Jackson-Milton Transportation Department

Jackson-Milton Transportation Department

Transportation of students will be from the student’s legal residence to school and back to his/her residence. If a student must either be picked up or dropped off at another school bus stop, it must be on a permanent basis at a school district authorized bus stop for the school year. If such a change is required an Alternative Transportation Request Form must be filled out and submitted to the Transportation Office. A form may be picked up at either school office or by calling the Transportation Office at 330-538-3232 ext 1406. You may also download a form by going to Departments – Transportation – Forms. You can drop off the form at either school building, email it to the Transportation Supervisor at or fax it to the Transportation Department at 330-538-2259.

During the first two weeks of school, the Transportation Supervisor will be adjusting school bus routes and the drivers will be adjusting departure times to have the student arrive at school at an appropriate time. School bus pick ups for High School - Middle School students begin at 6:30 AM and for Elementary School students at 7:30 AM. During the first week or so your students should be at the bus stop at these times until a more permanent time is established. As a reminder students must be at their designated school bus stop five minutes before their scheduled pick up time. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding during this time.

Change of Address or Phone Number: It is important for us to be able to contact you, if you change your phone number please notify the appropriate building secretary so that the correct number is on the emergency medical that is carried on the school bus with your student. If you move you will need to visit the appropriate building secretary to find out what paper work is needed for your change of address. Once all the information that is needed is processed, the secretary will inform the Transportation Director and a new bus stop will be issued. A new Emergency Medical form will be needed. You may download a form by going to Departments – Transportation – Forms. You may give this form to either building secretary or the school bus driver that will be transporting your student.

Inclement Weather: Ohio Law permits school districts to delay opening schools for up to two (2) hours for hazardous weather without being designated a calamity day.

Should a delay be implemented, here are some important procedures to remember:

-  A two hour delay means both schools simply start two hours later. Bus routes would begin exactly two hours later than normal. Example: if your child’s AM pick up time is 7:40; your child would now be picked up at 9:40 AM. Dismissal times would remain the same.

Why is my child’s school bus late ? – Weather, traffic, driver absenteeism, maintenance difficulties and unforeseen incidents are responsible for delays in the arrival of school buses in the morning and afternoon.

-  Sometimes the school bus routes must be doubled up to and from school due to a regular driver being absent.

-  Traffic is becoming increasing heavy in some areas and it becomes difficult to cross roads due to its volume.

-  Drivers check their school buses before and in between their routes and sometimes find mechanical problems that can cause delays and require driving another school bus for that day. This can cause the school bus to be running late.

Please know that we are doing everything humanly possible to have all buses running. In the event that your school bus does not arrive as scheduled; please allow us ten to thirty minutes to get another school bus to you. We will do our best to make sure all students are picked up.

Why can’t you call when you know the bus will be late? : It is simply a numbers problem. There are as many as 50 students on each school bus. That is as many as 50 phone calls in a short time frame to parents who are quite possibly at the school bus stop with their children. It is just not feasible. Please know that there is a bus on the way and that we will do everything humanly possible to transport your child to and from school in a timely manner.

FAQ From The Ohio Department of Education:

I cannot see my child’s bus stop from the house ? - No law requires a parent to see the bus stop from home. Students in Ohio may be assigned to a bus stop up to one-half mile from their home and we encourage parents to accompany their child to the bus stop whenever possible. This teaches the child safe habits of walking to and from the bus stop and may give the parent peace of mind. Bus stop locations are determined by the school district.

Are sidewalks required for my child to get to his/her bus stop ? - Many students walk alongside of roadways and in some instances no sidewalks exist. While we understand this may be of great concern in some situations, the Department of Education does not promulgate bus stop placement. Issues relating to where a child’s bus stop is located and safety concerns must be addressed with the district that you reside.

I make my child wait inside of the house until the bus is at the stop. I have heard that this is not allowed ? : Ohio Law requires children to be waiting at the bus stop prior to its arrival. School bus drivers count students at the bus stop before they load and as they get on the bus to ensure all children are safely on board. If students are not waiting at the bus stop the driver cannot count them and cannot be certain that all the students are safely on board. Waiting at the bus stop before the bus arrives further ensures that no one chases after the bus – this is a very dangerous thing to do. Many districts also instruct also instruct their buses to not stop at locations where no students are waiting.