Transporting children with special needs

Transportation Address

A student will be picked up and delivered at the same address every day; morning and afternoon addresses may be different, but are to be consistent each day. If a child is to be picked up or delivered at an address other than the residence of the parent or guardian, the special education transportation coordinator, 907-742-1200, must be notified in advance. We are not able to change addresses temporarily. If your child is provided transportation from your home address, please ensure that the address is displayed on the outside of the house and is easily seen from the street.

Location of Bus Stops

Bus stops will be designated at locations within a reasonable distance from the child’s home. Every effort is made to establish stops in safe and convenient locations. However, safety will always take precedence over other criteria. Those students requiring curb-to-curb service because of a disability will be picked up as close to the home as possible, and the following will apply:

The entire route must be over regularly maintained roads having at least a gravel surface, which are under the supervision and all weather maintenance of the Alaska Department of Highways, the Municipality of Anchorage, or any other agency supported by public funds. Adequate turnaround space for transportation vehicles must be available on the route.

Due to limited visibility, backing the bus can be extremely dangerous. Therefore, the District will not establish school bus stops which require backing the bus. School bus stops will not be established in areas with extremely narrow streets, steep grades or cul-de-sacs which do not meet municipal standards. During Alaska winters, snow berms may decrease the width of streets and the turning radius in cul-de-sacs. Your child’s pick-up point may need to be relocated if the bus cannot safety negotiate certain streets. Cars parked in cul-de-sacs and on narrow streets also create problems for school bus access. The Municipality of Anchorage has been cooperative in removing snow when notified that a child is on a special needs bus route requiring curb-to-curb service. The number for MOA Street Maintenance is listed here. All bus stops are subject to the approval of the ASD Transportation Department.

Pick-up Procedure

All children must be ready for pick-up five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled pick-up time. Buses must operate on a definite schedule in order to provide consistent service and for schools to start on time. Buses will wait only one (1) to two (2) minutes after arrival and then continue on the route. The bus will not depart your stop until it is within 5 minutes of the designated pick-up time. It is imperative that your child be ready on time. If the bus is required to wait for each child on the route, the bus will be late for school. The parent is responsible for assisting the child from the house to the bus in the morning, and from the bus to the house in the evening. Drivers/attendants will not come to your door. You will be notified if your child’s pick-up is changed more than fifteen (15) minutes from the previous schedule.

Delivery of Pupils

No child will be permitted to leave a bus at a point other than the school or designated bus stop. If the parent is unable to meet the bus, and has not made other arrangements to have a responsible person receive their child at the designated drop-off point, the bus driver will take the child back to school, where the parents must pick up the child as soon as possible. In the event that no one is available at the school, children will be transported to the Anchorage Police Department. Please provide the individual designated to receive your child with written permission to do so. The school bus drivers may require that the designee provide identification.

Continued problems with delivery of your child will be cause to discontinue transportation service.

Unattended Drop-Off

All students must be met by an adult unless the child’s Individual Educational Program indicates that an unattended drop-off is appropriate.

Proper Dress

During periods of inclement or extremely cold weather, make certain that your child is dressed appropriately, as the door on the bus is opened and closed many times during the course of a route. On wheelchair buses the door is open for a long period of time while the lift is in operation. Buses occasionally break down and can be without heat until another bus is dispatched.

Moving or Changing Addresses

During the school year
Should it be necessary to change your child’s pick-up or drop-off point during the school year, the special education route scheduler must be notified. The telephone number is 907-742-1200. The Transportation Department will usually be able to process the change within ten (10) school days. It is important to request a change of address as early as possible so that transportation is not interrupted. Due to the large number of students transported, the District is not able to change addresses temporarily for parents who wish to take vacations or plan to be away for short periods of time during the school year.

During the summer months
The Transportation Department begins developing school bus routes during the month of June for the following school year. If you move during the summer months or must make daycare arrangements, do so early so that service is assured on the first day of school. During the summer months changes can be reported to the Transportation Department, 907-742-1200. Any changes requested after the third week in July may result in transportation not being provided for the first two weeks of school.

Route Changes

Parents should be prepared for changes in buses, routes, and time of pick-up and delivery throughout the school year as a result of student additions, withdrawals or address changes. After the initial adjustment period at the start of school, parents will be notified by the Transportation department staff if the child’s pickup or delivery time is adjusted more than 15 minutes, or is moved to another route. The driver is responsible for notifying a parent if the pickup or delivery time change is less than 15 minutes. Buses may run later during days of unfavorable conditions such as snow and ice.

Illness

Please notify the proper transportation provider and the school when you do not intend to send your child to school. Children who are obviously ill will not be transported. In fairness to the child and other children, keep a sick child at home. If a child becomes ill at school, the parent is responsible for transporting the child home. In the event that your child will be out of school for more than five (5) days, please notify the appropriate transportation provider. Three days notice may be required to reinstate transportation for periods exceeding twenty (20) school days.

Medication

Medication will not be carried by students on the bus, as it could be left on the bus, lost, or taken by another child. All medication must be delivered to the school by the parents.

Personal Hygiene

If you are in the process of toilet training your child please remember the bus ride can be long. Give your child the opportunity to use the bathroom before leaving home.