Zack Harris
Director of Maintenance & Transportation
512-237-2487 Ext. 7171
Lucy Kirkby
Transportation Assistant
512-237-2487 Ext. 7174
"Riding the School Bus is a Privilege"
- Contact your student's home school campus for details about which bus your students need to ride.
Bus lanes at each campus are only for bus use during these times:7:00 to 8:00 am, 11:00 to 12:00 pm, 2:50 to 4:30 pm.
- No student should be dropped off or picked up in the bus lane area.
- Please check with your student's campus to find out where your student car line pickup is located.
- Bus riding is for Home to School and/or School to Home, all others must have a signed note from the parent and delivered to the campus office for approval.
- The request will be approved IF there is room and it does not alter the bus route times.
Student Conduct on the School Bus
The Goal of the Smithville ISD Transportation is to provide a safe, orderly service to the students we transport. At Smithville ISD we feel that proper conduct by all students is required in order to achieve the safest bus riding conditions possible. All bus riders will behave in is such a manner as to provide for the safe operation of the bus.
Removal from the School Bus
A bus driver may refer a student to the principal’s office to maintain effective discipline on the bus. The principal must employ additional discipline management techniques, as appropriate, which can include restricting or revoking a student’s bus riding privileges.
Rules:
- Seats are assigned by the driver to aid in the case of an emergency. Changing seats without permission of the driver is a violation of bus conduct rules.
- Students must remain seated at all times for safety reasons. Students are not considered seated when they are not facing the front or if they are sitting on anything, including their legs, books, backpacks, etc.
- Normal student conversation with students next to each other is permitted, but any loud noise which may distract the driver and create an unsafe condition is not permitted.
- All students will remain quiet when the bus is approaching and crossing the railroad tracks.
- Arms, hands, and other parts of the body, as well as any handheld items, are to be kept inside the bus at all times.
- Students are not allowed to throw or shoot objects inside or out of the bus.
- Keep hands, feet, and all body parts to oneself. No fighting or horseplay inside the bus.
- No profane language, obscene gestures, sexual harassment, or bullying is allowed.
- Respect the driver. No verbal threats or physical contact with a school bus driver.
- All Smithville I.S.D. Code of Conduct rules will apply.
- Students will be responsible for all items they bring on the bus.
- Students are not allowed to mark, cut, scratch, or dismantle any part of the bus or its contents. The person responsible for vandalism will pay repair costs.
- Students must keep books, backpacks, packages, coats, and all other personal items out of the aisle. If an item is too large to hold safely in a student’s lap, then it must be secured safely in an empty seat.
- Students will not take or handle emergency equipment inside the bus unless instructed by the bus driver in an emergency.
- No parents or non-school personnel are allowed on the school bus without school authorization.
- Only those students who live on a route are allowed on the bus. All others MUST have prior written approval from their designated campus office.
- No spitting in the bus or out of the bus window.
- No spraying of ANY deodorant, body spray, cologne, hairspray, or any other aerosol products on the bus.
Consequences for Violation of School Bus Rules
- Bus drivers will give verbal warnings on most infractions with the exception of fighting and all prohibited items.
- The bus driver will report violations to the campus assistant principal using the Transportation Disciplinary Referral.
- First Offense: Bus driver will issue the student a written warning of possible suspension from bus privilege should further offenses occur. Parent and principal will sign.
- Second Offense: Student will spend time in ISS or other appropriate school detention. The principal will notify the parent by telephone that the student will be suspended from the bus if a third offense occurs.
- Third Offense: Student will be suspended from bus privileges for 2 days.
- Fourth Offense: Student will be suspended from bus privileges for 5 days.
- Fifth Offense: Student will be suspended from bus privileges for 10 days.
- Sixth Offense: Student will be suspended from bus privileges for the remainder of the semester.
- Major Offense: Any offense considered by the principal to be a major offense may result in immediate removal of bus privileges.
- Suspension: Any student suspended from bus service for an offense will not be allowed to ride another bus for transportation to and from school during the suspension period. Parents will be responsible for providing transportation to and/from school during the period of bus suspension.