Newsletters 2014-15 Focus newsletter, [1] fall | Page 16

TRANSPORTATION — FOCUS ON SAFETY

PAGE 16

Hop aboard: School buses are ready to roll
Important school bus tips from the Transportation Department
Safety is our first priority
Anoka-Hennepin’s transportation
system is nationally recognized as a
leader in the industry with innovative
solutions using the latest technology
for bus routing as well as discipline
issues. The safety record of our fleet is
well above the national average
thanks to dedicated, well-trained bus
drivers, paraprofessionals, crossing
guards, and traffic control staff. Our
mission is to provide safe and efficient
transportation to the students of
Anoka-Hennepin schools.

School bus safety committee
Parents are welcome to attend
school bus safety committee meetings. The meetings are held the first
Wednesday of each month of the
school year in the boardroom at the
Educational Service Center, 2727 N.
Ferry St., Anoka. School staff, parents,
bus drivers, local traffic experts, and
transportation staff meet regularly to
discuss safety issues and concerns
and to set policies and procedures.

Bus information cards
Bus information cards are mailed to
homes approximately one week
before school starts. The information
on the bus card will include the student’s nam e, address, bus route number, bus stop location and bus arrival
time. Please make sure your child
brings this card every day. If you do
not receive the bus information card
in the mail, check with the school
office. Schools will also have access to
bus information.

middle of the block. When the
bus driver slows mid-block, many
motorists try to pass the bus, putting students in serious danger.
• Most primary-age student fatalities in the metro area that
occurred at the bus stop happened when the bus stopped at
the student’s house in the middle
of the block. In reviewing the
reports, many times the student
saw mom or dad, the family dog,
or a favorite toy, and ran to it with
no regard to traffic around the bus
and/or the “danger zone” that
surrounds it. Experts have commented that children have a sense
of security when they recognize
family or familiar objects and all
the training they have received on
school bus safety is forgotten.
Consequently, students will be
asked to walk to the corner for the
bus stop. Stops will be located at the
nearest corner to the home whenever
feasible, but may be further in some
situations. School Board guidelines
regarding the walking distance to bus
stops are: .2 mile for students in
kindergarten through fifth grade and
.4 mile for secondary students.

Other important bus stop information to discuss with your child:
• Always arrive at the bus stop five
minutes before the scheduled
pick-up time. Arriving earlier is not
necessary and is discouraged.
Buses will not leave until the
scheduled time at the corner.

Bus information available online

• Keep school supplies in a backpack.

Student bus information is also
available online at A-HConnect,
www.anoka.k12.mn.us/ahconnect.
Each family will have an A-HConnect
account established for them at the
beginning of the year. Login information will be mailed before school starts.
If you do not receive your information
or have questions, call the A-HConnect
help line at 763-506-HELP (4357).

• Always wait for the bus off the
roadway and in a single file line.
Please, no pushing or shoving!

Bus stops
There are more than 17,000 bus
stops in the Anoka-Hennepin School
District. If everyone had a bus stop at
his or her home, the number of stops
would more than double and the
number of school buses needed to
transport students would dramatically
increase, along with the time students
would spend on the bus. Bus stops
are designed to be collector points
for the neighborhood and to safely
serve the students in each area, as
well as any students who move in during the course of the school year.
Why aren’t house-stops used for the
vast majority of regular transportation
students? There are two primary reasons:
• The motoring public is used to
seeing school buses and anticipates they will slow down and
stop at intersections, so they
adjust for that practice and are
more cautious. The car behind, or
approaching the school bus does
not anticipate it will stop in the

• Wait until the bus reaches a complete stop before attempting to
approach the bus. School buses
are large, heavy vehicles that cannot stop quickly. Be extra cautious
around them.
• Never cross the road until the bus
driver extends the stop arm and
signals it is safe to proceed.
• Help promote good behavior on
the school bus.
• State law requires that school bus
safety training occur on the bus, in
the classroom, and at home.
• Each student will receive a copy of
the school bus discipline policy
along with a letter for parents/
guardians to review, sign, and
return to the classroom teacher.
• The bus discipline policy is
designed to make the bus ride as
safe and enjoyable as possible for
all students. Please make sure your
child understands all the discipline
and safety rules, as well as the consequences for not following them.
• Video cameras have been
installed on school buses to help
promote safety and monitor
behavior. They have proven to be
effective tools in controlling student behavior.

• Riding the school bus is defined
by State law as a “privilege, not a
right” and as such may be
revoked if safety and discipline
rules are not followed.

Safety training
Students receive bus safety training
every year on these concepts:
• Riding the bus is a privilege, not a
right.
• Abide by district policies for discipline and school bus safety.
• Display appropriate conduct while
on the bus.
• Understand and respect the “danger zone” around the school bus.
• Learn safe boarding procedures
for entering and exiting the bus.
• Learn safe vehicle lane crossing
procedures.
• Practice school bus evacuation
techniques.

Poor weather conditions
• Bus drivers are asked to drop students off on plowed roads or as
close to existing stops as possible.
If road conditions do not allow
bus travel, children may need to
walk up to half a mile in some
areas.
• If you live in an area prone to
drifting snow, make arrangements
for these days.
• If drivers cannot get within reasonable walking distance of a stop,
they are instructed to return to
school with the students. Staff will
notify you.
• The school office and the transportation office will remain open
on severe weather days until all
buses complete their trips home.
All buses are radio-equipped in
the event of an emergency.

Make sure the school bus ride is
enjoyable for your child
Students are adjusting to many new
changes at the beginning of the
school year. Learning the safety rules
and the social aspects of the school
bus can be a challenge, especially for
new and younger students. Here are a
few suggestions to help your child be
comfortable riding the school bus:
• Talk with your child about how he
or she feels on the school bus.
Ask questions: Where do you sit?
Who do you like to sit with? What
do you like or dislike about the
bus ride?
• Review the safety rules and make
sure your child understands that
the rules help protect them while
on the bus.
• Tell your child who they can tell if
they have a problem on the
school bus: bus driver, teacher,
bus patrol, or principal. Make sure
they know there are oth er adults
who care about them and want to
know if they feel uncomfortable or
if they are a victim of bullying
and/or harassment.

What to do if there is a concern
• Role-play with your child. Talk
about ways to solve the problem
and practice so your child knows
how to speak up for himself or
herself or ask for help.
• Ask an older sibling or neighbor
to watch out for your child.
Instruct your child to sit with this
person and ask for help if needed.
• Discuss the problem with the
school principal or the transportation office. Staff members can
help resolve problems and intervene with all students who ride
buses.
• There are video cameras on all
buses to monitor the behavior of
students. These cameras have
both audio and video recording
capabilities. Staff from the school
and/or the transportation department will review these videos to
aid in the investigation of an issue,
if necessary.

Transportation questions
Please call your school office if you
have a question about your child’s bus
number and/or bus stop. You will get
help more quickly at the school office,
as the district transportation phones
are extremely busy in the beginning
of the school year. Transportation
information is also available at:
www.anoka.k12.mn.us/transportation.

School Bus Safety Dates
for 2014-15
School Bus Safety Week:
Sept. 8-12, 2014
School Bus Evacuation Drills:
Sept. 9-11, 2014
School Bus Curriculum Presented
and Tested:
Sept. 12, 2014
Winter School Bus Safety Week:
Jan. 5-9, 2015
2014 School Bus Safety Poster
Contest Theme: To be determined.
School Bus Driver/Bus
Paraeducator Appreciation Day:
Jan. 7-8, 2015
Spring School Bus Evacuation Drills:
To be determined – sometime in May