How Bus Stops Are Decided
Bus stops are assigned to students based on the proximity of a student’s residence to a safe location that allows for walking and congregating while maintaining overall route efficiency. It is not possible to route buses and locate stops according to the sight lines from individual student residences. The district guarantees door-to-door transportation for kindergarten students only.
Based on our district Transportation Policy, students are expected to travel up to a certain distance to their bus stop, depending on grade level:
- Elementary – Up to 1/10th of a mile
- Middle school – Up to 2/10th of a mile
- High school – Up to 3/10th of a mile
Parents/guardians are responsible for the safety of their students to and from the bus stop. Buses will only stop for pick-up or drop-off at assigned stops.
Bus Stop Change Requests
Families are provided with their child’s bus stop in late August. Families who would like to request a change to their bus stop should start the process by completing the Niskayuna Bus Stop Change Request form.
The Transportation Department will evaluate the information and communicate a decision to the family within 10 business days.
Families who would like to appeal the Transportation Department decision may do so by completing the Appeal of Bus Stop Change Request form. All appeals will be decided by a Bus Stop Review Committee made up of representatives from District Administration, the Transportation Department, and community/parents. The committee meets periodically when there are active requests to review and generally will meet more frequently in the beginning of the school year.
Appeals of any Bus Stop Review Committee decisions can be submitted to the Superintendent of Schools.
Requests to change bus stops are generally decided on factors that include: compliance with policy, safety, consistency, ability of the bus to get to school in a timely manner.