Frequently Asked Questions |
Boundaries CALENDAR Transportation
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Q: How do I find out what school my child is zoned to attend? A: Go to www.palmbeachschools.org, click on the Schools tab, then Find My School or contact the Boundaries Department at 434-8100.
Q: When is the first day of school. Spring break, Christmas break etc. for next year? A: For calendar questions pertaining
to the next school year, please contact Van Ludy at
Q: How are hazardous walking conditions determined for elementary-aged school students? A: As per Florida Statute XLVII 1006.23 Hazardous walking conditions.-- (1) DEFINITION.--As used in this section, "student" means any public elementary school student whose grade level does not exceed grade 6.
(2) TRANSPORTATION; CORRECTION OF HAZARDS. (3) IDENTIFICATION OF HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS.--When a request for review is made to the district school superintendent or the district school superintendent's designee concerning a condition PERCEIVED to be hazardous to students in that district who live within the 2-mile limit and who walk to school, such condition(s) shall be inspected by a representative of the school district and a representative of the state or local governmental entity that has jurisdiction over the perceived hazardous location. The district school superintendent, or his or her designee, and the state or local governmental entity, or its representative, shall then make a final determination that is mutually agreed upon regarding whether the hazardous condition meets the state criteria pursuant to this section. The district school superintendent or his or her designee shall report this final determination to the department.
(4) STATE CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING HAZARDOUS WALKING CONDITIONS. 1. It shall be considered a hazardous walking condition with respect to any road along which students must walk in order to walk to and from school if there is not an area at least 4 feet wide adjacent to the road, having a surface upon which students may walk without being required to walk on the road surface. In addition, whenever the road along which students must walk is uncurbed and has a posted speed limit of 55 miles per hour, the area as described above for students to walk upon shall be set off the road by no less than 3 feet from the edge of the road. 2. The provisions of subparagraph 1. do not apply when the road along which students must walk: a. Is in a residential area which has little or no transient traffic; b. Is a road on which the volume of traffic is less than 180 vehicles per hour, per direction, during the time students walk to and from school; or c. Is located in a residential area and has a posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour or less. (b) Walkways perpendicular to the road.--It shall be considered a hazardous walking condition with respect to any road across which students must walk in order to walk to and from school: 1. If the traffic volume on the road exceeds the rate of 360 vehicles per hour, per direction (including all lanes), during the time students walk to and from school and if the crossing site is uncontrolled. For purposes of this subsection, an "uncontrolled crossing site" is an intersection or other designated crossing site where no crossing guard, traffic enforcement officer, or stop sign or other traffic control signal is present during the times students walk to and from school. 2. If the total traffic volume on the road exceeds 4,000 vehicles per hour through an intersection or other crossing site controlled by a stop sign or other traffic control signal, unless crossing guards or other traffic enforcement officers are also present during the times students walk to and from school. Traffic volume shall be determined by the most current traffic engineering study conducted by a state or local governmental agency. History.--s. 297, ch. 2002-387.
Q: How are bus routes and walking distances to stops established? A: As per Florida Department of Education Rules 6A-3.001, Basic Principles for Transportation of Students, all school bus routes shall be so planned and adjusted to the capacities of available equipment and school buses should be so chosen and assigned to routes and attendance areas that insofar as practicable the full capacity of each bus will be utilized, without standees, to serve students whose homes are beyond reasonable walking distance of the assigned public school center. A reasonable walking distance for any student who is not otherwise eligible for transportation pursuant to Section 1011.68, Florida Statutes, is any distance not more than two (2) miles between the home and school, or one and one-half (1½) miles between the home and the assigned bus stop. Such distance shall be measured from the closest pedestrian entry point of the property where the student resides to the closest pedestrian entry point of the assigned school building or the assigned bus stop. The pedestrian entry point of the residence shall be where private property meets the public right-of-way. The district shall determine the shortest pedestrian route whether or not it is accessible to motor vehicle traffic.
Q: How do I find the location of my child’s bus stop? A: You may contact
the school that your child attends for the bus schedule, or go to www.palmbeachschools.org,
click on the Schools tab, then click on
Find My Bus Stop.
Q: Who is responsible for student safety at a school bus stop? A: Parents/guardians of transported students are to ensure:
Q: If a student resides within the two (2) mile limit to their assigned school and is not eligible for transportation, are there any exceptions? A: By law, the State of Florida provides transportation funding for regular education students that live 2 or more miles from the school. The exception to this is for those students receiving special needs services through placement in an Exceptional Education Program, and have an active Individual Education Plan (IEP), or been approved under the guidelines of Policy 504.
A: Click on this link http://gis.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/addresslocator/ (a new window will open where you can input your address and zip code to find your school).
Q: How do I contact the Transportation Department? A: Click on this link: Transportation Facilities.
Q: My child catches the bus from a nearby school. Should I put the school's address or my child's home address on the form? A: The registration form does not ask for the student's address. It utilizes the address aassociated with the student's ID number through terms; therefore, it is important that the student information on file be accurate and current.
Q: If my child is currently riding a bus this year do I have to apply for transportation next year? A: Yes, students must register annually to ensure they are qualified for transportation.
Q: What happens after I complete the application? A: Parents will receive a ParentLink message notifying students of their eligibility. Parents and Students can then go to: "Find My Bus Stop" http://w2k3wwwadmin1.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/FindMyBusStop/ to locate the closest bus stop near their residence.
Q: If my child has an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) with special transportation requirements, do I need to complete the application form? A: No, a Transportation Request for Special Needs Students (PBSD 1848) is required and must be administered by the school's ESE personnel.
Q: Who is eligible to receive school bus transportation to and from school? A: The eligibility of students to receive school transportation services has been defined in Florida Statutes (F.S.) Section 1006.21, to include the following:
Q: What if I make a mistake or need to update information submitted on the form? A: Resubmit a new form with the updated information.
Q: What if I don't have a Student ID number for my child? A: Student ID numbers can be obtained several ways. The student ID number is located on the student's report card, it can be obtained by contacting the assigned school center, or, by contacting the Call Center at 561-242-6565. For students who have not yet registered and are not assigned a student ID number, registration cannot be completed until the student is registered for school. Parents are advised to request the student ID number when completing the student registration process at the school. If unable to obtain the student ID at the time of registration, parents are advised to inquire as to the expected timeline until the student ID will be available. If unsure, the Call Center (561-242-6565) is available to check the system to see if the student ID has become available.
Q: Can I still register my child if I don't have an email address? A: Yes, an email address is "optional" and is not required to register for transportation. A valid phone number is required to receive a parent link notifying parents of student's eligibility.
Q: Can I still register my child if I don't have a telephone number? A: Yes, but a valid phone number is highly encouraged. Parents without a valid phone number will not receive a call to verify their child(ren) transportation eligibility. Parents will need to contact the schools or call the Transportation Call center to verify their child(ren) eligibility.
Q: What happens if I don't register my child by May 31, 2012? A: Students can still be registered after May 31, 2012, but bus assignments may take longer.
Q: How are transported students notified of their bus schedules? A: At the beginning of each school year, Transportation releases bus routing information to the schools as soon as the routes are finished and approved by the School Board. All schools are provided routing information for their students on a regular basis throughout the school year.
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