Q. How far may a child be asked to walk to a school bus stop?
A. The law allows a school district to ask a child to walk up to a mile and a half for elementary and up to 2 miles for secondary. The distance is measured by public roads and does not include any private lane or walkway of the child's residence. This same distance is allowable for walk zones.
**Pennridge School District reduces this distance and allows 1 mile for elementary and 1.5 miles for secondary.
Q. When should I have my child at the bus stop?
A. We ask that students be at the stop 10 minutes prior to the scheduled pick-up time. There will be fluctuations in the schedule, especially during the first few weeks of the school year and during inclement weather. If a bus is running 10 minutes or more past the scheduled pick-up time, a BlackBoard notification will be sent to families.
Q. The bus drives by my house. Why can't it stop at my home?
A. Increasing the number of stops delays the bus and increases the student ride time. Stops are placed to be centered to groups of students in a sub-division or specific area.
Q. I can't see the bus stop from my house. Could the stop be moved closer?
A. Pennridge School District provides transportation for approximately 7,000 students daily and spans over 95 square miles. The district is not able to position bus stops so that all parents are able to see the stop from their home.
Q. I think the road my student has to walk on is hazardous. What can I do?
A. The law provides for the PA Department of Transportation to review potentially hazardous walking routes. The request for this review must be made by the school district to the local PennDOT Engineering office. PennDOT Regulations do not address hazards other than road or traffic conditions. The lack of sidewalks is not considered a hazard.
Q. How long can a student be made to ride on a school bus?
A. There are no time limits set by law or regulations for the length of the ride. Pennridge attempts to remain under an hour for in-district students.
