Eligibility

Transportation is provided to students who have a disability and their IEP or 504 team has determined it is required for the student to receive their free and appropriate public education. Transportation is also provided for students with disabilities whose IEP team has determined that they need to attend a school outside of their neighborhood attendance area. Special education transportation is not provided to students who are parentally placed in a public or private school outside the boundaries of their neighborhood school. Parentally placed means the parent or legal guardian requested the student attend a school outside of the boundaries of their neighborhood school.

Personnel

Valley Bus is responsible for employing bus drivers and paras. Valley Bus and the Fargo Schools Special Education Department train drivers and paras. Background checks are completed by Valley Bus. All drivers must meet Department of Transportation standards. School bus staff will, except for rare circumstances, remain on the bus at all times that students are present, except the driver going outside to operate a wheelchair lift.

Driver Responsibilities

The driver’s primary function is to drive the bus safely. The driver is responsible for opening and closing the bus doors and watching for student safety. The driver will not honk, use the reverse alarm or wait longer than 2 minutes before proceeding on the route.

Para Responsibilities

Paras will be present as required on all special education routes. Paras will assist students on and off the bus. Paras will also assist with the general supervision of students and individual behavior management and health care programs. Valley Bus staff will not knock on the resident's door, call ahead of arrival, or call upon arrival. Bus drivers and paras will not cross the door of the home or garage.

Parent Responsibilities

• Have your child ready and watch for the bus 5-10 minutes before you expect it to arrive. Many factors outside the driver’s control cause the pick-up or drop-off time to vary on any particular day (# of riders, weather, road construction, trains, etc.).
• Notify Valley Bus (701-235-5912) to cancel service if your child is not riding the bus on a particular day because of illness, an appointment, etc. If your child does not ride for 5 days without proper notification to Valley Bus, transportation may cease until the parent contacts the district transportation director.
• Have supervision at the return address. Students will only be released to an adult 18 or older. Caregivers will be expected to meet the student at the bus. For safety purposes, Valley Bus staff will not exit the bus to walk students to their parents. Students who are able to do so safely may be permitted to walk unattended to a guardian as long as the guardian is fully visible to the driver and/or para on the bus.
• If the bus driver or para determines that a student will be unsupervised, the student will be brought back to the school they attend. Parents will be contacted and responsible for picking up their child at that school. Contact Valley Bus at 701-235-5912 if your contact information changes.
• Notify Valley Bus if your child will be out of school for an extended period, such as hospitalization, long-term illness, family trip, etc.
• Share these policies and procedures with your child’s daycare provider.
• No food or drink is allowed on the bus. The only exception is for food or drink that is determined by a treating physician to be medically necessary and documented in the student’s IEP or 504.