Transportation Services Department     |   home back to Students with Special Needs Parental Responsibilities   |   Student Responsibilities   |   Frequently Asked Questions Parental Responsibilities Parents and guardians are an important part of the total safety awareness program for students who travel to and from school by bus. Students can benefit from learning to become safe pedestrians and passengers. Here's how you can Help:       Allow enough time in the morning for unhurried, calm school preparation time. Prepare as much as possible the night before. Have your children wear bright, contrasting colored coats or put a piece of high visibility, reflective tape on coats and backpacks. Help your children to leave on time. Allow for weather and plan to arrive at the bus stop five minutes before the scheduled deaprture time but not more than 10 minutes. Go with younger children to the bus stop or have older children assist. Tell your children to walk in groups, if possible. Please train pets to stay in the yard, away from bus traffic. Remind your children to walk on the sidewalks or out of the street, single file, facing traffic, and as close to the edge of the road as possible. Teach your children to Stop, look left, right, and then left again before crossing the street. Running games, shoving, or horseplay is too dangerous at the bus stop and around traffic. Tell your children to stand ten feet away from the street when waiting for the bus. They should wait there until the bus driver says it's OK to board the bus. If anything is dropped during loading or unloading the bus, children must wait for instructions from the bus driver before attempting to retreive it. Six feet on either side and ten feet in front of the bus are condisered the Danger Zone. This is the area most difficult to SEE children around the school bus. Teach your children to STOP and look before hurrying away from the bus as they exit at the end of the day.       No objects should be thrown from the bus. Here's how you can help with students with special needs :       Be at home or have a designated responsible person there when your child is scheduled to arrive from school.       If you have an emergency and you or a responsible person cannot be at home for the delivery of your child, notify your child's school as soon as possible.       If you are running late notify dispatch at 805-641-5000 ext. 1320.         If you child is ill and unable to ride the bus, please notify dispatch at 805-641-5000 ext. 1320.       Notify Pupil Services/Special Education Department at 805-641-5000 immediately if there are any changes to you personal circumstances                (i.e. address change, telephone contact numbers, alternate address information).