School Buses
Have You Registered Your Student to Ride the Bus?
If not, please log into your ParentVUE account and use the Online Registration tool to walk you through it.
If you need assistance with logging in, please email [email protected]
Bus Ridership Tool
Bend-La Pine Schools My Bus Stop allows parents, guardians and students to know the location and approximate arrival time of their school bus from a smart phone, mobile device or computer.
Your student's school bus location is automatically updated, and the ETA recalculated to accommodate any delays due to traffic while in route.
Families will be able to
opt into a new system that will allow them to know when their child enters and
exits the school bus when they use the Radio Frequency Identification Device cards
(RFID).
If you utilized the RFID program last year, you will need to opt back into the program to continue for the 2024-2025 school year.
Learn more about this tool on our My Bus Stop page.
School Bus Route Lookup
Families for all students, including those attending Choice Option schools, can lookup bus route information using the following steps.
Directions:
Step 1:
Click here to login to the Bus Lookup System. Login is your student's ID number. The password is the student's birthdate (MMDDYYYY). NOTE: Families with multiple siblings need to only login using one student's information to be able to see ALL students.
Step 2:
Go to the top of the webpage and click on "Work With Students" and then "View My Students."
Step 3:
Click on the student's name to see pick up location, time and any transfers.
Walking Routes to School
Families of students who walk to school can check out resources for recommending walking and biking routes to follow.
Safe Routes to School
School Bus Operators
Our school bus operators are the first contact many students have with school each morning and the last contact they have each afternoon. Our goal is to make that experience a safe, positive and caring one for all students.
In order to receive a School Bus Driver Certificate issued by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), candidates must meet very specific requirements established by federal and state laws. All of our school bus operators are selected based on clean driving records and a strong desire to have a positive impact on students. Prior to training, candidates must first pass four written tests at the DMV, pass a Department of Transportation (DOT) Commercial Driver License (CLD) physical and drug test, and pass a national background check. Once they have successfully completed all these requirements, they are then trained and tested by highly skilled professionals who have received hundreds of hours of instruction. Initial training for a school bus operator can last anywhere from three to five weeks, and requires a minimum of eight ODE recognized classroom hours (on important issues such as defensive driving and student management) annually.
Our school bus operators come from a variety of backgrounds and education levels. From stay at home parents and retired NASA engineers, to college students and realtors. Regardless of where they came from or how they got here, they have one thing in common, the safety of your student, both physical and emotional, is always at the forefront of their daily interactions with your student.
We encourage you to get to know your student's school bus operator. They have an ever increasingly challenging (although rewarding) role in our community; a smile or a friendly "good morning" from students and parents goes a long way.
By the Numbers
During the 2023/2024 School Year, we:
- drove 1,708,354 miles
- daily transported an average of 4,247 students to and from school
- had on average 120 certified School Bus Operators
- daily operated 85 general education routes
- daily operated 28 special program routes
Eligibility
Bend-La Pine Schools provides transportation services for elementary students who live more than 1 mile from their school of residence, and for secondary students who live more than 1.5 miles from their school of residence, as required by state law (Board Policy EEAB-AR).
Distance is calculated from residence property boundary to school property boundary using Google Maps.
Only students eligible for transportation services will be transported. Parents or guardians may not ride the school bus with their students. Students who do not attend school are not allowed to ride the bus. It is Bend-La Pine Schools’ goal to provide safe and efficient transportation.
Students who attend a school outside their school of residence boundary are required to provide their own transportation to and from school (Board Policy JC-AR). All students riding a fixed general education route must be routed to their school bus in order for the district to be able to quickly notify parents in the event of an emergency. Students may not "hop on" any bus that will take them to school, nor ride home with a friend if they are not registered to the route. For the safety of your student, only registered students my ride the bus.
Students with special needs may qualify for special transportation if they are unable to access school without it. Transportation must be included in your student's individualized education plan (IEP) to receive service.
Students and Parents
Bend-La Pine Schools has an established code of conduct and disciplinary procedures to ensure that students remain safe on the school bus. The code of conduct includes a list of rules adopted by the Oregon State Department of Education, as well as a list of additional rules adopted by the District. The code of conduct and procedures can be found in Board Policy EEACC-AP and Administrative Regulation EEACC-AR (Student Conduct on School Buses). Students and their parents should familiarize themselves with the Board Policy and Administrative Regulation.
Behavioral Expectations:
Be safe:
- keep your body and all objects to yourself and inside the bus
- remain seated until it is time to get off the bus
- stay in the "Safety Zone" away from the bus
- only cross in front of the bus as directed by the school bus operator
- do not run near the bus
Be Respectful:
- follow directions
- be kind to others
- use appropriate language and speak quietly
- keep your belongings in your backpack and not touching others
Be Responsible:
- keep your area clean
- arrive to your bus stop 5 minutes before scheduled time
- know and follow bus expectations
The following items are not allowed on the bus: animals, glass containers, aerosol cans, long-boards, fishing poles, snowboards, hockey or lacrosse sticks, weapons or look-alike weapons, golf clubs, helium balloons, skis, shovels or laser pens.
Roller blades, skateboards and shoes with wheels must be transported in a duffel bag or backpack. Skateboards may also be transported if they are securely attached to a backpack. Craft projects must be in a bag or box. Any item used in an unsafe manner may be confiscated and the student must bring a parent or legal guardian to the Transportation Administration Office to retrieve it.
Cell phone use on the school bus: Transportation generally follows the technology policy of your student's school. We realize that it is important for students to make contact with their friends and family before and after school. Personal use of cell phones is allowed on the bus as long as it does not cause distractions. Music and videos must be listened to using some kind of headphone device in only ONE ear to allow students to hear instructions from their driver. Phones and other technology may not be passed back and forth between students as this causes distractions.
In keeping with district practices, use of technology may not interfere with our core principles of respect and safety. Students are not allowed to use cameras on the bus nor share images to social media. Students may not show to other students any disrespectful or offensive movies, recordings, or images that are against district ethics (violence, pornography, etc.). The school bus operator may ask the student to put their phone away, or confiscate the phone to be returned at the student's stop. Students who do not follow these guidelines may lose technology privileges and/or face other disciplinary actions.
What If...
My child is late getting home... If your child fails to return home at their expected time, please contact the school first. Keep in mind there may be many reasons for a bus to be late on its route:
- Substitute school bus operator
- Mechanical problems
- Traffic delays
- Inclement weather
- Construction detours
- Please install the My Stop App
- Check out our RFID program
My child receives a discipline referral ... The district maintains a discipline and appeals procedure to ensure students follow student conduct and safety rules while riding the school bus. In most cases, at least one warning will be issued prior to the suspension of transportation. Suspension may be appealed in writing to the Director of Transportation.
I have a question about my student's transportation service... Call the Transportation Department at 541-355-5700 in Bend or 541-355-5750 in La Pine during non-route times (9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.) for non-emergent issues. If you have a safety concern or other urgent matter, call at any time.
I cannot find my student's routing information on line...
- You may be able to correct this yourself by logging into ParentVUE and make sure your student's address information is correct, including directional indicators (NE, NW, etc.). We are unable to make changes to your address at our location, please contact your school to make this change.
- If your address information is correct, AND your student attends your school of residence AND you live outside the walk boundary, call transportation to have your student routed.
- If your student attends a program that is outside your school of residence boundary, (i.e. TAG or Dual Immersion), call transportation to have your student routed.
- If your student attends an "option school" (Marshall, Realms MS, Realms HS, Skyline etc.) call transportation to have your student routed.
- If your student attends a school outside of your school of residence boundary, transportation is not provided. You may apply to receive a "courtesy ride" by completing a request form found above. Courtesy rides are filled based on availability beginning November of the school year. Bus stops will not be added for courtesy rides.
During inclement weather, how will I know if schools will be open or buses will be running on time... Please do not call the transportation office.
- Call the Weather Delay/Closure Line at 541-323-SNOW
- Watch or listen to local weather reports
- Sign up for BL Connect
- Check the Bend-La Pine Schools website
- Check the Bend-La Pine Schools Facebook page
- Download the MyStop App
- If there is a "Two-Hour Delay", please do not call the transportation office to find out what time your bus will arrive
- Add 2 hours to their regular stop time (i.e. if the bus usually arrives at 7:25 a.m., expect it to arrive at 9:25 a.m.)
- Download the My Stop App
Stopping for School Buses
School buses must follow all the traffic regulations that apply to individual motorists. Oregon school buses are equipped with flashing amber and red lights in the front and rear of the bus near the top. The flashing amber lights are turned on to warn traffic that the bus is preparing to stop. When the red lights begin to flash, drivers traveling in either direction on any road, street, or highway must stop before reaching the bus and remain stopped until the flashing red lights are turned off. The school bus law applies if you are on a highway with two, three, or four lanes of traffic and does not have physical median.
Use of Charter Buses
Bend-La Pine Schools may utilize charter bus services as needed for student transportation. All charter services are provided by student activity bus certified providers as authorized by the Oregon Department of Education. Parents will be notified prior to the use of a charter bus.
Video Cameras
Video cameras are installed on Bend-La Pine Schools’ transportation vehicles (Board Policy EEACCA-AR).