LLS Transportation Handbook

A Los Lunas School student will be eligible for transportation to his/her assigned school under the following criteria:

Grades K-6 (Elementary-Intermediate):  a student whose registered address is one mile or more one-way from his/her assigned attendance center.

Grades 7-8 (Middle):  a student whose registered address is one and one-half miles or more one-way from his/her assigned attendance center.

Grades 9-12 (High):  a student whose registered address is two miles or more one way from his/her assigned attendance center.

Eligible students are required to have a "Transportation Registration form" on file with the bus driver and the transportation office.

Students with "special needs" who require modified transportation as a related service as specified in the student Individualized Education Program (IEP) must provide the following information before service can be scheduled:               

a)  A copy of the relevant IEP section on transportation as a related service (along with the specific modifications requested).

b)  A current copy of the "Confidential IEP Transportation Request Form”

c)   Students that do not meet the afore mentioned criteria may be eligible to be transported if they meet the State Board of Education’s “Hazardous Walking Regulation” 6.41.3 criteria.

A student will not be afforded transportation if attending a school outside his/her residence school, unless specified by an Individualized Education Program (IEP).  Transportation for attendance at another school will be the responsibility of the parents/guardians unless specified by an IEP.

Students that reside outside the Los Lunas School District but choose to attend Los Lunas Schools must provide their own transportation unless both school districts have a Transportation Boundary Agreement in place. (Regulation 6.42.2)

A student attending daycare/babysitting facilities may be transported if:

1.      the student’s registered address meets the distance requirement for transportation to his/her home school

2.      the facility is in the same school attendance zone as the student’s residence

3.      the facility meets the required distance from the school

4.      there is space available on the school bus serving that route

5.      added equipment, cost, and/or mileage are not incurred

6.      and there is no change in the school bus route

7.      a change in pick-up/drop-off form is in place

Children not enrolled in Los Lunas Schools, or others not directly associated with Los Lunas Schools, including parents/guardians, are not permitted to ride a school bus on regular to and from routes unless they have prior written permission from the Superintendent or Director of Transportation, or their designees.

Student responsibilities for transportation services include the following:

1.      Students shall not board or exit the bus at a location other than their regular assigned bus stop, without the advanced written permission of the student’s school principal, Director of Transportation or designee.

2.      Students who are required to walk a distance to meet the bus should walk on the side of the road to their left facing traffic, except on divided or multi-lane roadways.

3.      Students must be at their regular bus stop five minutes prior to the scheduled pick-up time.  The bus driver will not wait for students who are not at the bus stop or try to reach the bus stop.  Students receiving modified services shall be ready 5 minutes before the assigned pick-up time.

4.      Students will exhibit safe and appropriate behavior when waiting for and boarding the bus.

5.      Students must follow the driver’s instructions promptly.  When a principal or designee is on the bus, they are also authorized to enforce student discipline.

6.      Students shall not get on or off the bus while it is in motion.  Students must remain seated and keep aisles and exits clear.

7.      Students shall occupy the seat assigned to them by the driver.  If the bus is equipped with seat belts, students must wear them.  Students that are determined by the IEP Team to require a seat belt or car seat must be properly secured in the car seat/seat belt and attached to the seat by a seat belt as appropriate.  All car seats belonging to students will be removed from the bus at the end of each route.

8.      Students are not to engage in unnecessary conversation with the driver while the bus is in motion.

9.   Students shall not be permitted in the driver’s compartment while the bus is in motion.

10.  Students shall not tamper with any equipment on the bus.

11.  Students shall exhibit respect, act responsibly, be trustworthy, practice fairness, have a caring attitude and display good citizenship while on the school bus.

12.  Students shall not use profane language or make obscene gestures while on the bus.

13.  Students will not leave any trash in the bus and shall cooperate with the bus driver in keeping the bus clean.

14.  Rough or boisterous conduct will not be permitted in the bus.  Students shall be absolutely quiet when the bus is approaching a railroad crossing and remain quiet until the bus is safely across the tracks.

15.  Students shall not eat any food or drink any beverage while being transported to or from school.

16.  Students shall not extend any part of their body or any objects through the bus windows.

17.  Firearms, knives, explosives, breakable glass, or other dangerous objects are not permitted on the bus.  Animals, except those animals authorized by an IEP or 504 Accommodation plans, are not permitted on the bus.

18.  No item that will block the aisle or is unsecured shall be carried on the bus.

19.  Students shall not open or close the bus windows without the permission of the bus driver.

20.  Students shall not throw away any item inside or outside the bus while boarding, riding, or leaving the bus.

21.  The use, possession, or distribution of tobacco, drugs, alcohol, or any other controlled substance shall not be permitted on the bus.

22.  Students will not ride on the outside of the school bus at any time or attach any item to the bus.

23.  Students and parent/guardians shall be held responsible for malicious destruction to the bus.

24.  Passengers shall report damage to the bus of any cause to the driver; and the driver will, in turn, report it to the proper school official and Director of Transportation.

25.  Skateboards, or any object that may cause a safety hazard, are not allowed on any school bus.

For safe riding on a school bus by their child, parent/guardian responsibilities include the following:

1. Teaching their children to learn and obey the school bus safety rules and to exhibit appropriate student conduct as described in the Parent/Student Transportation Handbook; instructing their children to be at the assigned stop five minutes before the scheduled arrival time of the bus and to leave the bus only at their assigned stop.
2. Requesting a change in student drop-off location in writing at least two (2) school days prior to the day of the change.  Only in the event of an emergency can a change be made on the same day. If a student is to board a different bus other than his/her own, it is not the responsibility of the bus driver or transportation office to make sure the child gets on the correct bus.
3. Parents/Guardians of students observed in acts of vandalism of private property while on the bus or at the school bus stop may be held responsible, and restitution may be pursued by the School District.
4. If a student is at an a.m. stop, but is ineligible for transportation, the student will be given a ride to school, and the driver will notify the principal/designee and Director of Transportation.
5. Parents/Guardians will not be transported on to and from school buses.
6. Physician-prescribed medication that is to be transported to school for use during the school day, will be appropriately labeled and transported in a backpack or parcel and kept in the student’s possession during the route.  Neither the school bus driver nor the attendant will administer medication during the route.  Only healthcare providers accompanying students (as specified in a 504 Accommodation Plan or the IEP) will be authorized to administer physician-prescribed medication while on the school bus.

Parents/Guardians of students who have been approved for modified transportation services will: 

1. Cooperate in the completion of the Los Lunas Schools IEP Transportation Form by providing alternate phone numbers and addresses of responsible persons to be contacted in case of an emergency such as illness, injury, or abbreviated school day due to inclement weather or other unusual circumstances. 
2. Have the student ready to board the bus 5 minutes before the assigned pick-up time.
3. Ensure that students have clean diapers if they are not toilet trained and that colostomy bags are not filled to capacity before boarding the bus.  Transportation will not be provided for students who are soiled or have full bags before boarding the bus.
4. Transport their students when exceptional situations arise which call for a deviation from established bus service, (e.g., student needs to be dropped off at a different address outside of service area, temporarily).
5. Transport their student in the event of bus suspension.
6. Make arrangements to have a responsible person indicated on the Transportation Form meet the bus if a student cannot be left unattended.
7. In the event the student does not plan to attend school on a specified day, the parent/guardian will:

• Notify the Transportation Department in advance (one school day if possible), or         
• If student does not ride the bus for more than three days, bus service will stop.  Parent or Guardian will have to call the transportation office to reinstate bus service.

The Transportation department and each school is required to develop a School Bus Disciplinary Plan.  The following plan is intended to serve as an example for the Transportation department and the school sites.

Disciplinary Plan - When a Site Administrator or the Director of Transportation receives a school bus incident report, the administrator may use the following disciplinary plan:

• 1st Offense -  A warning to the student with a report to the parents or guardians will be issued.  It is expected the parent/guardian will work with their student to help prevent a recurrence.
• 2nd Offense - Disciplinary action will be taken at the discretion of the administrator, depending on the seriousness of the infraction.  A report to the parent/guardian will be made.
• 3rd Offense - Suspension of riding privileges will result.  The length of suspension will depend on the seriousness of the infraction.  A report to the parents/guardians will be made.

The administrator/designee may select a different sequence in handling any incident. For the protection of school employees and students, the Director of Transportation reserves the right to suspend a student's transportation services for severe disruption and dangerous behavior, for the following infractions, for not less than five (5) days:

a.    Physical harm to another individual.

b.    Physical harm to the bus driver or the bus assistant.

c.    Physical damage to the bus.

d.    Continued uncontrollable disruptive behavior including verbal and other non-physical

       assaults against other students, the driver or the assistant.

e.    Any behavior that creates unnecessary distractions to the bus driver.

f.     Any disruption which prohibits the safe operation of the school bus.

In addition to the suspension of transportation privileges, legal action against the student and or parent/guardian may be taken.

Students who are suspended from the bus are not necessarily

suspended from school.  Transportation to and from school for students who are only suspended from the bus is a parental/guardianship responsibility.  

If a student or the parents/guardians of a student do not agree that the disciplinary consequences of bus riding behaviors are fair or reasonable, a conference with the Director of Transportation and principals/designees may be held.  If a resolution is not reached, a conference with Director of Transportation, Principals and/or IEP Team may be held. 

Students receiving modified transportation service may also be suspended from the bus.  As stated by State of New Mexico Standards for Providing Transportation for Eligible Students, (2.11.3), any suspension for more than 10 cumulative days per school year of a student with a current IEP must be reviewed by the IEP committee.

A member of the IEP Team will notify the Transportation Department if a student with a disability might exhibit any problematic behavior while on the bus.  Problematic behavior will be noted on the transportation form, and special disciplinary interventions, restrictions, or techniques contained in the IEP will be shared with the Transportation Office and the individual bus driver/attendant.

In transporting musical instruments, school projects, or other large articles, the following shall apply:                                     

1. The driver will not permit the transportation of any items that will block the aisle or exits of the bus.

2. No item shall be placed in the driver’s compartment.

3. All item carried by student shall be under his/her control at all times.

4. The size of the item should be such that it can be carried on the student’s lap or on the floor of the bus, and shall not extend beyond or above the height of the seat in front of the student.

5. If space is available on board the bus, large items, such as a musical instrument may be allowed if only one student is assigned to a bench seat, the musical instrument case does not extend beyond or above the seat backs, and the instrument is placed on the floor next to the window.

6. Some students may need the assistance of oxygen or mechanical ventilation devices during the bus ride.  All equipment used by a student who is technologically dependent must be secured so that it does not become detached from the individual dispensing unit, not become a projectile in the event of an impact.  Health plans from students who are technologically dependent will be attached to their Modified Transportation Service Form.

The decision to implement an abbreviated day schedule requires the coordination efforts of several people. State, County, and City Street departments may be contacted for road conditions. The Superintendent/designee will make the final decision to implement an inclement-weather day schedule (abbreviated schedule or cancellation) for Los Lunas Schools.

The abbreviated day schedule is a shortened school day that begins two hours later than the regular schedule and ends at the regular time.  Students must be at their bus stops two hours later than regular time. 

All site-to-site (e.g., physical and occupational therapy) and work study (e.g., transition services) transportation will be cancelled on an abbreviated day.  No scheduled time deviations will be honored on an inclement weather-day schedule.

The most common use of the abbreviated day schedule occurs when severe weather conditions make it difficult to drive the school buses safely and could endanger the safety of students being transported to school.

The decision to institute an abbreviated schedule will be made and announced through the news media no later than 6:00 am. Following the decision to implement an abbreviated schedule, weather conditions occasionally worsen to the point that it is necessary to close the schools. 

This announcement will be made as early as possible.

If severe weather conditions materialize during the school day, the Superintendent/designee will determine if it is necessary for an early release. Information on the early release will be provided via the District’s communication app.