My spouse and I have shared custody of our son/daughter.  How does Pinelands handle shared custody transportation?

Per school policy, for safety reasons and due to limited seating availability, students may only be assigned to one bus route and one bus stop.  The student may not use a different bus stop on different days even if on the same bus, to ensure he/she does not accidentally go to the wrong home on any given day.  The bus stop is based on the domicile of PRIMARY residence, as noted in the school's student record, and based on N.J.A.C. 6A:22-3.1.

 

Can I ride to school or home from school on my friend’s bus if our parents write a note to the bus driver?

Per school policy, for safety reasons and due to limited seating availability, students may only ride on their regular bus and to the bus stop assigned.  Please do not contact the bus company or the bus driver to request transportation changes, as they do not have the authority to approve these requests.  Bus assignment changes are approved only in the case of emergent or urgent need, for long-term temporary address changes, or due to unanticipated safety risks encountered at an assigned bus stop.  For more details, please see the Transportation Change Requests webpage.

 

My son/daughter is working with other students on a school project together and would like for the others in his/her group to ride the bus to our house to work on the project together.  We can do that, right?
The primary responsibility of Transportation, with regard to school bus routing, is to see that all students entitled to transportation have one bus assignment for their daily ride to and from school and that all bus assignments are done in a way as to provide seating for all students. Changes to school bus assignments for a day – as you described – is strictly prohibited.

 

My son/daughter was walking down the street to the bus stop, but the bus pulled away leaving him/her behind.  Why didn’t the driver wait?

Students are requested to be at their bus stop ten minutes in advance of assigned pick-up time.  To ensure the bus remains on schedule, drivers are instructed not to wait for any student not yet at any stop.  For safety reasons, bus drivers have also been instructed not to stop once the bus is in motion and leaving a stop.  New Jersey law requires a bus driver to activate the warning lights of the bus at least 200 feet before the stop.  This is not possible once the doors have closed.  If your student misses the bus, you will be required to provide transportation to school.

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Why was my son/daughter dropped off so far from his/her regular bus stop during heavy rains and flooding?

Some Pinelands students live on roads that flood during high tides and/or inclement weather.  For students living on these roads, Pinelands will make every effort to pick up and drop off the students at their regularly assigned bus stop.  However, if tidal or weather conditions render these roads impassable for buses, the bus will drop off/pick up students at the next closest alternate stop possible.  Please be prepared to use the alternate bus stop in the case of road flooding.

 

My son/daughter attends an out-of-district school, with transportation provided by Pinelands.  If Pinelands closes due to weather, but my son/daughter’s school remains open, will transportation be provided?

The decision to close school is made for the safety of all students who live within the boundary of the Pinelands Regional School District.  Once the decision is made to close school, transportation will be cancelled for students attending school at Pinelands and for students transported by Pinelands to any private, non-public, or vocational school outside of Pinelands.

 

Why was I stopped by the bus driver when I attempted to go onto the bus to simply hand something to my son/daughter?

Pursuant to New Jersey State Law, only the following people may be authorized to be on the vehicle: Enrolled eligible pupils; School personnel; Transportation aides; Public safety officials.

Parents, guardians, relatives, friends of pupils, and the general public are prohibited from entering the vehicle. The safety of the pupils on the bus is the district’s paramount concern.

 

Who should I contact to report problems my son/daughter is having with another student at the bus stop and/or on the bus?

Please contact the principal or HIB counselor at your student’s school of attendance to report problems such as bullying so they may be properly addressed.  For parents of students transported out of district, please contact your student’s case manager directly with any transportation concerns.

 
Who should I contact to report school transportation safety issues?

Please submit the School Bus Safety Form to report any of the following school bus safety concerns:

•Bus drivers engaging in dangerous activity (tailgating, ignoring traffic signs or signals, texting while driving, and so on);

•Dangerous conditions at bus stops;

•Buses exhibiting maintenance problems;

•Anything else you see that causes you to worry about the safety of students.

* STUDENT DISCIPLINE ISSUES SUCH AS HARASSMENT OR BULLYING SHOULD BE REPORTED DIRECTLY TO THE PRINCIPAL OF THE STUDENT’S SCHOOL OF ATTENDANCE.

 

What is the policy regarding student cell phones on school buses?

Cell phones are permitted for use on the school bus only in the case of emergency.  When not in use, the cell phone should be tucked safely away to ensure it is not accidentally left behind after the student leaves the bus.  Use of personal electronic devices (i.e., cell phones, walkmans, electronic games, laptops, etc.) on school buses shall not interfere with the safe operation of the bus, or the safety of students or the driver.  Students will respect the privacy of others and will not post or upload pictures or recordings taken of others to the internet nor e-mail recordings to others without the express advance permission of the persons in the photograph or recording.

 

What is the policy regarding radios on school buses?

Students may not play any sound producing equipment such as radios, CD or tape players on the bus, to ensure the bus driver is not distracted by the noise while driving.  IPods or similar personal music devices with headphones are acceptable.  Use of personal electronic devices (i.e., cell phones, walkmans, electronic games, laptops, etc.) on school buses shall not interfere with the safe operation of the bus, or the safety of students or the driver.

 

How do I report a lost cell phone / backpack / iPod, etc that I believe was left on the bus?

Please contact transportation and provide the following information: your name and contact telephone number, description of item left on bus, student name, student's bus route, date and time of day (inbound or outbound) that item was left behind, and approximately where on the bus the student was sitting (two-seater, three-seater, front, back or middle of bus, seat # if available).  Every effort will be made to locate the item.  If the item is located, it will be returned to the student on the next school day.  Pinelands is not responsible for any items left on the bus.