School Bus FAQs
Q: What Area School Districts Does Schmitty & Sons Service?
Schmitty & Sons is proud to partner with Lakeville Area Public School District 194 and Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191. We also work with many other customers within the Twin Cities metro area. We are proud to serve these communities.
Q: How Are Bus Stop Locations Determined?
Stops are identified based on the goals of safety, efficiency, and distance between stops. Generally, stops are located at an intersection, in order for the driver to have a wide area to scan for traffic and students. We also try to eliminate the need for the bus to make backing movements during the route.
Please note:
- School bus drivers do not have the authority to make changes to the route or stop locations.
- Generally, 15-20 students are assigned to one bus stop. This number may be higher in high density housing areas, and secondary school routes.
- Bus stops are placed at locations that meet defined criteria, including being centrally located and within a reasonable walking distance of the student’s homes.
Q: Why Do Some Children Have To Cross The Street To Board The School Bus?
Our goal is to have stops accessible for students to board from curb or door side of the bus. However, there are circumstances in which we are not able to route the school buses so that all children can board the bus on the door side.
We recommend that the children wait on the side of the street where they reside. Students should always stand six feet away (or 3 giant steps) from the curb. The bus will stop traffic in all directions to accommodate the children who need to cross the street to board the bus. If your student must cross the street in front of the bus, walk on the side of the road until you are 10 feet ahead of the bus. You should ALWAYS be able to see the bus driver, and the bus driver should ALWAYS be able to see you.
Q: We Live On A Cul-De-Sac. Will The Bus Come Down Our Street?
Except for special education students, buses are generally not routed down cul-de-sacs, because of the danger to small children and property cause by the turn around/backing movements necessary to navigate a cul-de-sac. We will review individual exceptions for Cul-de-Sacs in which the bus is able to turn around and that exceed .5 miles walking distance for students.
Q: Can We Have An Additional Bus Stop If Our Neighborhood Has No Sidewalks, Or Has Steep Hills/Curves?
With the large number of students and bus stops in our district, it is sometimes necessary to have students walk to stops without sidewalks or on hills or curves.
Q: The Bus Goes Right Past My House. Can You Add An Additional Stop By My Driveway If I Have Special Circumstances?
A higher frequency of stops can make automobile drivers impatient, resulting in cars driving around the bus and creating greater safety problems than the distance a student has to walk to the bus stop. It also makes overall student ride time longer to have more bus stops.
We provide transportation for over 8,500 students per day. In order to be consistent and fair in the placement of stops, we cannot establish bus stop locations based on personal circumstances such as having small children or a daycare in your home, or not being able to see the bus stop from your house, or because your child has a heavy musical instrument. It is your responsibility to get your student(s) safely to the assigned bus stop.
Q: What If My Child Needs To Be Dropped Off At A Different Stop?
Students may be picked up or dropped off at a location other than their usual bus stop one when requested in writing by a parent or guardian, and approved by the school. The approved written request must be given to the bus driver each time a different pick-up or drop-off point is requested.
For additional information on bus rules and safety, please visit our Safety Pages.
Q: Do I Pay A Fee For My Child’S Transportation To School?
If your student is enrolled in Lakeville Area Public Schools District 194 there is a fee pay system that may be applicable. If you would like more information on pricing for an individual student or family, please click here to open this ISD 194 link.