Bus Routes and Transportation

Contact Transportation at
(520) 749-9640

Monday - Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Open Enrollment Bus Riders 
Open enrollment students who are requesting district transportation to and from Udall Park must complete the required release of liability form located below the bus route links.

Welcome Back! 


We are looking forward to providing an excellent school transportation option for your child for the upcoming school year!  
 
We know that your child's school day begins when they step on the bus and receive a personal greeting from their school bus driver. We also know how important a great start is, and we pride ourselves in giving your child a great start and end to every school day. 
 
Our Transportation Staff includes a team of outstanding school bus drivers. They are qualified professionals who hold commercial drivers licenses with school bus certifications. They pass regular physicals and random testing, as required by the Arizona Dept. of Transportation, and they receive regular specialized training in the safe operation of a school bus. We conduct twice-daily bus inspections and the fleet receives maintenance and service on a regular, scheduled service rotation. Our Transportation Maintenance Department includes two highly experienced diesel mechanics and a mechanic's assistant, who are proud of the district's excellent inspection and safety record.
 
Please help us support your child's safe school bus experience by discussing with them the importance of following the school bus safety rules (please see below).
 
If you need to arrange for regular, ongoing alternate transportation, for example for a two-household family, a caretaker or a grandparent, we can help you. Please contact us in advance so we can be sure we have the necessary information on file, and we will alert your child's bus driver(s) to those changes.
 

Our number one priority is student safety. Please help us support your child's safe school bus experience by discussing with them the importance of following the school bus safety rules (please see below). When a driver's attention is split between hazards outside of the bus and student misbehavior in the bus the probability of an accident significantly rises.

IT IS A PRIVILEGE, NOT A RIGHT, TO RIDE THE SCHOOL BUS 

Passenger Rules and Information

Getting to and waiting for the bus:

1. Use sidewalks when provided. If no sidewalk is present try to walk on the left shoulder of the roadway facing traffic.
2. Be aware of traffic around you.
3. Arrive at the stop 5 minutes early.
4. Be out of the car and form a line a safe distance from the road while waiting for the bus.
5. Respect the property of others while waiting for the bus. Do not throw rocks, pick flowers or litter. 

Boarding the bus:

1. Wait until the bus has stopped and the door is open before you approach the bus.
2. If you must cross the street, always cross in front of the bus. Wait for the driver to signal that it is safe to cross.
3. Use the hand rail to keep from slipping, falling or tripping.
4. Go directly to your assigned seat.
5. All items you bring on the bus must fit with you in your seat.

Riding the bus:

1. Follow the driver’s instructions.
2. Do not stand or move around while the bus is moving. You are only safe when you are seated properly.
3. No eating or drinking on the bus (water in a sealable bottle is ok)
4. Keep your bus clean.
5. Avoid any kind of behavior that could damage the bus. 
6. Be courteous. Keep words and actions kind.
7. No smoking, vaping or chewing tobacco.
8. Windows may be opened at the discretion of the driver. Heads and hands must remain inside the bus at all times.
9. Never throw anything inside the bus or out the windows. 
10. Keep aisle clear at all times.

*These rules are in addition to the Student Code of Conduct

Parent Responsibilities

As a crucial member of our “School Bus Safety Team”, parents or guardians can help provide a safe and pleasant riding experience.

What do I need to do as a parent or guardian of a student who uses the bus?

• Provide the transportation office with accurate information regarding your student’s transportation needs.
• Download the “Bus Right” app for GPS tracking of your student’s bus and push notifications in case of delays or emergencies.
• Arrange for your student to be at the stop 5 minutes before their designated stop time.
• Remind your students about safe walking practices to and from home.
• Please review the rules of the bus and our standard procedures with your student.
• Understand the bus pick up and drop off times are based on normal traffic and weather conditions. Road construction and congestion as well as weather and wash closures may affect stop times.
• Be vigilant at bus stops. If you see suspicious activity, collect as many details as you can and call the police first! Then follow up with the school or transportation.
• If you have and issue about the bus please call the Transportation office. Do not engage with the driver at the stop.

Phone Use

Phones may not be used for photo or video purposes on the bus.

If audio is being used, we ask that it be held to a quiet volume. If headphones are being used we ask that one ear be left open for communication with the driver.

If a phone is causing disruption on the bus the driver will ask that the phone be put away. If it continues to disrupt the bus the driver may confiscate the phone and return it at the end of the students ride.

Bus Notes

Occasionally a student may need to ride a different bus or a friend may be going home with another rider. If your child needs to ride a different bus than normal or is taking the bus home with a friend you have three options:

     1. Write a note for your child to take to the school office before lunch hour. The office will then confirm the note with the parent and staple a permission slip to the note and give back to the student. 

     2. The parent may also call the school. Office staff will write a permission slip and give to the student. 

    3. Parent may go into the school office. Office staff will write a permission slip and give to the student.

The student will hand the permission slip with or without the note to the bus driver allowing the new rider on the bus.  If the student does not have a permission slip they will not be allowed to ride the bus. 

**Notes will not be accepted to out of district stops. 

First Time Riders

First-time riders need to be registered with the transportation office. Parents must call to arrange for transportation.During a morning route, we will not leave students behind at a bus stop. However, if the student is not registered, the driver will record the name of the student and report it to dispatch at the end of the route. If the transportation office does not have a record of that student's transportation needs then the student may not ride the bus in the afternoon. 

Kindergarteners

Parents need to fill out the Kindergarten Transportation Form at the beginning of the year or during the first week of transportation. Drivers should give this form to the student. This form tells the driver and dispatch if the student can walk home by themselves or with a sibling or if the parent will need to be there to pick up the child every day.

Open Enrollment

Open enrollment students qualify for transportation. You can find a list of all our open enrollment stops (marked with an asterisk*) on our district website under the “Families” tab. Please look at the list and pick a stop that works for your location and time. Please do not drop off your student at an open enrollment stop more than 10 minutes early. A parent or guardian  MUST be present at the bus stop in the afternoon  for all open enrollment stops.

Student Management

• Verbal warnings: If appropriate we will give students a verbal warning. For example, they are standing up in their seats or reaching across the aisle. 
• Moving students to new seats. If a student is not listening to a verbal warning, it may be appropriate to move them to another seat on the bus. 
• Bus Conduct Report (Pink Slip): When a student who continues to break a rule(s) a pink slip will be issued.

Drivers do not necessarily need to go in order, giving a verbal warning > moving student > pink slip. If warranted, a pink slip may be given immediately, or moving a student may be done immediately.

Parents will need to sign the pink slip and it will need to be returned before the student is allowed back on the bus.

After 3 pink slips are issued (or a more serious infraction occurs) your student may be suspended from the bus for a period of time deemed appropriate given the situation. If the actions of the student continue after a suspension a more serious suspension or expulsion could occur. 

Please help us to reinforce the rules to help keep our kids safe. If a driver is distracted by the actions in the school bus the chances of an accident greatly increases.

**IT IS A PRIVILEGE, NOT A RIGHT, TO RIDE THE BUS**

The school bus is the safest way for your student to get to and from school.

By letting us take your student to school you are helping to reduce traffic and have cleaner air.

One school bus can hold the equivalent of 36 full cars.

Thank you for trusting us with your precious cargo

Drop off:

1. Remain seated until the bus has come to a complete stop.
2. Hold the hand rail when going down the stairs.
3. Move away from the bus and out of the “Danger Zones” as soon as possible.
4. If crossing the road, walk 10 feet in front of the bus and wait for the driver to signal that it is safe to cross.

Afternoon Transportation

Parents absent at the bus stop (in district)

Many students walk home on their own, however, some students have parents that pick them up every day from the bus stop. If they are not kindergarteners, and the student feels comfortable walking home we may let them off the bus. We will never force a student to get off at a bus stop. If the student is not comfortable getting off the bus or you are not comfortable letting the student off for safety reasons, we will be taking the student back to the school at the end of the route. If you DO NOT want your student getting off the bus without the presence of a guardian please let transportation know and we will pass that on to the driver.

Parents absent at the bus stop (open enrollment stops)

A parent or other responsible adult must be at the bus stop in the afternoon to pick up their student. Many of our open enrollment stops are on city or private property and they are kindly letting us use it for a bus stop for your convenience. Unless the student lives within walking distance and has cleared it with transportation we need these students to be picked up immediately so they are not loitering on private property.

If no one is at the stop to pick up your student we will attempt to make contact with the parent to arrange for drop off. If no contact is made, we will take the student back to the school. Pink slips may be issued if the parents are late on multiple occasions.