TRANSPORTATION

The district provides transportation services to support equitable access to schools across all grade levels. Service is based on distance thresholds and student needs:

• High School: Transportation for students living 3 miles or more from school.
• Middle School: Transportation for students living 2 miles or more from school.
• Elementary School: Transportation for students living 1 mile or more from school.
• Students with Disabilities (SPED): Transportation provided for all students who qualify per their IEP.

The transportation fleet is diverse, including CNG, diesel, gas, and electric buses, as well as full-size 40-foot buses, short buses, and cutaways, allowing flexibility to serve general education and specialized SPED routes.

Routes are staggered, not concurrent, allowing buses to serve multiple schools each morning and afternoon. Across the system:

• 36 total routes
• Approximately 14 high school routes, plus additional SPED routes
• Roughly 8 elementary routes
• Roughly 8–9 middle school routes

Queueing needs vary by site. Typical afternoon loads are:

• Elementary: 1–5 buses
• Middle: 1–6 buses
• High School: 1–11 buses (with some SPED buses or secondary staging areas)

Two critical themes are the need to separate parent traffic from bus traffic, and to design loops and staging areas that allow smooth entry, queueing, loading, and direct exit without backing, tight turns, or conflict with pedestrians and deliveries.

The specific principles in supporting Transportation Services in school site design are as follows:

• Separate buses, cars, pedestrians, and delivery vehicles.
• Design for full-size buses, including wide radii and flat driveways.
• Provide dedicated SPED zones.
• Eliminate on-street bus loading whenever possible.
• Provide event-specific routing at secondary schools.
• Never allow parent parking or staff vehicles in bus circulation