social and legal mores that apply to adults in public. That is, they must not abuse or cause damage to private or public property; they must not use obscene language or gestures; they must not engage in criminal activity. Failure to adhere to these standards may result in formal complaints by citizens which may be forwarded to principals for possible corrective action.
Students provided with transportation are responsible for complying with the district’s rules of conduct for students riding buses. Failure to adhere to these rules, or abusive behavior towards the public, driver, fellow passengers or the vehicle constitutes justification for initiating corrective action against a student.
Abusive behavior, on the part of a student riding a bus, may result in a written report when, in the opinion of the driver or bus supervisor, there has been an infraction of the rules applicable to student conduct. The written report is the primary means by which a driver or bus supervisor communicates a student’s conduct to the school and transportation department. This report, in most cases, reflects an infraction of rules which is repeated by the student after his/her having received previous oral warnings from the driver or bus supervisor. In order for drivers and bus supervisors to effectively maintain control on their buses, it is expected that action will be exercised by principals when receiving such a report.
When a student’s conduct constitutes an infraction of the rules, the driver or bus supervisor will complete a report on the student describing the incident or damage that occurred. The report will be read and signed by the transportation supervisor or designee. The transportation office will retain the bottom copy and the original and remaining copies will be sent to the student’s principal.
The principal, upon receiving the report, will investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and take action according to the procedures set forth in the district’s policies pertaining to corrective action and punishment. When investigating the incident, the primary concern must be with respect to the safe transport of students. Corrective action, if necessary, should be consistent throughout the district as follows:
The action taken by the principal will be annotated on the report and forwarded to the student’s parent for signature. The transportation department will be notified.
Drivers will be advised to file assault and battery charges against students who physically assault another student or the driver as this conduct may subject him/her to legal action.
The student or parent of a student, who has been suspended from receiving transportation entitlements, may appeal the principal’s decision by submitting a written statement to the superintendent. The superintendent will render a decision after evaluating the issues and facts involved. If the decision is based on issues unrelated to those described in the district’s rules of conduct for students riding buses, the decision will require board concurrence before implementation.
Emergencies - Accidents
The transportation supervisor will review the contents of the School Bus Driver’s Handbook with each driver prior to the beginning of each school year. Each driver, in turn, is expected to follow the procedure as outlined in the handbook. At the start of each field trip or extracurricular trip, the school bus driver will review with all passengers the location and use of the emergency exits, emergency equipment and any district emergency procedures.
In the event of an accident, the driver will make contact with the transportation supervisor who will :
To facilitate the responsibilities assigned to the transportation department, the supervisor, in cooperation with the building principals, will compile a list of students, including addresses and phone numbers, who are authorized to ride each bus route.