TRANSPORTATION
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE DISTRICT'S TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
The Sutherlin School District owns and runs its own fleet of school buses. The district’s goal is to provide a safe, economical pupil transportation service. Bus routes are established with this in mind. The Sutherlin School District operates transportation services as established per state statute ORS 327.043 - A school district is required to provide transportation for elementary students who reside more than one mile from school and for secondary school students who reside more than 1.5 miles from school. A district is also required to provide transportation for any student identified in a supplemental plan approved by the State Board of Education.
BUS ROUTES: These are only landmark stops, not a full list of stops. We've added animals to our colors to help students remember which bus they ride.
Route: Orange Cat, Bus #5 – Nonpareil Rd past Plat I to the end of the gravel
Route: Red Monkey, Bus #17– Plat I & K area, Quail Run, Nonpareil Rd before Plat I
Route: Yellow Bear, Bus #14 – Driver Valley Rd, Fair Oaks Rd, North & South Side, Cooper Creek area, Waite St, Willamette, E Third Ave
Route: Blue Bird, Bus #9 – East & West ONLY; Central Ave (572 to Nicholas Ct), 4th Ave (east of SHS)
Route: Green Frog, Bus #15– Hawthorne, 6th Ave., Oak Terrace, North Comstock
Route: Purple Butterfly, Bus #12 - Dakota St, Park Hill Ln, Camas Ct (K-5 ONLY), 1430 W. Central Ave
Route: Brown Cow, Bus #11 - W. Everett, Taylor, S. Calapooia, Deady Crossing
Route: Pink Swan, Bus #4 – Hwy 138, Dovetail area, Church Rd, Grey Fox area, Lexington area, Ft. Mckay Rd, Plat M Rd, W. Duke and Miller (K-5 ONLY)
Busing FAQs
1. Q) Why can’t the driver add a stop?
A) We take many things into consideration when constructing bus routes. Of those, student safety is the most important. Stops are created using established criteria that ensure all students are transported safely. All changes must go through Transportation to assess safety standards set by the Oregon Department of Education.
2. Q) How can a stop be changed or added to a bus route?
A) All change requests must be submitted to the Transportation Department for review. Changes affect all students riding the route, and all parents/guardians must be notified of any change to their student’s stop. Please do not ask drivers to make ‘special’ stops for your student. This practice is strictly forbidden by the Oregon Department of Education.
3. Q) Can a student ride to a different stop or on a different route on a one-time basis?
A) Students may ride a different bus or to a different stop if ALL the following conditions are met:
-Prior arrangements have been made with the Transportation Department for EACH occurrence.
-The student is given a bus pass to hand it to the driver upon loading. Notes to the driver from student/parent will not be accepted – the pass must come from the school office.
-The change is for daycare or emergency purposes.
4. Q) What time do students need to be at their bus stop?
A) Parents should ensure that their students are at their designated stop and ready to board five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled stop time. Traffic and other circumstances can cause the bus to be early or late on any given day. Transportation uses Official U.S. Time (www.time.gov) for all routes. Parents should check their clocks to ensure they are on the same time.
5. Q) Can a student bring a pet on the bus?
A) Oregon Revised Statues do not permit insects, reptiles, or animals of any type except for approved guide or assistance animals.
6. Q) Why are the students assigned to a seat?
A) Seats are assigned to maintain a calm and safe atmosphere on the bus. This makes loading and unloading more efficient.
7. Q) Where will my student be picked up or dropped off?
A) Your student will be picked up at a designated stop along the route. Students are dropped from the bus at their designated stop. A pre-approved bus pass must be presented to the driver at the time they board if you want your student to disembark at a different stop. (See #3)
8. Q) Do I have to be with my kindergarten student at the pickup point?
A) It is advisable for you to be at the pickup point with your student.
9. Q) Do I need to meet my kindergarten student at the drop-off point?
A) Your student will be dropped at their designated stop only if an adult is present unless other arrangements have been made, older siblings, neighbors, or relatives. Please let your school know if you have made other arrangements.
If the driver cannot contact a parent or guardian:
-The driver will call the Transportation office or School for additional information.
-The driver will let the building administrator/secretary know they will return to the stop at the end of the route.
-If no parent is present at that time, the student will be returned to the school.
10. Q) May my student be transported to/from a Day Care instead of home?
A) Your student may be transported to/from a daycare provided that the daycare is within your school attendance area. This will be their designated stop every day if they go to daycare every day.
11. Q) What about early releases?
A) Early release routes are identical to regular-day (K-12), adjusted for time.
12. Q) Will my student have the same bus stop when snow routes are used?
A) Some routes and certain stops on individual routes may be eliminated when snow routes are used. The district will provide information on any time delays and snow routes on inclement weather days.
13. Q) If a parent has a concern about their student’s bus route or driver, who should they talk to?
A) They should contact the Transportation Office at (541) 459-2785 or the student’s school. Complaint forms are available.
14. Q) Can a parent take their student off the bus along the route?
A) Federal and State Transportation regulations only permit the students to depart the bus at their designated stop or at school. Only a district staff member may remove a student from the bus at school. This is for the safety and security of all students.
15. Q) Can students carry glass, plants, skateboards, or a large project on the bus?
A) Objects that could break or anything that could potentially injure students cannot be transported on the bus. Large items that cannot be safely stored on the student’s lap may not be transported. These objects become hazardous in the event of a collision.
16. Q) Will students have the same stop before and after school?
A) Stops may not be the same in the morning as they are in the afternoon for some students. Many students go to after-school programs and daycare, creating the same type of situation. Additionally, some afternoon routes and stops may be consolidated for efficiency.
17.Q) Can students bring their musical instruments or skateboard on the bus?
A) For student safety, large, uncontained objects cannot be transported on the school bus (See #16). Musical instruments in a case may be transported provided there is space on the bus and the instrument can be secured by the student. Skateboards are not permitted.
18. Q) If my student has not arrived at the normal drop-off time, who do I call?
A) Afterschool route times are estimates and may vary depending on many factors. Call the Sutherlin School your child attends. They can contact student transportation to confirm any delays and provide an estimated arrival time.
19. Q) Will transportation be provided if we move?
A) Depending on whether you still reside in the same school boundary, transportation may be available, and new stop information will be provided within three (3) days of notifying transportation of your address change. If your move has placed you in the walking area for your home school, your student will no longer ride a bus. If you have moved out of the school boundary, you will be responsible for your student’s transportation.
20. Q) Why aren’t there any seatbelts on the buses?
A) By design, only a lap belt could be installed in a bus, not a lap/shoulder belt system. In school buses, children are protected by the safety compartment they ride in, called “compartmentalization.” One of the major benefits of compartmentalization is that it is a passive form of crash protection. Neither the driver nor the student has to ensure that the lap belt is placed properly across the student’s lower torso. The design also fits a wide variety of weights, heights, ages, and seating positions. In a collision, the seat in front of the passenger is designed to deflect forward, absorbing the energy developed in the crash. The seat design allows the knees to impact first, followed by the chest. Lap belts would keep the pelvis secure and allow the head to impact the seat in front of the passenger. Data from laboratory crash tests conducted in the United States and Canada indicate that the trauma and force on the head would likely result in greater, not lower, injury levels. While school buses continue to be the safest vehicles on the Nation’s highways, the federal government is studying ways to make school buses even safer. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a research program underway that is looking at ways to make school bus passengers even safer in a crash. When that research is completed later this year, there may be changes proposed for future school buses. In the meantime, current school bus safety requirements provide your child with the safest form of transportation possible, including your personal vehicle.