Students should be advised of the following safety rules: 

·         Be at the designated bus stop ten minutes prior to bus arrival.

·         Never stand in the roadway while waiting for the bus.

·         Behave in a safe and courteous manner while waiting.

·         Do not move toward the bus until the bus comes to a complete stop.
·         Be considerate of surrounding property while waiting for the bus.
·         Go to the assigned seat and remain there until the bus reaches the stop.
·         Keep arms and other parts of the body inside the bus at all times.
·         In an emergency, remain seated until your driver gives instructions.
·         When crossing a roadway at the discharge point, go to a point at least ten feet in front of the bus and wait for a signal from the bus driver.
·         Do not eat or drink on the bus.
·         Buckle up with seatbelts.

Getting children to and from school safely each day is important to us. Here are a few more safety tips for students:

·         Set the morning routine so that your child arrives at the bus stop at ten minutes before the bus is due.

·         While waiting for a bus, students should stay in the "safe zone" of at least five to ten feet in front of the bus.

·         Students should take their time entering the bus, lining up in a single file, and not trying to push.

·         The bus should come to a complete stop before a student leaves a seat.

·         Cross only at crosswalks or corners for better visibility for car and bus drivers.

·         If a child’s behavior is distracting to the bus driver or is potentially harmful to another child, verbal warnings, followed by written bus conduct reports, will be issued. Please remember that riding the bus is a privilege that may be denied if behavior is inappropriate. Three conduct reports may result in a suspension of bus privileges.

BUS EMERGENCIES

It is essential that open lines of communication be established and maintained among the parents, the school district transportation department, the township police departments, and the transportation contractors. In keeping with this need, the West Windsor-Plainsboro Transportation Department will coordinate communications among the involved parties. As the prime communicator, the transportation office is sensitive to the concerns of district parents and endeavors to establish a sense of security that those concerns will be acted upon promptly, appropriately, and efficiently.

A parent's first inquiry of concern should be directed to the transportation office. All parental calls will be logged and forwarded immediately to the transportation coordinator. Parents will be notified promptly of any action taken. If the matter is not resolved to the parent's satisfaction, the parent may contact the assistant superintendent for Finance at 716-5000. If the problem persists, the parent should contact the superintendent of schools.

In the unlikely event that a district/contracted school bus is involved in an emergency situation while transporting students to or from school, the driver will notify the transportation office as soon as possible with all vital information. The driver will not leave the scene of the emergency until the police have investigated. The vehicle will not be moved unless it poses a danger to the occupants and/or other vehicles, or as directed by the police.

After the transportation office has been apprised of the situation, if appropriate, it will first notify the police and the first aid squad. The Board Office will be informed and, if necessary, the school administrator will place the school nurse on call until further information is available.

The school for which the students are being transported will notify parents/guardians of the emergency situation and, to the extent known, the condition of their children and their anticipated arrival time. In the case of primary schools, a memorandum will be sent to parents providing them with an accurate description of the emergency whenever the police or first aid squad is involved.

In an emergency, students will be transported home or to the nearest school for observation and action by the school nurse. Parents will not be permitted to remove their children from the scene of an accident.

If there exists, the remotest possibility of student injury, the nurse at the nearest school will report to the scene of the emergency. Any student with complaints of injury or with a report of a blow to the head will be sent immediately to the hospital by ambulance for further examination, unless released by the first aid squad. The names of all students involved will be on record.