- Transportation Email Support
- Bus Stop Information
- About Us
- Transportation Staff
- Bus Safety
- Closing and Delays
- How to Become a Bus Driver
- FAQ
- Related Services
- Foster Care Transportation
Transportation Email Support
Bus Stop Information
Find a bus stop:
If you are new to the corporation, have moved or are thinking about moving and need to find a bus stop, you can click the link below, which will connect you to the program used in the transportation office to determine whether a student is eligible for transportation by the corporation.
Click to access transportation program
Transportation Policy:
Lafayette School Corporation has a Transportation Policy that was last revised in June 2008. In the policy, it states that a student enrolled in the corporation Kindergarten through 12th grade who lives one and one-half miles or more from his or her school is eligible for transportation to and from school. If you live within one and one-half mile, then it becomes parent responsibility to provide transportation to school. To see the full policy, click the link below.
Click to access the full transportation policy
Boundaries & Maps:
If you would like to see the boundaries for the elementary schools, you can click the link below to be directed to that site.
Click to access boundaries & maps page
About Us
Contact Information:
Lafayette School Corporation
Transportation Office
611 N. 22nd Street
Lafayette, IN 47904
Phone: (765) 771-6059
Fax: (765) 771-6075
Jim Scroggin
Director of Transportation
Mission Statement:
Our mission is to ensure the proper education of our children in the Lafayette School Corporation and throughout Tippecanoe County by transporting them safely and efficiently to school and all related functions.
Transportation Staff
Transportation Director - Jim Scroggin
Dispatch/Secretary - Jill Weaver
Routing Coordinator - Joy Johnson
Field Trip Coordinator - Jenny Crowder
Related Services Transportation Specialist - Elizabeth Schmidt
Bus Safety
BUS RULES
Remember riding the bus is a privilege, not a right.
Good behavior is the only way to continue riding the school bus.
Instructions for students riding school buses:
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Respect the drivers and follow their instructions.
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Rules of classroom conduct will be observed on the bus.
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Remain seated; keep head and arms inside bus at all times.
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Keep entrance door, emergency exits and aisle clear of obstacles. No pets, glass or large items, including large band instruments, will be allowed on the bus.
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Throwing anything, at any time, on or out of the bus is not allowed.
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Eating, drinking and chewing gum are not allowed while riding the bus.
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Keep all conversations quiet.
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Use no profane or obscene language or gestures.
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Cross the road in front of the bus, after waiting for the driver’s signal.
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Maintain complete silence at railroad crossings.
Violation of these rules could result in loss of bus riding privileges for a student. The safety of all children on each bus can be compromised by one student whose actions are distracting to the bus driver. Time spent now in reviewing these rules may prevent a problem at a later date.
Here are some additional Safety Tips to share with your student for a safe ride on our school bus! https://www.cctvcameraworld.com/security-safety-starts-with-you-your-child.html
Closing and Delays
LSC Closing and Delay Information
How is the decision to delay or close schools made? The safety and well-being of our students and staff is a top priority during inclement weather. The Director of Transportation begins the process – typically early in the morning (about 3 a.m.) – by driving roads, checking with local law enforcement and city, county and state highway officials. Transportation directors from surrounding school districts are contacted to compare information.
When all information is collected, a recommendation is made to the Superintendent on the cancellation or delay.
If the decision is based on cold rather than inclement weather, the wind-chill factor is taken into consideration. For example, zero without wind may not be as hazardous as a temperature of 10 with a wind-chill factor that brings the temperature to -5.
On some occasions, a decision will be made to delay the start of school rather than to cancel for the day. This is especially true when the forecast projects frigid weather, fog or snow. A delay usually assures that students will be picked up when it is daylight, and perhaps the sun will even be shining to take away some of the chill.
When is the decision made and how can I find out if school is delayed or closed? The decision is made as early as possible, but normally by 5:30 a.m. Once a decision is made, radio and television stations are notified and the website is changed. Additionally, the announcement is recorded on the transportation switchboard (765-771-6059) and a messaging system relays the information to staff and parents.
Why not just decide to close school (or delay) based on the weather forecast the night before? It is very difficult to make a decision to delay or close school based on a predicted forecast, especially when the forecast relates to snow. The decision will typically be made in the morning, based upon all factors addressed above.
When is a decision made to dismiss students early? Early dismissals are never an easy decision. Every attempt will be made not to dismiss school early during the day, because we recognize that often means no one is at home to meet students. However, rapid weather changes and safety can dictate the need for early dismissal. Please discuss this possibility with your family and have a plan in place should this occur.
I think schools should have been closed – it is not safe to be on the road and I don’t want my child to go out in this weather. Each parent has a right to determine if his/her child will go to school. If the parent feels it is unsafe, he/she has every right to keep the child at home. The child will be counted absent with parent consent but he/she may make up any work missed.
How to Become a Bus Driver
School Bus License Process
To be considered for a bus driver position for Lafayette School Corporation, you need to submit an application online click here to be redirected to online application. Applications will be reviewed by the Director of Transportation. An interview will be conducted followed by a background check, pre-employment drug and alcohol test.
- You will take the written exams at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to get a permit/temporary license for a school bus. Requirements are: General Knowledge, Public Passenger, S Endorsement and Air Brakes. BMV will need to see the CDL physical before you complete the written exams. You will receive a temporary driver’s license for 180 days. Make sure you have a Class B Interstate license (not intrastate), with a P (passenger) and S (school bus) endorsement.
- A CDL Physical Examination and Physical Fitness Certificate are required. You can pick up both forms at the Transportation Office. The physical examination and physical fitness certificate will be completed at Indiana University Health – Occupational Medicine.
- Bring permit and CDL physical to the Transportation Office, and the Director of Transportation will pass your information along to one of the three driver trainers.
- Once the trainers feel confident that you are ready to take the test, we will contact the test site and set up a date and time for you to take the skills test. Lafayette School Corporation will pay the fee for you to take your state test one time; each additional time you have to test, you will be responsible for the $100 charge. Our trainer will accompany you when you go to be tested. This test is a Pass or Fail grade only.
- Upon completion and passing score of the skills test, the grader will update your license to the BMV. It is important that you make sure the correct endorsements have been put on your license before you leave the BMV.
- The Transportation Office will schedule you to take the three-day Safety School Course conducted by the Indiana State DOE/Safety Office. Once you successfully complete the Safety School, you will be issued a blue card. This blue card will allow you to drive a school bus with another licensed bus driver on the bus with you.
- The next step in the licensing process is for you to complete the observation/drive time on an actual school bus route with a licensed school bus driver. This form must be submitted to the State DOE/Safety Office. You observe on a bus route for four hours and drive a bus route for eight hours with another driver on the bus. When this is finished, the Transportation Office will submit all of the information to the State DOE and you will be issued your yellow card. This card is needed to transport kids alone.
- Your name will be added to our substitute driver list or be assigned to a route if there is a position available.
FAQ
Q: Can my student ride the bus home with a friend?
A: If your student is in grade K-four, they may ride with a note signed by both parents. Students in fifth through 12th grade are not allowed to ride with friends unless it is an emergency. If it is an emergency, the school administration will notify transportation.
Q: Can my student bring items on the bus with them?
A: If they can hold the item in their lap safely, then it may be transported on the bus. Items may not be on the floors or in the aisle way.
Q: Can my student bring animals on the bus?
A: Transportation only allows service animals on school buses.
Q: Can my student have electronics on the bus?
A: Electronics are permitted as long as they are not a distraction to the bus driver. If the electronics become an issue, the item will be taken by the driver and returned to the school administration. Click here to see electronic use policy.
Q: Can my student get off at another bus stop?
A: Drivers will only allow students to get off the bus at their designated bus stop.
Related Services
Related Services Transportation serves students throughout the Lafayette School Corporation. Each driver may serve two to three school sites. In order to provide safe and efficient transportation for all students, it is imperative that we have communication and cooperation by all involved.
Transportation personnel are available from 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you have questions about your student's transportation or need to report an absence, please contact our office at 765-771-6059.
Contact Numbers for additional information:
G.L.A.S.S Administrative Office: 771-6006
Linwood Preschool: 476-2900
Lafayette School Corporation Administrative Office: 771-6000
- Parent Responsibility
- Wheelchair Information
- Child Safety Restraints
- Transporting Medication
- Inclement Weather
Parent Responsibility
* It is the responsibility of each parent of caregiver to accompany their child to the bus. The bus driver or attendant will assist the child onto the bus and into his/her safety restraint.
* It is also parent or caregiver's responsibility to meet the student at the bus when they return home.
* Have your child fully clothed and ready 10 minutes before pick-up time. The bus will only wait three minutes and then move on.
* If your child misses the bus, the driver will not return for him/her. It is the parent's responsibility to get them to school.
* It is important to fill out the student information card completely and return to the driver as soon as possible. The information is kept in complete confidence, and is important to have in case an emergency or unusual situation occurs. It is imperative that this information be kept current.
* If your child is unable to attend school on any given day, contact the driver or the transportation office at 765-771-6059 as early as possible.
* If you fail to call to report that your child will not be riding the bus for three consecutive days, the driver will not return to pick up the student again until you have called to request the transportation be resumed.
Wheelchair Information
It is the parents' responsibility to provide the maintenance to keep their child's wheelchair in proper working order. All wheelchairs must be in good repair before being used for transportation on a school bus.
There will be a safety check done on every wheelchair that will be transported on a Lafayette School Corporation bus.
Loading and unloading
It is the responsibility of the parent or caregiver to bring the student to the bus. The driver or attendant will open the lift door and secure it. The driver will lower the lift, and the person outside will position the wheelchair on the lift platform with the student facing away from the bus, lock the brakes, and turn the power off if it is a power chair. The outside person will have a firm grip on the frame of the wheelchair for stability as it is lifted up.
No one but the student rides on the lift.
Transportation personnel cannot carry a student on or off the bus unless there is an emergency.
All occupied wheelchairs must be secured by a four-point tie-down system in a forward-facing configuration. The tie downs must be attached to the frame of the wheelchair. The personal securement system consists of a lap belt and shoulder belt.
Child Safety Restraints
As transportation professionals, we have a very special task: to provide safe and secure transportation for preschool-age children in a school bus. We pride ourselves in the training provided to our drivers and attendants. In our continued effort to provide safe transportation service for your child, we have developed the following guidelines for transporting preschool-age children. We hope these guidelines will help assure you that you child is being transported in the safest possible manner.
Child Safety Restraints:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted crash testing of preschool-sized dummies in school bus seats. The test results showed that preschool children in school buses are safest when transported in child safety restraint systems. A child safety restraint system is defined as any device (except a passenger system lap belt) designed for use in a motor vehicle to restrain, seat, or position a child who is of preschool age.
When preschool-age children are transported in a school bus, NHTSA recommends these guidelines be followed:
- Each child should be transported in a Child Safety Restraint System suitable for the child's weight and age that meets all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
- Each child should be properly secured in the Child Safety Restraint System
- The Child Safety Restraint System should be properly secured to the school bus seat, using anchorages that meet all Federal Safety Standards.
Types of child safety restraint systems used by Related Services Transportation
* Car Seats
* Star Seats
* Safety Vests
Transporting Medication
All student medications transported to and from school must be in the original prescription container and placed in a bag with the student's name and school written on it. The bag will be given by the parent or the student to the bus driver or the attendant upon entering the bus. They, in turn, will give the medication to the teacher, classroom paraprofessional or student upon arrival at school. Once the student arrives at school, they must follow the school's medication procedure.
Students should not carry prescription medication to and from school on their person when being transported on a bus.
If you have any questions about transporting prescription medication, you can contact Transportation or the school nurse for additional information.
Inclement Weather
When there is a question concerning transportation problems caused by bad weather, parents should listen to local radio stations and local TV stations for further instructions.
When Lafayette School Corporation operates on a delay, there will be no a.m. preschool or alternative school classes, and transportation will not be provided.
In inclement weather or poor road conditions, the driver will be solely responsible for the decision on entering private driveways. If, in the driver's opinion, is it is unsafe to enter a private driveway, the parent must bring the child to the road.
Foster Care Transportation
Transportation procedures apply to all children in foster care for the duration of their time in foster care. Foster care youth are enrolled or remain in their school of origin unless a determination is made that it is not in their best interest. This determination will be based on best interest factors, including consideration of the appropriateness of the current educational setting and the proximity to the school in which the child is currently enrolled at the time of placement. When a determination is made that it is not in the child’s best interest to remain in school of origin, the child will be immediately enrolled in a new school
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