Transportation

For the safety of district kindergarten students, it is our practice to have a parent and/or guardian meet the kindergarten student when the bus driver picks them up and drops them off at their stop. If a parent and/or guardian is not present, the child will be returned to their school or taken to the designated undeliverable site. If this occurs, please call our office 253.800.5900 and we will assist in reuniting you with your child.

The safety of your child is the ultimate goal of Bethel School District’s Transportation team. We will work collaboratively with you to ensure this new adventure is a positive experience for your child.

Kindergarten buses will most likely run late for the first two weeks of school. Please remain patient and contact us if you have concerns.  Take time to teach your child the bus rules and regulations. Let them know that they need to listen to the bus driver and follow their directions to assist in keeping them safe.  Enclosed in your kindergarten packet you will find the rules and regulations for bus riders.

If you need to contact the Transportation Department, please call 253.800.5900. We experience a high volume of telephone calls throughout the year, but extremely high volume during the first month of school. Please remain patient and leave a message if necessary. We will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Kindergarten Transportation Authorization for Drop

Bus Drivers check the bus for lost items after every school. Items are kept aboard the bus for return to the owner that afternoon or the next school day. If an item is not claimed, it is turned in to the school office. Items are not kept at the Transportation Department. If you have a question about lost and found items, please check with your driver or school office.

Because student safety is our number one priority, we have established guidelines for the transporting of musical instruments.  WAC 392-145-021-(3) addresses loose items not permitted on buses. To provide a clear understanding we offer the following pictorial to show authorized and unauthorized musical instruments. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Transportation Office at 253.800.5900.

All musical instruments transported in the passenger area on a school bus must be positioned in such a way that they do not block or obstruct in any way the aisle, stairwell, or emergency window exit.

Authorized Musical Instruments:

• Violins/Violas
• French Horns
• Tenor Saxes
• Trombones
• Bass Clarinets
• Snare Drums
• Flutes
• Oboes
• Clarinets
• Alto Saxes
• Trumpets
• Half Cellos

Unauthorized Musical Instruments:

• Tubas
• Large Drums
• String Basses
• Baritone Horns
• Baritone Saxes
• 3/4 Cellos and Full Cellos
• Guitars
• Bass Guitars

Any instrument placed on the floor must be against the outside (window) wall, as no student should have to climb over an instrument to exit in an emergency. Leg spacing on buses range from 7” to 12” so instruments must either fit on students lap or within the leg space of each seat. Instruments may not exceed height of the bottom of the window ledge, which ranges from 29” to 31”. Remember that emergency exits cannot be blocked.

Careful attention to these procedures will assure safe transportation for students and their musical instruments. Students are cautioned that failure to abide by these procedures may cause the forfeiture of the privilege to transport their music instruments on a school bus

Bethel School District has the responsibility to ensure student safety when walking to school and riding buses as per Policy 6605. In Washington State, school districts are responsible for developing a walking route for each elementary school in their district where children walk to and from school. A walking route to school is based on considerations of traffic patterns and existing traffic controls such as crosswalks, traffic lights, or school safety patrol posts. The chosen route should seek to limit the number of school zone crossings in a way that encourages students to cross streets in groups. In addition, it should seek those routes that provide the greatest physical separation between walking children and traffic, expose children to the lowest speeds and volumes of moving vehicles, and have the fewest number of road or rail  crossings. 

Four schools have been deemed as 'No Walk Zones': 

• Graham Kapowsin High School 
• Frontier Middle School 
• Nelson Elementary 
• Kapowsin Elementary 

Schools with limited walk zones are: 

• Centennial Elementary 
• North Star Elementary 
• Rocky Ridge Elementary 

If you have questions, please contact the Transportation department at 253.800.5900

Walking to the Bus Stop

• Allow extra time in the morning to get to your stop on time.
• Wear bright clothing so the bus driver and other motorists can see you in the early morning and late evening.
• Dress properly for the weather.  Winter clothing, hats, mittens and boots will help you keep warm.
• Watch traffic while walking to your stop.  Vehicles may lose control in the snow and ice and you need to be aware of your surroundings.
• Stand back from where the bus stops.  Buses need extra room to stop when there is snow and ice.

Waiting at the Bus Stop

• Be cautious at the bus stop.  Snow and ice accumulates under the powder and it is easy to slip and fall.
• Don’t throw snowballs at the bus, other vehicles or people.
• Don’t slide on the snow or ice patches in driveways or on the street.  You could accidently slide under the wheel of the bus, another car or get hurt.
• Don’t push and shove around the bus.  Someone could fall down on the ice or fall beneath the bus.

Entering and Exiting the Bus

• Use the handrail when boarding or exiting the bus to prevent slipping on the wet steps.
• Keep the windows rolled up to prevent frostbite.
• Listen to the driver at all times as they must pay extra attention to the road conditions and other vehicles.