Service Parameters

 

 

Transportation is available for students who live two miles or more from their assigned school. The student home distance is determined by measuring from the curb at the front of the school to the curb in front of their home using the closest paved streets. Students residing within two miles of assigned school may have transportation available if their neighborhood qualifies as a district hazardous transportation area approved by District School Board.

 

 

 

Regular transportation attempts to arrive at every bus stop on time. Due to the variances between clocks, students are asked to arrive at the bus stop 10 minutes prior to the scheduled arrival time to load students and depart the stop. Regular buses do not wait for late students in most cases. Special needs transportation follows much the same criteria but will wait up to 2 minutes at the bus stop for the student to load. All buses will wait approximately 5 minutes at the school in the afternoon for students to board and students are expected to proceed immediately to the buses. Bus drivers are instructed not to stop and load late students after air brakes are released due to safety concerns for having students too close to moving bus wheels. If your student misses the afternoon bus run, they will have access to the campus phone to secure a ride from his/hers parents.

 

 

 

Regular transportation is scheduled to provide service to student riders. Bus stops that do not have riders for 3 days may be suspended temporally for lack of ridership to conserve district resources. Individuals should contact the Transportation Department stating their wish to ride when service is needed so the district can verify the stop, time, and location.

 

 

 

 

Bus routes are created to enhance student safety while maximizing vehicle efficiency. Stops will allow students to wait off the main roadway for the bus if at all possible. Stops are also created in areas to decrease the number of students walking on highly traveled roadways for long distances without sidewalks. Stops are not advised on dead-end streets whenever possible to minimize bus accidents while backing (Backing is unacceptable and is a very dangerous maneuver for a school bus). Stops are spread as far apart as criteria will allow in order to decrease the number of stops each bus. The District is trying to minimize the student riding time during routes.

 

Elementary students may be required to walk up to 1 mile to a bus stop. Secondary students may be required to walk up to 1 mile. Bus routes are designed to limit student ride time to no more than 60 minutes one-way if at all possible, however, most students ride under 45 minutes one-way.

 

The above design criteria are for regular students only. Students in special programs are subject to different design criteria. Contact the Transportation Department for additional information.

 

 

 

School buses are rated by manufacturers to have a capacity based on three riders per seat. Aransas County ISD has adopted maximum ridership per bus at 3 riders per seat at elementary levels, and 2 ¼ riders per seat at middle school and high school levels.