Transportation

Students who are residents of the Waterville Central School District are eligible for transportation.

Mission Statement | Forms | Bus Routes | Bus Safety | Our Staff | Non-Public School Transportation Deadline | Did You Know?

Mission Statement

Provide safe, efficient, and professional transportation service for our students while supporting the District’s educational mission.

Forms

If we do not receive a current school year bus request, we will assume that you have made other transportation arrangements for your child.

• K-12 Transportation Request Form 2023-24
• Trip Request for Transportation Form
• Charter Bus Request Form

Submit request forms by email: transportation@watervillecsd.org

Or submit forms by fax: (315) 841-3719.

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Bus Routes

Bus routes for the current school year have been announced on ParentSquare. Please remember routes are subject to change throughout the school year. Contact the Waterville Bus Garage at (315) 841-3787 if you have questions.

Each child will have one AM bus assignment and one PM bus assignment. This will be the same for all days of the week.

A driver may assign seats on a school bus at any time to be able to operate his/her bus in the safest manner.

To assure that there is adequate seating for all assigned students, the district discourages students from riding a different bus for the purpose of non-school social events (ie. sleepovers, parties, etc.). Your understanding of this matter is appreciated.

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Changes to Routes

Parents, please be reminded that any request for permanent changes to your children’s busing needs to be approved for bus capacity. Please notify transportation@watervillecsd.org or call us at (315) 841-3787 as soon as you know of your need to change.

If you need to pick up your child instead of having them ride their assigned bus (K-6th), please email k6busing@watervillecsd.org by 2pm.

At times, it is necessary to change bus numbers. Please become familiar with your children’s ROUTE NUMBER and SYMBOL sign that is placed in the window of each bus.

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Bus Safety

All students must behave appropriately as passengers on the school bus. Although the schools have established procedures and rules for the safe and orderly conduct of students on buses, it is important for parents to impress upon their children the absolute necessity for exhibiting safe behavior. Students who violate the District’s rules for orderly conduct on buses and thereby threaten the safety of all, may have their transportation privileges suspended or revoked as riding the bus is a privilege, not a right. (See Policy 5403 STUDENT CONDUCT ON BUSES.)

Please contact Ethan Ostrander, Transportation Supervisor, at (315) 841-3786 or bus dispatcher Colleen Iles at (315) 841-3787 for any questions or issues.

Parent & Student Responsibilities

Parents

Parents play an important role in the safe and efficient operation of the school’s transportation system. If the system is to function effectively, parents must assume an obligation to the program and to the people responsible for its operation.

Parents are expected to insist on the good behavior and full cooperation of their children at bus stops and on the bus, so the drivers can concentrate on safely driving the bus. Please take a moment to review the student responsibilities with your child.

Students

School bus transportation requires responsibility on the part of students, parents and bus drivers.

Student conduct on the bus:

• Be on time. Do not push, pull or chase any other pupils while waiting at your bus stop.
• Stand clear of the bus until it stops and the door is opened.
• Enter the bus one at a time. Quickly choose your seat and store all your personal belongings safely away in your backpack or pockets.
• Stay seated until the bus comes to a complete stop.
• Do not change seats while the bus is moving.
• Keep your hands, arms, legs and head inside windows at all times.
• Listen to the driver at all times.
• Don’t throw hats, gloves, paper, etc. Keep buses clean.
  Keep voices low – no yelling.
• When exiting the bus, wait your turn, no pushing.
• Make sure to cross with the driver’s signal IN FRONT of the bus.

Students who abuse bus privileges by not observing the rules of the Code of Conduct may be deprived of transportation.

View the following transportation policies:

• 5403.1 STUDENT CONDUCT ON BUSES
• 5400 STUDENT TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
• 5401 TRANSPORTATION SERVICES MANAGEMENT
• 5403 STUDENT CONDUCT ON BUSES

Eating on the Bus

No food or drink is allowed on the bus.

If a group wishes to stop to eat at a restaurant, prior approval must be obtained from the transportation supervisor and, where applicable, from the athletic director.

If a group wants to pack a lunch to eat either at their destination or at a rest stop along the way, they may do so with the following provisions:

• Have prior approval from the building principal and/or athletic director and the transportation supervisor and or designee.
• No glass containers will be allowed on the bus. Food and beverages must be in plastic or metal containers.
• Food packed in containers (for more than one individual) will be transported in the baggage compartment located under the bus, if available, and all leftovers will be returned to the compartment for the remainder of the trip back to school.
• If more than one bus is on a trip, they will all either stop or go directly home.

If food and/or beverages are to be eaten on the bus, the chaperones must notify the driver prior to leaving the school grounds. Food may be eaten only when the bus is parked off the road. The transportation request should include a request for such permission and be approved by the transportation supervisor.

STUDENTS are responsible for cleaning the bus of all food, beverages and containers. CHAPERONES/COACHES are responsible for ensuring that students clean the bus before exiting the bus after their trip.

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Our Staff: Who’s Transporting your Kids Safely Each Day?

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Our Bus Drivers

A School Bus Driver: You are sometimes the first smiling adult a child sees each morning and the last before they get home. You always brave the weather to get your kids safely where they need to be, while being a shining example as you do it.

Teresa Knight

Bus Attendants

From time-to-time you may see a different face helping us out…

Substitute Bus Drivers/Bus Attendants: Tom Barnes, Doug Mayne

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Deadline for Non-Public School Transportation Requests

New York State Education law and school District policy requires Districts to provide transportation for resident students who attend non-public schools if the school they wish to attend is no more than 15 miles from their home and only if a formal written request to the superintendent is made by a parent/guardian by April 1 for each upcoming school year.

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Did You Know?

Some interesting facts about us…

The WCS Transportation employs 25 people: 1 Supervisor, 2 Mechanics, 1 Office Specialist, 15 regular bus drivers, 3 bus attendants, 2 substitute bus drivers and 1 substitute bus attendant.

Article 19-A Department of Motor Vehicle Record Review for WCS is in 100% compliance! The Transportation Department file audit for 2016-17 and 2020-21 was successfully completed and will not be audited again for 3 years.

Our bus drivers drive a crazy amount of miles each year! 264,954 miles to be exact! We transport 800+ students to and from school safely each day.

Our skilled mechanics have completed the current school year with another successful year! Kudos go out to our mechanics for their expertise!

The transportation day begins at 5:30 am, or even earlier during those bad weather days! Once all children are safe and secure in their drop-off locations/home the regular school day ends around 5:00 pm.

In addition to regular daily bus routes, the transportation department schedules over 300 extra-curricular trips per school year during the school day, after the school day and even on weekends.

We supply transportation to other school districts on a daily basis: New Life Christian School, St. Patrick’s Catholic School, McAllister Elementary, VVS, United Cerebral Palsy, JD George, Westmoreland, Sauquoit, Notre Dame Elementary and Jr/Sr High School, Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES, Madison-Oneida BOCES.

It’s more than just getting your CDL license! All drivers and attendants are required to complete a medical physical and physical performance test annually. Within the 1st year of employment, drivers must complete a 30-hour course and bus attendants must complete a 10-hour course. Also, drivers and attendants must complete 4 hours of mandatory in-service training every year. Annually drivers are evaluated on their driving techniques, student management and safe loading/unloading of students.

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If you cannot access the documents on this page, please call (518) 841-3900 or email Communications to obtain the document in an alternative format.