Eligibility

Transportation is available for children who live two miles or more from their assigned school. The distance a student lives from their assigned school is measured using the shortest route that may be traveled on publicly maintained roads between the entrance to the campus and the drive way of the student’s legal residence. Students residing within two miles of their assigned school may have transportation available if their neighborhood qualifies as hazardous under the district’s hazardous transportation rating system.

Some students who participate in vocational programs or classes not offered at their school are transported between schools. Special education students are eligible for transportation if need is established through the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) process.

Pick Up Time Criteria

Regular transportation attempts to arrive at every bus stop on time. Due to the variances between individual clocks, students are asked to arrive at the bus stop 5 to 10 minutes prior to the scheduled arrival time. Buses will load students and depart the stop. Regular buses do not wait for late students under most circumstances. All buses will wait 10 minutes after the release bell at the school for students to board. Students are expected to proceed immediately to the buses. Bus drivers are instructed not to stop or open the door for late students and/or parents because of safety concerns. Students in Pre-K thru Kinder will require an authorized adult to receive them or they will be returned to campus.

Route Design

Bus routes are created to enhance student safety while maximizing route efficiency. SISD buses are directed to stay clear of unpaved and private roads. Stops are formulated to allow students to wait off the main roadway for the bus, if possible. Stops are also created to minimize students walking in highly traveled roadways for long distances without walkways. It is the parent’s responsibility to supervise their children between their home and the bus stop and while at the bus stop. Stops are not placed in dead-end streets to minimize bus accidents while backing (Backing is a very dangerous maneuver for a school bus). Stops are spread as far apart as criteria will allow in order to help decrease the number of stops each bus will make on its route; thus minimizing riding time for the students.

Elementary/secondary students may be required to walk up to ½ of a mile to a bus stop. Bus routes are designed to limit student ride time to no more than 1 hour one-way if at all possible, however, most students ride under 45 minutes one-way. The above design criterion is for regular students only. Students in special programs are subject to different design criteria. Although, it is the students’ responsibility to get of at their respective stops, every effort will be taken so that students will be dropped off at their designated locations only. Pre-Kinder through kinder students will only be dropped off if an approved guardian or authorized adult is present. Should a guardian or authorized adult not be present, the child will be returned to the respective campus. This rule applies to all special needs children.

Bus Ridership Capacities

School buses are rated by manufacturers to have a capacity based on three riders per seat. Socorro ISD has adopted maximum ridership per bus as designated by the manufacturer or by law.

Socorro Independent School District

Transportation

Bus Routes

Routes Eligibility

Special Education Students

School Bus Safety Tips

Staff Training