
Bus Information:
At the elementary school level, pupils in grades
one through six living more than one mile from school are
eligible to ride the school bus. Kindergarten students
living more than one-half mile are eligible for transportation.
At the middle and high school levels, students must live
more than one and one-half miles from school to be eligible
for transportation. To find a bus stop, click the button
above to access this service.
Field Trips:
Parent-signed permission slips are required for student participation on field
trips.
General Information:
The Transportation Department transports over 10,000
students safely, efficiently and economically over
a 98-square mile school attendance area. A fleet of
163 vehicles, which includes mini and regular buses
with wheelchair lifts for students with handicapping
conditions, travels 9,535 miles daily. Additional cars
transport special education students to schools outside
the district.
The transportation budget is based on the number of
miles buses travel taking eligible students to and from
school.
The department's 250 employees operate one of the most
modern and well-equipped fleets in the nation and staff
a full service, computer-equipped garage, as well as
provide safe crossing sites at over 88 locations throughout
the district. Special needs students are transported
in new, air conditioned minibuses and wheelchair buses
to a variety of district programs, and 19 out-of-district
programs.
In addition to traveling 2.4 million safe miles annually, the Transportation
Department is active in environmental programs. We have special programs for
disposing of waste oil, antifreeze, solvents, freon, batteries and tires.
The state of Arizona awarded the Transportation Department $295,450 for continuing
the Alternative Fuels Program for the 341-vehicle fleet. The transportation
professionals take pride in their part of educating our children.
"Kids,
The School Bus and You" is a web page that discusses
school bus safety and gives school bus safety rules to drivers,
children and parents. Riding a school bus is the safest way
to travel to school and this online brochure reinforces this principle.
School Bus Passenger Safety and Seat Belts
Commonly, people believe that school children are not protected during a crash because school buses do not have seat belts. In fact, school buses are designed with a clever occupant protection system that fits both a kindergarten student and a high school senior, without the need for seat belts. This occupant protection system is called compartmentalization: the seats are strong, closely spaced together, high backed, well padded, and are designed to absorb energy during a crash. Compartmentalization works best in frontal and rear impact scenarios.
School buses are one of the safest forms of transportation on the road today. An average of only seven passengers are fatally injured each year as, nationally, school buses carry over 23.5 million children daily. The Safety Board continues to investigate school bus crashes to ensure that this safety record continues (see link below).
In 1999, the National Safety Board conducted a study on Bus Crashworthiness Issues. The conclusions of this study focus on several main issues:
- Occupants in the seating compartment but not in the area of intrusion were less likely to be seriously injured.
- Seatbelts do not prevent injuries in all crash situations and can actually increase injuries with the current school bus seat design.
- An occupant crash protection system should be developed that would protect school bus passengers in most accident scenarios.
As a result of this study, the Safety Board issued recommendations to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to develop and then require adherence to performance standards for interior occupant protection systems that will protect children in all crash scenarios, including side impacts and rollovers. NHTSA continues to research this topic and has not yet issued a requirement for the redesign of school bus interiors.
More Information: National Transportation Safety Board
School Bus Discipline:
The safety of students is of primary concern. Students causing disruptions by
violating the rules of the bus risk the welfare of other students and possibly
the community at large. All students are expected to abide by the bus rules
and to show respect for the driver of the bus. Students breaking the rules
will be subject to disciplinary action and may suffer the loss of bus riding
privileges. Video Monitoring Systems are placed on some transit buses.
High school students must display their bus identification in order to ride the
bus.
NOTE: Students attending a school through
Open Enrollment are not eligible for district
transportation to and from the school.
Bus
Rules (PDF)
Awards and Grants:
The Paradise Valley School District Transportation Department was recently awarded the Clean Air Champion award from the Governor's office for it's contributions in the use of clean vehicle fuels and was also recognized by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality as a pilot school district in the School Bus Idling Reduction Program.
The Transportation Department has also received the Clean Cities Coalition grant for their role in reducing diesel emissions through an anti-idling program and operating the fleet on ultra low sulfur diesel and particulate filter, and EPA and State of Arizona grants for alternative fuel projects.
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