Pride With Purpose Preparing For The Future

Bus Riding Rules

Pershing Middle School  
2009-2010

Students must respect all directions and requests of the bus driver.  Each driver may have slightly different requirements to provide for safely transporting students.

•      Each student will arrive at his/her posted morning stop ten minutes before the scheduled departure time.  The ten-minute rule allows for possible differences in what time the student thinks it is and what the bus driver believes. A bus will not leave a stop until the posted time, yet can leave a stop ahead of time if all students have boarded.  If the bus has not arrived ten minutes after the scheduled time, go home and have your parent call the city school transportation office at (858) 496-8460.

•       The bus driver, or a Pershing school official, can assign specific seats for ANY reason, and their decision is final.

•      Food, drinks, and gum may not be opened or consumed on the bus. All unopened food/drinks must remain inside a backpack. Otherwise, they will be confiscated.

•      Opening and closing windows is strictly up to the driver. Regardless of temperature, students must ask the driver's permission to open or close windows. The driver's decision is final.

•      The student will not project hands, arms, head, or objects out bus windows while the bus is in motion or stopped.

•      Student may not yell, shout, or use profanity while on the bus. Student may talk in normal tones while riding.

•      Students may not throw any objects inside the bus or out the windows at any time.

•      Students are not to have a walkman, radios, earphones, or other audio sources at school or on the bus.

•      No hats may be worn.

•      Students will not distract other drivers or pedestrians by flashing hand signals or yelling out to other vehicles.

•      There will be no fighting, verbal or physical, on the bus. Fighting will result   in immediate suspension of bus riding privileges.

•      Students are not to possess felt tip markers at school or on the bus. Students will not deface or destroy school or bus property. Vandalism to bus equipment will result in billing the student and parent for replacement cost and suspension of bus riding privileges for the student. The bus driver checks the entire bus before students enter the bus and immediately after students depart. If a student notices vandalism to any part of the bus, he/she should immediately notify the bus driver before the bus departs from the stop in the morning or from school in the afternoon.

•      Students will pick up all litter in their area of the bus before departing.

•      No students will touch any of the bus controls in the driver's area or in the emergency door area.

Consequences for violating the rules:

If a student violates any of the rules outlined above, and the bus driver writes a bus referral for the student, the following consequences will result unless the infraction jeopardized the safety of the bus and its occupants.

1st Referral: Transportation Coordinator or Vice Principal disciplines students: will assign lunch detention or after school detention and call parent.

2nd Referral: Suspension from the bus for 1- 3 school days, parent contacted.

3rd Referral: Suspension from the bus for 4 - 9 school days, parent contacted.

4th Referral: Suspension from the bus for 10 - 20 school days, parent contacted.

5th Referral: Suspension from the bus for the remainder of the semester or school year, parent contacted.