FAQs

The eligibility of students to receive school transportation services has been defined in Florida Statutes (F.S.) Section 1006.21, to include the following:

• Kindergarten through grade 12 students whose homes are more than 2.0 miles walking distance from the assigned school.
• Pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students with special needs or disabilities, regardless of the distance from home to school.
• All students enrolled in a Teenage Parent Program and the registered children of such students.
• Elementary age children who live within two miles of their assigned elementary school and who are subject to hazardous walking conditions as defined in Section 1006.23 F.

A reasonable walking distance for a student is defined by the Florida Department of Education Administrative Code as:" any distance not more than two (2) miles between the home and the school or one and one half (1-1/2) miles between the home and the assigned bus stop".

The school district determines the walking distance with the aid of a computerized mapping and school bus routing system (EDULOG). This system utilizes the current registered address information from the student database to locate the residence of each student and calculate the distance to his or her assigned school. The distance is calculated using the shortest route that a student can walk between the home and the school.

Each school receives a Student Transportation Eligibility Report prior to the beginning of each fall school term. The report lists each student registered at the school, their current registered address, the distance from the registered address to the school, transportation eligibility and the bus route information, if the student is eligible for transportation.

Each evening, student information is uploaded to the routing system. Once uploaded, a student is matched to the electronic map, distance to school is determined and students who are eligible for transportation are auto assigned to the closest, safest stop. Schools have access to this information on a daily basis.

The routing system used by the transportation department has been proven to be 99% accurate on the distance to school using the walk path to school. If you have further concerns the Transportation Liaison at your school (each school has a school based staff member that serves as the transportation liaison for that school). Will complete a 'Concern Form' and a district transportation staff member will calculate, using a calibrated distance-measuring device.

The Concern Form will be completed with the results of the request. Parent/guardian may check with school transportation liaison in 5-10 days for the results of the concern.

The weekend prior to the start of school a “robo call” will be sent out to all eligible school bus riders telling them to check “Virtual Counselor” account for bus stop information.  It will show the student listing the bus route number, bus stop assignment location and the pick up and drop off times for the bus stop.

The parent/guardian should contact the designated transportation liaison at the school the student attends to determine the bus assignment information.

Students are assigned to a specific four-digit bus route number. The route number is located on the right side of every district school bus just to the rear of the passenger entrance door.

General concerns regarding student transportation should be directed to the designated school based transportation liaison for the school the student attends.

The parent/guardian should first try to contact the school the student is assigned to attend to inquire if the bus is running late or if for some reason the student missed getting on the bus prior to its departure from the school. If the parent/guardian is unable to make contact with the school or the school has already closed for the day, the parent/guardian should contact the appropriate transportation terminal for the bus route the student is assigned to ride as listed below:

Bus Terminal Information