General Information

  1. While the Sherwood School District wishes to avoid frequent changes in routes, stops and schedule times, it is occasionally necessary to adjust bus schedules when new streets are opened, bus overcrowding occurs or new housing developments place students in new locations. 
  2. Due to variances in traffic buses can run up to five minutes early or late. Students need to be prepared and arrive at the bus stop five minutes prior to the scheduled arrival time. 
  3. It is not unusual for a bus to be late on its daily route. There are several situations, which may cause such a delay. Sometimes the regular bus driver becomes ill at the last minute and a substitute driver is assigned to the route. Because the substitute is usually unfamiliar with the route, a schedule delay may result. Other times, weather, driving conditions, road construction, delays at railroad crossings or traffic tie-ups interfere with the schedule.
  4. In case additional information on bus routes or times of arrival and departure are required, parents should contact the Transportation Department at (503) 825-5900.
  5. Telephone calls to the Transportation Department, especially at the beginning of the school year, may result in your reaching our voice mail system. Please leave a message and we will return your call.
  6. It is recommended that parents discuss with their students what to do in case a bus is not on time, or if students have missed their bus.
  7. Some stops are located in front of neighborhood residences. Parents should stress respect for property of others to their students.
  8. Kindergarten students need to be accompanied by a parent or an older sibling at the bus stop at both drop off or pick up.  Kindergarteners will not be dropped off at a bus stop alone and will be returned to their elementary school.

School Bus Rules

ODE Rules Governing Pupil Conduct on School Buses

Because safety, pupil comfort, and operating efficiency are so directly affected by pupil conduct on the school bus, the Oregon State Department of Education has adopted Rules Governing Pupils Riding School Buses, which are prescribed in Chapter 581 of Administrative Rules for Oregon Education, subsection 53-0010, as follows:

  1. Pupils being transported are under the authority of the bus driver.
  2. Fighting, wrestling, or boisterous activities are prohibited on the bus.
  3. Pupils shall use the emergency door only in the case of emergency.
  4. Pupils shall be on time for the bus both morning and evening.
  5. Pupils shall not bring animals, firearms, weapons, or other potentially hazardous material on the bus.
  6. Pupils shall remain seated while the bus is in motion.
  7. Pupils may be assigned seats by the driver.
  8. When necessary to cross the road, pupils shall cross in front of the bus, or as instructed by the bus driver.
  9. Pupils shall not extend the hands, arms, or heads through the bus windows.
  10. Pupils shall have written permission to leave the bus other than at home or school.
  11. Pupils shall converse in normal tones; loud or vulgar language is prohibited.
  12. Pupils shall not open or close windows without permission of the driver.
  13. Pupils shall keep the bus clean, and must refrain from damaging it.
  14. Pupils shall be courteous to the driver, to fellow pupils, and passersby.
  15. Pupils, who refuse to obey promptly the directions of the driver, or refuse to obey regulations, may forfeit their privilege to ride on the buses.
  16. Rules Governing Pupils Riding School Buses must be kept posted in a conspicuous place in all school buses.

In addition to these ODE rules Sherwood School District has published Board Policy for Student Conduct on School Buses (Code EEACC) and Discipline Procedures for District-Approved Student Transportation (Code EEACC-AR). Please reference Sherwood School District Board Policy.

Video Cameras on Buses

NOTICE TO STUDENTS AND PARENTS REGARDING THE USE OF VIDEO OR AUDIO RECORDERS ON SCHOOL BUSES

The District has installed video and audio recording equipment on all school buses to monitor school transportation and will be videotaping and recording bus routes at random during the school year. Each bus has been equipped with a video monitor box, in which a video-recording device may be installed. Students will not be notified when a recording device has been installed on their bus.

The Transportation Supervisor or Principal shall review video on a routine basis and evidence of student misconduct will be documented. Students found to be in violation of the District’s bus conduct rules, shall be notified and disciplinary action will be initiated under the guidelines contained in the District’s discipline procedures for District approved student transportation.

Video shall be treated as protected student records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The following guidelines shall apply:

  1. Video shall remain in the custody of the Transportation Supervisor;
  2. Parents or students who wish to view a video in response to disciplinary action taken against a student may request such access under the procedures set out in the Student Records Board Policy and Administrative Guidelines (Code EEACCA-AR);
  3. Persons unrelated to a disciplinary incident shall not be permitted to view bus video.

Please contact the Director of Transportation at (503) 825-5900 if you have any questions.

Alternate Destinations

An alternate destination is defined as any stop that is not the stop assigned to an eligible student for his/her place of residence.

Eligible student is any student who lives outside the walk boundary for the school assigned to his/her primary residence.

An ineligible student is any student who lives within the walk boundary for the school assigned to his/her primary residence or a student who attends a school other than the one assigned to his/her residence (within or out of the Sherwood School District boundary).

Any student who needs to use an alternate destination to or from school for a single ride may use an alternate destination form to be filled out by the school office. Parent/guardian permission is required.

If a student is having a birthday party or other celebration where student transportation is requested, the Transportation Department must be contacted at least one week in advance to get prior approval for having friends ride the bus home with the student for the party. Schools will not issue alternate destination forms for parties/celebrations without prior approval from the Transportation Department.

For all other alternate destinations, please use the following guidelines:

A roster will be kept at the Transportation Department of all students who are using an alternate destination for an ongoing situation. In the event that transportation needs to be revoked due to overcrowding on buses, students will lose transportation in the reverse order that requests were received.

The district reserves the right to revoke alternate destination transportation for any reason.

Families using transportation to daycares or courtesy transportation (see below) are encouraged to have a backup plan in the event that transportation is revoked.

Approved alternate destinations will expire at the end of the school year. A new transportation request must be submitted every year.

Daycares/After School Programs/In-home Child Care

The district recognizes that it is an integral part of the community and as such will assist with transportation to daycares, afterschool programs or in-home child care who meet the following criteria:

  1. The organization resides within the attendance boundary for the school they are asking to receive transportation to/from, the bus route is not significantly altered, and the cost to the district is manageable.

OR

  1. An eligible student is using an existing bus stop within the attendance boundary for the school they attend for in-home child care by a relative.

Daycares/After School organizations must maintain and submit to the Transportation Department a list of students who attend their program and receive transportation.

All use of district transportation for daycares/afterschool programs must be pre-approved by the Transportation Supervisor, and all of the following must be true:

  1. Space is available on regular bus routes without displacing home-to-school students or overcrowding the bus;
  2. The schools to be served already receive district bus services;
  3. The daycare/after school program does not reside in the walk zone for the school they are asking to receive transportation to/from;
  4. An Alternate Transportation Request Form is filled out by the parent/guardian, turned into the school, and approved by the Transportation Department. This may take up to 2 weeks to process, so please plan accordingly. Transportation will not start until parent/guardian receives notification of approval from the Transportation Department.


Courtesy Transportation for Ineligible Riders

The district will provide courtesy transportation for ineligible school bus riders under the following conditions:

  1. Space must be available on the regular bus route without displacing eligible school bus riders or overcrowding the bus;
  2. Courtesy transportation will be honored only at existing stops. We will not add any stops to a bus route to accommodate a courtesy rider.
  3. There are no improper behavior issues.
  4. An Alternate Transportation Request Form is filled out by the parent/guardian, turned into the school, and approved by transportation. This may take up to 2 weeks to process please plan accordingly. Click here to access the Alternate Transportation Request Form in Spanish.