Classroom on Wheels 2024-2025

School Bus Expectations 

Tran 2017 bus rules

Prior to Loading the Bus:

  • Students have a responsibility to be at the designated bus stop 5 minutes before the bus time. The driver cannot be expected to wait.  Parents are responsible for their student’s behavior prior to loading the bus.
  • Students should stay at least 10 feet away from the roadway while waiting for the bus. They should be at least 10 feet away from a moving bus and wait until the bus stops before approaching it.
  • If a student is not going to be riding the bus, parents should contact the Indianola Bus Facility at 515-961-9592 and inform us of their intentions.
  • Students will only be picked up at their designated bus stops.

While on the bus the students will:

Tran 2017 danger zone

  • Respect the bus driver, other students, property and themselves.
  • Obey the bus driver’s instructions and directions the first time they are given.
  • Student must wear seat belt.
  • Do not bully or harass physically or verbally.
  • Keep hands and feet off other people and their property.
  • Sit facing forward and stay seated at all times.
  • Sit while the bus is in motion.
  • No eating or drinking on the bus during regular am/pm routes.
  • No unauthorized photography/video.
  • Speak only to those around them in conversational (inside) voices using respectful words.
  • Communicate any problems or conflicts with the bus driver.
  • No technology volume (ear buds required)

After leaving bus students need to:

  • If the student must cross the road after leaving bus, he or she shall wait for the driver’s thumbs up signal before crossing in front of the bus.
  • If a student lives on the side of the road on which the bus stops, he or she shall move away from the bus immediately after getting off.
  • Student should maintain a 10-foot separation between themselves and the bus.
  • Students will be dropped off only at their designated bus stops.

Family’s Responsibility:

It is the families responsibility to make sure their children get to the stop and follow bus rules while they are waiting for the bus.

  • Emphasize that the bus should be considered an extension of the classroom. Riding the bus is a privilege that can be taken away if students do not obey the rules.
  • The rules have been established to increase the safety of all students riding the bus. When the driver’s attention is distracted from the road, this increases the chances of an accident.
  • Teach your children about school bus safety. Ask questions to determine their comprehension. Young children learn through repetition.
  • If you meet your children at the bus stop, wait on the side where the child is discharged. Children eager to greet their parents may disregard their safety training. (Students are trained on the crossover and evacuation techniques twice each year.)
  • Recognize the bus drivers for performing their jobs safely.
  • Notify the Transportation Department when your child will not be riding the bus.

Bus Conduct Report Steps 

Inappropriate student conduct at or near the school bus will involve the building principal and may result in a loss of bus riding privileges for the remainder of the school year.

  • First Offense         Notification to parents
  • Second Offense    May result in loss of bus riding privileges for up to three days
  • Third Offense       May result in loss of bus riding privileges for up to two weeks
  • Fourth Offense     May result in loss of bus riding privileges for the remainder of the year

If the student conduct warrants, the building principal retains the right to bypass the first through third offense. Parents will be contacted when there are issues involving a student’s behavior on the school bus. Students displaying violent, destructive or seriously disruptive behavior while on the bus will be subject to disciplinary action and may be charged by local law enforcement officials.