NTPS Transportation: "Above and Beyond"
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Mission: Committed to providing safe and efficient student transportation in a caring and positive environment.
Questions or concerns? Call us! 360-412-4545
Please remember, it is important for both you and your student to memorize:
- Your bus route number
- Your bus stop location
- Your regular pickup and drop-off times
Don't forget to tell this info to the person you have designated to meet your child.
We have forms in other languages that can be emailed, mailed, and returned via email to dispatch@nthurston.k12.wa.us, mailed, or dropped off.
REMINDER! Students who have not utilized transportation for 20 days total will be marked inactive in the SmartTAG system. If this occurs, please contact Transportation to reactivate your students.
Activate your Smart Tag account!
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Activate your SmartTag Parent account to get text message updates about a late bus, loading and unloading notifications, and more! Questions? See the Smart Tag page for a FAQ
Reserve Your Seat!
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We will continue to require ALL students to register to ride the bus in the 22-23 school year. More fall information >> Your student's route information will be posted to Smart Tag accounts in the last week of August! Please check your Smart Tag parent portal and they may start riding the bus when it shows routing.
Transportation Frequently Asked Questions
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REMINDER: Transportation services inactive after 20 days of no use
REMINDER! Students who have not utilized transportation for 20 days total will be marked inactive in the SmartTAG system. If this occurs, please contact Transportation to reactivate your students.
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How do I register for the bus?
Registration for transportation is a requirement for all students to secure their seat on the bus. Students who are not registered and arrive at the bus stop will be transported to school, but will not be transported home. Parents/guardians will be contacted to pick up student until registration for transportation is completed. Fill out the registration form >>
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Should I register my student if they might need the bus in the future?
No, students are marked inactive after not utilizing the bus for 20 school days. Should your student transportation status change you can register for the bus at that time.
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I do not have access to internet how can I fill out the registration?
Please call 360-412-4545, we will mail you the registration. You can mail it back, scan it to dispatch@nthurston.k12.wa.us or drop it off.
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My student will only need to register for shuttle services during the day not to/from home to school, how do I register for that service?
Please email dispatch@nthurston.k12.wa.us
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My student has an IEP that outlines that we need special transportation services, do I still need to register?
No. If your student qualifies for special transportation services, your qualification was processed through the Special Education department or Homeless/Foster Care liaison, and we have received an official Student Transportation Request from that department which is your registration.
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I have a split household and the other parent lives within school boundary that receives bus service for the school my students resides and attends, how do I get that information?
Please email dispatch@nthurston.k12.wa.us.
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Is bus registration required because seats are limited and some students won't receive transportation if they need it?
In order to maximize our current resources and provide the most efficient transportation services, routes are being re-built for the 2021-2022 school year to serve the students who are eligible for transportation and who will be actively using transportation.
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Can a school bus driver report me for going through the bus stop sign & lights? Is there a fine?
Yes there is a $394.00 fine. RCW 46.61.372
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Can I call or text my drivers during their route time to report lateness or an absence?
No. Please call 360-412-4545 to report and absence. Dispatch will attempt to let the driver know. WAC 392-145-031-(6) Except in accordance with district policy, a school bus driver shall not use a personal electronic device for personal communications while operating a school bus, except for the use of such devices to report illegal activity, summon medical or other emergency help, or prevent injury to a person or property, as permitted under RCW 46.61.667. For the purpose of this section, operating a school bus is defined as when the school bus engine is running.
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Can my child ride the bus with their special needs sibling?
We are experiencing a period of growth and due to the increased need of resources for our students as of 1/1/18 we are unable to accommodate siblings riders. You need to transport the sibling(s) or have them ride the general education bus (if you live within the boundary for the school of attendance).
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Can my child's instrument be transported on the bus? What about skateboards & sports equipment?
It will depend in the item. Please see below for references.
WAC 392-145-021 (3) Heavy, sharp, bulky, and/or other articles which may be hazardous in the event of an accident or an emergency stop shall not be transported unsecured in the passenger area of any school bus. Specific attention is directed to items such as skis, ski poles, vaulting poles, large musical instruments, riser platforms, etc. Teachers and all other school district staff members shall be annually notified that students shall not be requested to transport prohibited items between home and school on a school bus.
Student Right & Responsibilities handbook: "The following Orchestra and Band instruments are not able to be safely transported on the school bus by placing the instrument in or on the lap of the student or between the student’s legs: bass trombone, tuba, percussion instruments, trombones in hard rectangle cases, tenor saxophones in hard rectangle cases, baritones, basses, or cellos. No instrument will be allowed to take up a seat position, or extend into the aisle way of the bus."
All items need to be secured in or strapped to their backpack. Students are allowed one backpack and one instrument and they must fit on their lap. They cannot take the space of a student seat.
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Can my student get on and/or off the bus at a different location?
No, bus passes are no longer accepted effective Sept 2020. Students need to load and unload at their assigned bus stops.
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How can I get a bus stop changed? Can I just ask a driver?
Bus drivers are not authorized to change bus stops. You can submit a request for a new bus stop and it will be evaluated based on board policy and established guidelines on criteria for bus stop selection.
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How do buses work with Boys & Girls Club?
The Boys & Girls club maintains the order of the availability of the slots and the waiting list. They send us notification of when they are moving up on the list.
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How do I become a bus driver?
Go to our employment website and fill out an application. Call our Driver Trainers office at 360-412-4536.
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How do I find my student's bus information?
Activate your parent account through the Smart Tag Parent Portal. Launch the Parent Portal >>
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How do I get a copy of bus rules?
They are contained in our Handbook. Download a copy here.
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How do I keep my students safe when crossing the street to and from the school bus?
STOP - at the end of the crossing art. Make eye contact with your driver.
STOP - at the edge of the bus just in front of the driver. Make eye contact with the driver.
CROSS - only begin to cross after the driver has given you the signal that all traffic has stopped and it is now safe to cross the street.
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How do I report an absence if my child has special transportation?
Please call 360-412-4545.
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I live in the walk zone, but my child can't walk that far to school? Why can't I have a bus?
School districts are not funded to provide transportation to students that live within a mile of their school. The walk zones are set and approved by the NTPS School Board.
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I want to talk to my student's driver. Can I just meet them at the bus stop?
Due to safety and time challenges, we ask you call the transportation office and request to speak with your students driver. This will ensure that the driver has adequate time to discuss your needs and concerns. Any changes in your student's schedule or who may be getting your student off the bus should be relayed through our dispatch office. The driver may have a substitute not be aware of any change. Boarding a school bus to talk to a driver or student is prohibited.
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I'm not getting automated messages about late times from transportation. What do I do?
Texts and emails about late times (and other notifications) come through the Smart Tag System. Activate your parent account to adjust your notification settings. Launch the Parent Portal >>
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If I do not qualify for a bus can I take my student to the closest bus stop?
No. Routes are built to accommodate the amount of students in a specific area that qualify for transportation according to the capacity of a bus.
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If the driver can be late to a stop, why can't they wait when my student is running late?
Students are expected to be at the bus stop 5 minutes before the scheduled bus arrival. Bus drivers are instructed not to wait for tardy students. Drivers do not honk the horn to alert students of their arrival. Please see page 29 of the Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook.
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Is a bus a slow-moving vehicle? Do they have to pull over and let cars pass?
A school bus is not considered a slow-moving vehicle. RCW 46.61.427 and WAC 296-307-065.
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It's my students first day, can I ride the bus with them?
Parents are not permitted to ride route buses.
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My Address or Phone Number has changed. What do I do?
You will need to contact your student’s school to update your phone number and address.
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My child missed the bus. Can I follow the bus & have them board at the next stop?
For safety reasons, if your child misses the bus do not attempt to chase, pass, or block the bus along its route. If possible, take a different route to a stop ahead of the school bus and let your child board there. When in your car, directly behind a school bus, it is very dangerous for a child to attempt to run from the car along the side of the bus to board. Throughout the nation there have been fatalities where students have fallen in front of the rear wheels of a departing bus after they have jumped out a parent’s car to run up and catch the bus. If you are unsure of stops further along the route call 360-412-4545 and we may be able to advise you of the location and notify the driver.
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My student left something on the bus, how do I report it?
The driver should check their bus after every route and turn any items they find into the school. They are not permitted to have loose items on their bus. If you still cannot locate your student items, contact us at 360-412-4545.
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The bus arrived late at the school. Will it be held against their attendance?
No, if your student arrived on the bus after the bell, your student’s tardy will not be counted against them.
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What if my child attends Day Care?
Fill out the online registration with the updated information through transportation. Should additional information be required you will be contacted by the dispatch office.
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What time is early release?
ACT Early Release is 75 minutes earlier than the regular release time. Buses will arrive at their stop approximately 75 minutes earlier than their normal stop time. Please see a full list of all the school hours.
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What time is half day release?
Half day releases are 3.5 hours earlier than the normal release time. The buses will arrive at their stop approximately 3.5 hours earlier than the schedule stop time. Please see a full list of all the school hours.
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What training and safety checks are done before someone can be a bus driver?
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When is the driver responsible for my student?
WAC 392-145-060 (3) School bus drivers shall have the primary responsibility for the safety of passengers while they are boarding the school bus, while they are on the school bus, and while they are disembarking the school bus and crossing the roadway. If passengers must cross the road, the driver shall make every reasonable effort to ensure that they cross safely and that they pass in front of the school bus and never behind the school bus. The driver shall likewise ensure that passengers boarding or disembarking from the school bus are within their view at all times.
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Where can I find information on the school bus inspections?
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Where do I report a compliment, concern, or question I have?
Our online submission form is designed for you to submit concerns, comments, and recognition. You can also contact us by phone at 360-412-4545
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Where does my pre-K student or Kindergarten student go if I am not at the bus stop?
This is pending — we cannot ensure social distancing in the bus lounge, and we are working on an alternate plan with the task force
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Who is responsible for discipline on the bus?
The driver, The Student Transportation Support Specialist and cooperation of the parent and school.
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Why does my student have to be at the bus stop 5 minutes before the bus is scheduled to be there?
School buses, like any other form of transportation, are significantly affected by many uncontrollable factors. These factors are not limited to but can include factors like weather, trains, road construction, traffic accidents, and breakdowns. The buses have a 5 minute window on each side of the stop time to allow for these factors. In the driver is within the 5 minutes before or the 5 minutes after the stop time the driver is considered to be on time. We make every attempt to send out an automated message to families assigned to a bus route that will be more than 10 minutes late.
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Why doesn't the District provide transportation for students with approved waivers?
We are not funded to provide transportation to students who live outside of the school’s attendance boundary. The State OSPI rates our transportation department on our efficiency and our funding is based off of that efficiency rating. When you apply for a waiver, you waive all rights to school district transportation. It is stated on the waiver request that if filled out and turned in for approval, you will need to provide transportation.
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Will you make my child get off the bus if they are not comfortable because I am not there?
This is pending — we cannot ensure social distancing in the bus lounge, and we are working on an alternate plan with the task force.