Bus Routes

Route Design

Bus routes are created to enhance student safety while maximizing vehicle efficiency. Stops are created that allow students to wait off the main roadway for the bus if at all possible. Stops are also created to minimize students walking in highly traveled roadways for long distances without sidewalks. Stops are not placed in dead end streets whenever possible to minimize bus accidents while backing (Backing 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 will make on its route thus minimizing riding time for the students.

Elementary students may be required to walk up to 1/4 of a mile to a bus stop. Secondary students may be required to walk up to 1/2 of a mile. ECHS, Success and RROC students may be required to walk up to 2 miles. Bus routes are designed limit student ride time to no more than 45 minutes one-way if at all possible, however, most students ride under 30 minutes one-way.

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

Regular Service Parameters

Eligibility

Transportation is available for children who live two miles or more from their assigned school. The distance a student lives from their assigned school 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 street. Students residing within two miles of their assigned school may have transportation available if their neighborhood qualifies as hazardous under the district’s hazardous transportation rating system.

Some students who attend more than one school to participate in vocational programs or classes not offered at their school are transported between schools during school hours. Special education students are eligible for transportation if need is established through the Admission, Review, and Dismissal process.

Pick Up Time Criteria

Regular transportation attempts to arrive at every bus stop on time. Due to the variances between individual clocks, students are asked to arrive at the bus stop 5 minutes prior to the scheduled arrival time. Buses will load students and depart the stop. Regular buses do not wait for late students under most circumstances. Special needs transportation follows much the same criteria but will wait up to 3 minutes at the stop for the student to load. All buses will wait 7 minutes at the school in the afternoon for students to board. Students are expected to proceed immediately to the buses. Bus drivers are instructed not to stop or open the door for late students due to safety concerns having students too close to moving bus wheels.

Daily Service Criteria

Regular transportation is scheduled to provide service to student riders. Bus stops that do not have riders for 3 days may be suspended temporarily for lack of ridership to conserve district resources. Infrequent riders should contact the Transportation Department stating their wish to ride when service is needed if their bus stop has historically low ridership to verify stop time and location.

Student safety is the primary concern of the Transportation Department. Statistics show that the most dangerous time for students is before and/or after they are on the bus. The Transportation Department considers the environment and age of the students when placing bus stops. We attempt to place every bus stop at a location with reasonable safety assurances for students. Parents must assume the responsibility for their students traveling back and forth from home to the stop.

Bus Stop Location

Round Rock ISD creates bus stops using the following criteria:

• Eliminate students crossing busy streets at elementary levels and reduce the number of students crossing at secondary levels
• Provide students with the ability to stand off the roadway while waiting for the bus
• Locate the stops to maximize visibility for both students and traffic (100′ minimum visibility)
• Avoid locations that expose students to traffic hazards and reduce the number of hazards for students crossing the street
• Place the stops in locations way from non-traffic hazards such as railroad tracks, commercial areas, or areas with bad dogs
• Place the stops at least 100 feet away from corners if possible to better control traffic in the area immediately around the bus
• Avoid stops in cul-de-sacs to minimize accident risks caused by buses backing up to turn around
• Place stops on streets with as little traffic as possible
• Create a buffer zone between students and the bus both in the neighborhoods and at school to keep students from being struck by the bus

School Bus Danger Zones

The most dangerous time for a student riding the school bus is the loading and unloading process. It is critical that students are visible to the driver and out of the bus danger zones when the bus is in motion. This rule applies to loading and unloading both in the neighborhoods and at schools. If students are crossing the street, they should move immediately out of the danger zone and proceed at least 15 feet in front of the bus before crossing the street.

An approved pick-up or drop-off location is:

1. The child’s place of residence
2. The residence of a Grandparent*
3. A Childcare Facility that is licensed, registered or certified by The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services*

*In order for the Grandparent or Childcare Facility to qualify as an approved stop, it must be within the attendance area of the Student’s Home Campus &/or the Campus of attendance.

To find out in what attendance zone a stop is located, you can enter the address into the School and Bus Route Locator and you will get a list of which campus boundaries encompass that address.

To find out if your chosen daycare is licensed, registered or certified you can visit the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website. Search for Child-Care Operation

1. What happens if I’m not home to receive my child after school?
   General Education Routes- An adult is required to be at the bus stop for Pre-K students only. However, drivers are expected to use their  best judgement when releasing a child without an adult present if there is normally someone there to receive the child from the bus.Special Education Routes- If your child requires a hand-to-hand or visual handoff and no one is present to receive them from the bus they will be returned to the school. 
2. Why does it take up to two weeks to begin special transportation services for my child?
   Typical processing time for new special transportation requests is 3-5 business days. During high volume times, such as the start of the school year, processing time may be up to two weeks. When a new student is added to or dropped from a driver’s list, the time of pick-up and drop-off changes for all students. Parents need information as quickly as possible to adjust to changing pick-up and drop-off times. The driver also needs information about their children before transporting them. The time between notice and start of transport allows for necessary information processing.
3. Who do I call when I have questions or concerns?
   If you have questions or concerns about transportation services for your child, please call the Transportation Department at 512-428-2450.
4. What if my child misses the bus?
   Should a student miss the bus, it becomes the responsibility of the parent/guardian to provide transportation to/from school. The bus can not return to the bus stop.
5. What do I need to do if I have a change of address?
   If your child’s pick up or delivery address has changed, please contact the campus registrar to update your address. We can not make address changes in the Transportation department
6. How do I set up transportation if my student has an alternate address?
   If your student has an alternate address, please contact the campus registrar so that they can notify transportation of your students needs. Transportation is able to accommodate multiple bus assignments for students with more than one residential address.
7. How is discipline handled on the bus?
   In the event of a disciplinary issue on the bus the bus driver will write a Bus Referral. This referral is submitted to the campus by a supervisor, and disciplinary action is taken at the campus level. More information on Disciplinary Consequences and bus rules are detailed in the Round Rock ISD Student Code of Conduct.