Transportation Home
Transportation
The Transportation department of the School District of Oconee County is responsible for transporting students in multiple capacities, including to and from school, for field trips, and for all athletic events. School Bus transportation is provided for students who live more than a 1.5 mile radius from the school of their attendance. Bus routes are established in the district to best accommodate the majority of students. These routes conform to the state laws, rules, and regulations. Students who attend outside their transportation area must provide their own transportation.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
If you have a question about pick up or drop off times, please reach out to the bus supervisor for the area where you student attends school. Contact information for the bus office and area supervisors may be found at the link below.
-
STEP 1: Notify the school your child attends in writing of the change.
STEP 2: Contact the bus supervisor for the area you student attends school to receive a bus number and pick up/drop off times.
Contact information for the bus office and area supervisors may be found at the link below. -
No, transportation to a “choice” school is the responsibility of the family. When committing to school choice, the parent/legal guardian agrees to provide transportation to and from that school on a daily and timely basis.
-
STEP 1: Contact your student's school and ask to speak to the principal or assistant principal who handles buses
If you did not get your concern or question adequately resolved after communication with the school:STEP 2: contact the area Bus supervisor to discuss the issue
If you did not get your concern or question adequately resolved after communication with the area bus supervisor:STEP 3: contact the Director of transporation to discuss the issue
Contact information for the bus office, area supervisors, and Director of Transportation may be found at the link below. -
When registering your child, you will be asked about transportation needs. Once registered, please call the area bus supervisor to receive your student's bus number and pick up/drop off times.
-
A parent/legal guardian or responsible party must be visible to the driver before he/she can let a Pre-K through third grade student off at home or at the designated stop. If no one is visible, the school will be contacted and the child(ren) will be returned to the school for parent/legal guardian pickup.
Bus Safety
-
- Pack for school the night before to avoid rushing in the morning
- Choose a backpack without long straps or strings and avoid scarves and clothing with straps or drawstrings. These could get caught on bus handrails or doors when your child gets off the bus
- Make arrangements to bring in class projects that are too large to be carried on the bus.
- Stress the importance of getting to the bus stop a few minutes early. Tell your child to walk, not run.
-
- Teach your child never to stand in the road while waiting for the bus.
- If possible, have your child stand at least 10 feet from the road while waiting.
- Remind your child to wait calmly and quietly for the bus to arrive, to respect private property, and to watch and listen for traffic.
- Tell your child never to play games, run around, or push others while waiting.
-
- Your child should never approach the bus until it comes to a complete stop.
- Your child should watch the bus driver. He or she will signal when it’s OK to get on.
- If your child has to cross the street to board the bus, he or she must:
- Make eye contact with the driver. The bus driver should be able to see your child at all times.
- Wait for the bus driver to signal that it’s safe to cross.
- Watch and listen for cars.
- Stay at least 10 feet away and cross in front of the bus.
- Always stay out of the danger zone.
-
- Stay seated during the entire trip
- Obey the bus driver at all times
- Keep the aisle clear – keep arms and legs, books, coats, and other items out of the aisle.
- Keep hands off emergency exit latches, unless the bus driver says otherwise.
- Keep all body parts inside the bus. Never stick fingers, hands, arms, or head out a window, door, or emergency roof hatch.
- Never throw objects inside or outside the bus
-
- Gather belongings as the stop nears. Don’t carry loose items.
- Stay seated until the bus comes to a complete stop.
- Walk in an orderly manner. Go slow and stay in single file. Use the handrail. Make sure that backpacks and clothing do not get caught.
- Look to the right before exiting the bus. Make sure no other vehicle is trying to pass the bus on the right.
- Never pick up a dropped item when exiting or boarding the bus. Bending over may mean the bus driver can’t see you. Tell the bus driver and follow his/her instructions.
SC School Bus Transportation Laws & Regulations
-
It is declared to be the policy of the State, acting through the State Board of Education, to assume no obligation to transport any child to or from school who lives within one and one-half miles of the school he attends, nor to provide transportation services extending within a .3 tenths of a mile radius of the residence of the child.
43-80-F School bus stops on each route shall not be closer than two-tenths of a mile apart at safe points
-
The driver shall be responsible for maintaining good conduct upon his/her bus and shall report promptly to the governing head of the school to or from which the pupils are transported any misconduct or any violation of the driver's instructions by any person riding in his/her bus
District Boards of school trustees in this state may authorize school administrators to suspend or expel pupils from riding a school bus for misconduct on the bus or for violating the instructions of the driver.
-
No person shall willfully and wrongfully interfere with the operation of a school bus, either public or private, by boarding, restricting movement or using threats, either physical or verbal, to the driver or any passenger while the bus is engaged in the transportation of pupils to and from school or any lawful school activity or while passengers are entering or leaving the bus nor shall any person willfully fail or refuse to obey a lawful order of a school bus driver relating to the occupancy of a school bus. The use of threatening, obscene or profane language addressed to the driver or any passenger entering, leaving or waiting for a school bus is disorderly conduct and any person convicted for the use of such language shall be punished as provided in Section 16-17-530. Nothing contained herein shall be interpreted to infringe upon the power and duties of duly constituted authorities.
-
- The driver of a vehicle meeting or overtaking from either direction a school bus stopped on a highway or private road must stop before reaching the bus where there are in operation on the bus flashing red lights specified in State Department of Education Regulations and Specifications Pertaining to School Buses, and the driver must not proceed until the bus resumes motion or the flashing red lights are no longer actuated.
- The driver of a vehicle need not stop upon meeting a stopped school bus when traveling in the opposite direction on a multi-lane highway or multi-lane private road divided by a median with at least 4 lanes with at least 2 lanes traveling each direction.
- The driver of a vehicle must not overtake a school bus which has amber visual signals activated.
- A school bus must be equipped with red and amber visual signals meeting the requirements of State Department of Education Regulations and Specifications Pertaining to School Buses, which must be actuated by the driver whenever the bus is stopped or preparing to stop on the highway for the purpose of receiving and discharging students. A driver must not actuate the special visual signals when the bus is in a designated school bus loading or off-loading areas is the bus is off the roadway entirely.
- A school bus must bear upon its front and rear plainly visible signs containing he words "SCHOOL BUS" in black letter not less than eight inches in height.
A school bus route that requires passengers off-loaded along a multi-lane highway or multi-lane private road must be designated to ensure that a student is not required to cross a multi-lane highway or multi-lane private road.
_1758023396.png)
_1758023397.png)