Do I need to stop for the school bus when the yellow lights are flashing?
Flashing yellow lights mean that the bus is getting ready to load or unload students. While you do not have to stop when the yellows are flashing, you should watch for the stop paddle to come out. When the stop paddle is out and the red lights are flashing, you must stop for the bus if you are on a two-lane road or if you are traveling the same direction as the bus on a three- or four-lane road. Stop paddle violations are prosecuted under RCW 46.61.370
At the beginning of the year, students just need to be at the bus stop five minutes prior to the pickup time in the morning and the driver will pick them up. Drivers compile a list of students after about two weeks. After that time, if your student needs to start riding the bus, you should call our office at 465-6107 and give us your student’s name, address and phone number. This is especially important if there is a permanent residental change or change in daycare location.
Students whose home residence does not reside along an individual bus route will not be allowed to ride that route without prior approval from the Mead Transportation Services Office.
Bus stops and routes are established to serve students and schools in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible. Most stops remain the same from year to year, but as students move in and out of neighborhoods and new homes are built routes and stops may need to be adjusted. If you feel you need a new bus stop or a change in location for an existing stop, please read Board Policy 6600 - Transportation of Students. If you think your request meets the criteria in that Board Policy, you may fill out a Bus Stop/Bus Route Change Request Form and mail it to our office at 12828 N. Newport Hwy, Mead WA 99021.
Can I get off somewhere other than my own bus stop or ride another bus home?
Students must get on and off at their own stop unless they have specific permission in writing. (See Board Policy 6631) You should take a note from your parent to the school office and get an official bus pass stating which bus you need to ride or where you need to get off. Bus passes are generally only good for one day.
To find out which attendance area you live in, go the Boundary map. Zoom in on the area in which you live using the magnifying glass icon on the left side of the screen. Attendance areas are shown in the key on the right side of the map.
Go to the Bus Stops map. Zoom in on the area in which you live using the magnifying glass icon on the left side of the screen. Toggle on the bus stops layer on the right side of the screen (click on the circle next to the name of the layer and a green dot will appear). Use the identify tool on the left side of the screen (a small i in a black circle). Put the + over the bus stop dot nearest your home and click. Information will appear across the bottom of the screen giving pick up time, location, school and drop off time. You may need to click on several dots to find one that serves your school.
What happens when I get a “ticket” from the bus driver?
If you violate one the “Rules and Regulations for Students Riding School Buses”, your bus driver may issue you a citation (ticket). The first ticket is a warning and reminder of the rules. A copy is sent to your parents and the school principal. A second ticket results in a three-day suspension from riding the bus. The suspension will be arranged between your parents and the office staff at the Transportation Department. A third ticket results in a five-day suspension.
