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Transportation
FAQ Q: How do I know if my child qualifies for school bus transportation? A: In general, a student must live 3 miles or more from the school in order to qualify for school bus transportation, but there are some exceptions for K-8. You should contact the student’s individual school or call the Transportation Department if you have questions. Q: Can I pay to have my child ride the school bus? A: Yes, as long as there is room on the bus and the $75.00 per semester fee is paid. However, the student must still walk to an established bus stop within the busing area. Bus stops will not be established outside of the busing area. Q: What is the transportation fee? A: The cost is $75.00 per semester per student, regardless of how much or how little the student actually rides the school bus. If the student qualifies for reduced lunches, then busing would be half price. If the student qualifies for free lunches, then the busing would be free. Q: Where can I get a bus ticket? A: Bus tickets are issued at the front office of each school. Parents and students can also look at bus runs to find the bus stop that is closest to the student’s home. Q: Can my child have more than one (1) bus stop in order to get to work, dance, or other activities? A: No*. The student is allowed one (1) AM bus stop and one (1) PM bus stop. The AM bus stop can be different from the PM bus stop, but the student must get on at the same bus stop each morning and get off at the same bus stop each afternoon. School bus transportation is established to transport a student from home to school and school to home. Any other transportation needs would be the responsibility of the student and his/her parent or guardian. *The one exception would be if parents have joint custody of a child and both parents lived in the established busing area. Q: Can my child ride home with a friend on the school bus? A: No. The School District does not accommodate guest riders. If your child does not ride the school bus, then s/he would not be allowed to ride home with a friend on the school bus. If your child does ride the school bus and needs to ride another bus home with a friend, the parent/guardian must submit a written request to the Transportation Director three (3) days in advance of the date. Same day requests will NOT be granted. All requests should be for emergency situations only (such as parents being out-of-town and the student is staying with a friend). Non-emergency transportation is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. Q: Whom do I contact if the school bus is late or does not show? A: All questions regarding school bus drivers or school buses need to be directed to our school bus contractor, First Student Transportation at 248-3667. First Student is responsible for hiring, training and supervising all school bus drivers and ensuring that bus schedules are run as the school district has designated. Q: The school bus came by the bus stop 2 minutes early this morning and my child missed the bus. Who do I call? A: Please direct all questions regarding school bus drivers and school buses to our school bus contractor, First Student Transportation at 248-3667. However, please be advised that ALL students are required to be at their bus stop five (5) minutes before the required pickup time. If no one is at the bus stop, the school bus is not required to stop. Q: Can I get the bus stop changed to pickup in front of my house? A: No. The number of bus stops in a given area will be limited and students are required to walk to the established area bus stop. The only exception would be if there is only one (1) student needing transportation from a given area and the school bus is driving past that student’s home anyway. Q: The bus driver has given my child a discipline slip for not behaving on the school bus. Whom can I talk to about this situation? A: If you need information about what actually happened on the school bus or you have questions about the bus driver’s actions, please direct all of your questions about school bus drivers to our school bus contractor, First Student Transportation at 248-3667. All other questions can be directed to the Transportation Director, Sondra Baker, at 869-3904. Q: I have questions about special education transportation, whom do I contact? A: Special education transportation is determined by the special education department at the individual school. If your child qualifies for special education transportation and you have questions, please contact Martha Tanner at 869-3903. Contact Information Sondra Baker, Transportation Director (Regular Education) Phone: (406) 869-3904 Email: bakers@billings.k12.mt.us Martha Tanner, Transportation Assistant Phone: (406) 869-3903 Email: tannerm@billings.k12.mt.us First Student Transportation School Bus Contractor Phone: (406) 248-3667 |
