Student safety is a top priority for the Freeman School District. The following information is provided to parents as a guide for planning student transportation to and from school.

One of our most important duties is to provide each student with a learning environment that is safe and secure. This includes buses and bus loading/unloading areas. The Freeman School District has established expectations for student behavior that we believe will improve the safety of all students who ride school buses. By working together, we can provide school transportation that is safe and enjoyable for staff and students!

Remember: Riding a bus to school is a privilege that can be lost if students repeatedly refuse to follow bus-riding expectations. In addition, Washington State Law, RCW.392.145, makes certain behaviors on the school bus a crime. Student behaviors that require the driver to divert his/her attention from the road place all students' safety at risk and will not be tolerated.

Expectations:

Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Ready to Learn, and Be Safe

Bus Riding Expectations:

Students are expected to demonstrate appropriate behavior while riding the bus; this includes at school bus stops, the activity bus, and trip buses.

• Always follow the driver's instructions
• Keep food and drinks off the bus (water is ok)
• Use quiet voices and whisper tones
• Sit facing forward and stay seated - "Bottom on the seat / back to the back of the seat"
• Keep hands, feet, and belongings to ourselves
• Keep belongings in our backpacks
• Have nothing in the aisle (feet, backpacks, coats, etc.)
• Throwing objects is not allowed
• Keep body parts and objects inside the bus
• We are kind and respectful to everyone - we don't bully, harass, call names, use foul language, etc.
• Aerosol cans, glass, and balloons cannot be on the bus
• Be at the bus stop 5 minutes early
• Always practice safety on and off the bus

Bus Stop Safety Tips:

• Arrive at the bus stop five minutes early, be in a single line, and ready to get on the bus when it arrives
• Take five giant steps back from the curb; which is in the driver's line of vision.
• Wait until the bus stops completely before approaching
• Avoid pushing or roughhousing while waiting or boarding
• Pack all belongings in appropriate bags so hands are free to use the safety rail while going up and down the stairs inside the bus
• Make sure clothes and backpacks don't have hanging straps or strings that may become snagged in the vehicle
• When exiting the bus, children must cross in front of the bus, never behind it - ALWAYS wait for the driver to wave you across
• When approaching and leaving the bus stop, be alert to traffic, look left, right, and left again before crossing the street

School Bus Notes - TK through 12th Grade:

• Students that are assigned to a bus must have a note in order to ride another bus or wait at parent pickup for a ride (this applies to every grade level, TK-12)
• If a student does not have a note, even if parent "told them", they are required to ride the bus they are assigned to
• Bus notes should be turned in to the office each morning so the office can sign the note - yes, even high school students
• Texts from a parent will not be an allowable form of a "bus note"
• It is permissible for parents to call the office to ask for a student to be released from the bus
• It is not permissible for parents to call on the student's phone to ask the driver to release the student or allow them to ride another bus
• Students on the bus may not be released for any reason, unless transportation has received a call from the school office to release a student
• Siblings may not go to a bus to ask the driver to release their siblings - again, this must be done through the school office, followed by a call from the office to release the student

The Transportation Team will make every effort to work with students to remind them of appropriate conduct and review the expectations