To operate an efficient transportation program in an urban school district such as Cincinnati, use of consolidated bus stops is critical. Grouping students that live in proximity to one another at the same bus stop allows for more efficient bus routes. The Pupil Transportation Branch makes every effort to place bus stops between one-fourth (1/4) and one-half mile (1/2) apart.
Assignment of bus stops is based on the legal residence of the student, which is provided to the school. When a family moves, it is critical that the new address be provided to the child's school prior to the move because a different stop location may be assigned based on the new address.
Bus stops will meet safety rules regardless of the distance between stops, so it may not be possible to place bus stops in locations that allow parents to observe their children at the stops from their homes. Parents/guardians are responsible for the students' safety between their homes and the bus stops.
The Pupil Transportation Branch is responsible for recommending bus stops to the Cincinnati Board of Education. The board then approves the yellow bus stops annually in the summer, according to Ohio statutes.
Designation of yellow bus stops is done in compliance with Ohio statues and Ohio Department of Education safety operational rules. Bus-stop locations must be within one-half mile (1/2) of the student's legal residence or alternate address identified by the parent/guardian. A key requirement for assignment of a bus stop is visibility from a distance of 500 feet by oncoming motorists. Assigning bus stops within one-fourth of a mile (1/4) of student residences is the district's goal to keep walking distance to a minimum. New bus-stop locations are created only when necessary to meet the distance requirement or address new safety issues.
Students will be assigned the same stop location in both the morning and afternoon, five days a week, unless specific restrictions apply. In areas where it can be done safely, students are assigned a stop location that is across the street from where the bus will load/unload.
Students are not assigned bus-stop locations that require crossing a 4-lane roadway. The Pupil Transportation Branch also has designated certain streets or portions of streets as "No Cross" by students to reach their bus stops. Students are not assigned bus-stop locations that require them to cross one of these designated streets.
Some streets have been designated as "Right-Side Restricted" meaning that students assigned to that bus stop must be able to reach the stop from the right side of the street, instead of having to cross the street in front of the bus.
Parents/guardians may request a change in the morning and/or afternoon bus-stop location to accommodate childcare or other special circumstances. These requests will be reviewed using the Deviated-Stop Guidelines in Transportation Change of Service Request Form.
Kindergarten students and students with special needs receive "curb-to-curb" service and they require special care at the bus stop by both the bus drivers and parents. Students will not be picked up or dropped off without someone supervising them.
Only parents/guardians are authorized to meet the child at the stop location. If the parent/guardian wishes to identify a designee to meet the child at the bus stop, the request must be submitted on the Transportation Request Form under the "Alternative Stop Supervision Option" section.
If the parent/guardian wants to allow the student to leave the bus without supervision, this request must be submitted on the Transportation Request Form under the "Latch Key Option" section. Parents/guardians requesting the Latch Key option assume all responsibility for the child before and after the bus leaves the stop location. The Transportation Branch does not encourage use of the Latch Key option, but will honor the request of the parent/guardian.
It is important that a parent/guardian keep the child's school of attendance updated with "Emergency Contact" individuals and current phone numbers. When all "Emergency Contacts" have been tried to no avail, the child will be transported to Children's Protective Services (241-Kids or 241-5437) located at 222 E. Central Parkway. If this occurs, a note will be placed on the parent's/guardian's front door informing them of the location of the child. It is possible that charges of child abandonment may be filed. School bus service will not be provided again until a meeting is held with the Transportation Branch, the school and the parent/guardian. Repeated incidents will result in loss of school bus service.