Safe, timely, and efficient transportation to and from school is a priority for Sylvania Schools.
Unless indicated, the transportation rules are for all students, Kindergarten through 12th grade
Who is eligible for transportation?
Students must reside in the Sylvania Schools district boundaries and attend their school of residence to be eligible for transportation. Students attending Sylvania Schools are eligible for transportation except where walk zones have been established. Walk zones are designated neighborhoods or specific streets due to their proximity to the school. Transportation is not available to students living in a walk zone.
Nonpublic students - click here for current information on Sylvania Schools transportation to other schools.
How do I sign up for transportation?
Transportation signup is through the parent portal.
How are bus stops determined? Why is the bus stop not at my house when my child is the only one using the bus stop?
Bus stops have been determined throughout the district. Each stop is at the same location for every level and school - elementary, junior high, high school and nonpublic schools. The addresses for the bus stops do not change each school year. Click here to find your bus stop.
Having regular bus stops that do not change year-after-year is a key component to having efficient transportation. There are about 350 routes each morning and again each afternoon servicing nearly 4,500 students to nearly 20 locations. When specific bus stops are requested, or the district is asked to make changes to existing stops, it creates confusion, the change has to be relayed to the driver, the board has to approve the stop, the route has to be reprinted and the possibilities for substitutes to miss stops dramatically increases. Because the stops don’t change, the department is able to run much more efficiently and substitute bus drivers are able to quickly learn the stops in the neighborhoods.
The bus stops have been selected with many considerations in mind including lessening traffic congestion on neighborhood streets where there were previously many stops at homes that were very close. This video shares the philosophy for having established bus stops.
Can I change bus stops?
Contact the Transportation Department. For new and current students, allow 48 hours to be assigned to an existing stop. If a new stop needs to be established, your child will be assigned to a bus and able to start riding on the Wednesday of the week following your request.
Can my child wait inside our house until the bus is coming down the street?
Students cannot, by state law, wait until the last minute to go to the bus stop. The timing of the bus routes allow time for students to cross the street and board safely, but when students rush out the door to meet the bus, that causes safety concerns as well as adding time that eventually affects the timeliness of later routes.
There are several reasons for this, the biggest one being safety. Most accidents that involve students getting injured by a bus occur outside the bus while a student is moving around and not seen. Often it is a student running after a bus or going after a piece of paper or other object that has blown near the bus. For this reason the State of Ohio passed a law which requires all students to have a “designated place of safety” to wait (which will be determined by your driver). This way, when the bus pulls up, the students are waiting there, the driver can see them all as they approach and there is not a chance of a student running up to the bus as it pulls away.
My child’s bus stop is on the opposite side of the street than he/she enters the bus. Is this correct?
Yes, bus stops have been established to keep students from crossing the street the bus will travel on until the bus arrives. Some bus stops are directly across the street from another bus stop (1234 & 1235 Main St). When the bus arrives, the driver will motion to the students located on the bus driver’s side to cross when it is safe. Students will not cross any streets containing more than two lanes.
Can my child go to the bus stop alone?
The decision of when to allow your child to go to the bus stop alone is up to the parents/guardians, but the school district is not responsible for children while they are waiting for the bus. Every effort is made for the bus to be ontime, but there are times when the bus could be running late. Discuss a plan with your child in case they need someone while they are waiting for the bus.
For students in 1st grade or older, I have been told that if a parent is not home at the time of drop off, the bus will take my child back to the bus office. Is this true?
*This is for non-Kindergarten students - Sometimes. Most of our students are dropped off on their own, and then they walk home from their stop. However, if a driver is not comfortable leaving a child they feel does not have a safe place to go or if they feel there is someone or something present that they do not feel comfortable being there, they may bring the child back to the transportation department. You will be notified if this is the case.
What band/orchestra instruments are permitted on the bus?
The State allows students to bring items on a bus which can be easily held in their laps and not protrude above the seatbacks. For this reason, some instruments are and are not allowed on a bus.
Allowed: Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Trumpet, French Horn, Violin, Viola
Not Allowed: Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Trombone, Baritone, Percussion kits, Tuba, Bass Clarinet, Cello
Alternative locations for pick-up/drop-off:
Can my child go to a daycare, babysitter’s house, or another bus stop for their regular pickup and drop off location?
Yes, if it is in their school district’s boundary. Student release forms are available online and locations must be consecutive Monday - Friday requests.
Can my child walk to another stop that goes to a school they are open enrolled in (either in district or through open enrollment)?
No. The bus drivers are responsible for the roster of students on the bus they are assigned. The district maintains emergency contact information on all students that are assigned to a bus. Unless there is a note to ride home with a friend, the district and state law requires that all students only ride the bus they are assigned.
Do you provide drop-off times for afternoons?
Yes, however, if kids have a schedule to keep or special event or other appointment, we urge parents to pick them up at school to ensure they will be on time. The PM route may need to be adjusted because of traffic, trains etc. and there is no guarantee that they will always be getting home by a specific time.
Can my child ride home with a friend?