--- title: "PPS Administrative Directive 4.10.101-AD Transportation for Students Attending Neighborhood Schools" source_url: "https://www.pps.net/fs/resource-manager/view/0217432e-56f7-4b68-81b3-281028e0d858" retrieved: 2026-10-12 document_type: "PDF" sha256: a97395b26ebd1e686799131139057681d3c3a9a3dd6f7200d0b7023f36479414 original: originals/pps-4-10-101-ad-transportation-neighborhood-schools.pdf extraction_method: "pdftotext -layout" --- # PPS Administrative Directive 4.10.101-AD Transportation for Students Attending Neighborhood Schools Unofficial text extraction for research. May contain extraction errors; consult the original at https://www.pps.net/fs/resource-manager/view/0217432e-56f7-4b68-81b3-281028e0d858. ```text Administrative Directive 4.10.101-AD Transportation for Students Attending Neighborhood Schools General Transportation for Students Attending Neighborhood Schools AD () I. Purpose The purpose of this Administrative Directive is to provide notice and guidance to both the Portland Public School’s community and the transportation service provider. This policy is made to support the Student Transportation Service Guidelines1 and a policy change that will now require pre-K and Kindergarten students to be either accompanied off or met at the PM bus stop by a responsible person. This document reflects Portland Public School’s policy of Equity and Excellence and its duty to create directives that protect the health and well-being of all students. II. Definitions a. From: The stop the student will be picked up from in the AM, usually located near the student’s home address provided. b. AM/PM: Refers to the time of day that the student is being picked up or dropped off. c. Tag: A small badge worn on the student’s backpack, an example of which can be found in the Student Transportation Service Guidelines. d. Responsible Person: The parent/ guardian or designee that will meet the child at the time of drop off. e. Accompanied: A peer or sibling, designated by the parent, who is responsible to help their child off the vehicle and to the location designated by the Responsible Person when a Responsible Person is not present. f. Vehicle: Includes vehicles, vans, and car services provided by PPS and its transportation vendors. 1 https://www.pps.net/Page/142 Page 1 of 4 Administrative Directive 4.10.101-AD Transportation for Students Attending Neighborhood Schools III. General Guidance 1. Eligibility: A. Students shall be eligible for district transportation in accordance with the Student Transportation Service Guidelines set forth by the Student Transportation Department. B. The District does not require general education students (1st - 12th grade) to be met at the “from” school bus stop. Guidelines for walking to the “from” school stops (and general education student guidelines) can be found in the Student Transportation Service Guidelines. 2. Stop Location: A. Stop location shall be determined by Portland Public Schools Transportation Services office. This schedule is made available electronically on the Portland Public Schools website. None of the schedules made available shall be posted on an individual school website. All parents shall be directed to the Portland Public Schools website. Parents should check the website for schedule changes at least biannually. For questions about schedule changes parents should contact (503) 916-6901. B. Kindergarten Opt-out: If parents elect to opt-out of requiring their Kindergarten student(s) to be met/ accompanied at their PM bus stop, they must do so in writing to the school principal of this choice at any time. This elected opt-out will be recorded at the school office and shared with Student Transportation. These students will simply not wear a Yellow Tag. C. The District encourages the practice of a Responsible Person meeting all young (K-3) students at their PM stops, or arranging for an older sibling or a neighboring student to accompany young students off the vehicle and to the designated location. Parents shall identify either a Responsible Person or the peer/sibling that will accompany the student, off the bus and to their designated location, to the school. Parents are also encouraged to educate their children in identifying safe walking routes to/from schools and bus stops. Page 2 of 4 Administrative Directive 4.10.101-AD Transportation for Students Attending Neighborhood Schools 3. Tags: A. Tags exist in electronic format and are available to school staff via Synergy. The tags will be filled out with the student’s name, school, teacher name, emergency phone number, AM/PM route number, and PM stop. They will be printed out in either white or yellow heavy stock paper (depending on the student’s designation), laminated and affixed to the student’s backpack. All schools shall make duplicate Yellow Tags for Kindergarten vehicle riders and keep them in their respective classrooms as readily available replacements2. B. Drivers are trained to look for Yellow Tags on students’ backpacks and make sure they are being accompanied or met before departing a stop. Drivers are also trained to be aware of any unusual or irregular circumstances, to communicate with young students as they depart the vehicle, and to exercise their judgment in releasing them. If any student feels uncomfortable getting off the vehicle for any reason, they may stay in the vehicle; the driver will contact dispatch to alert them of the situation and develop an action plan. i. Yellow Tags: Signal to the driver that the students must be met/ accompanied at the PM stop. a. Kindergarten and pre-K students are required to be met at the PM bus stop by a responsible person or accompanied off the vehicle by an older sibling or a neighboring older student. They must wear a Yellow Tag (affixed to their backpack) and be seated near the front of the vehicle. 4. Safety Provisions: A. Schools shall ensure that students follow the STOPPS (Safety Training of Pupils in Portland Public Schools) program training,3 as well as the vehicle safety and emergency evacuation guidance set forth by OAR 581-053-0002 and OAR 581-053-0010. Additional district guidelines have been set forth in the Student Transportation Service Guidelines. 2 https://www.pps.net/Page/142 page 17. 3 https://apps.pps.net/transportation/busschedule Page 3 of 4 Administrative Directive 4.10.101-AD Transportation for Students Attending Neighborhood Schools B. Pre-Trip and Post-Trip Inspections i. Pre-Trip/ Post-Trip: (Buses) All drivers will perform a pre-trip and post-trip safety inspection of the vehicle at the end of each shift and a written inspection report on each vehicle operated. Post trip inspections will be recorded in the EVIR or School Bus Pre-trip Inspection Book (DBR). DBR slips will be turned into dispatch daily. The inspection guidelines are in the transportation employee handbook. 1. During the post-trip inspection of the vehicle, the driver will use the child safety alert system to ensure student safety. a. Child Safety Alert System (CSAS): The CSAS is an electronic device that is triggered by the ignition or lights of the bus. When a driver turns off the vehicle, they are required to walk to the back of the bus and push the cancel button. If the button is not pushed, an alarm goes off. This system prompts the drivers to inspect all seats before leaving the bus. ii. Pre-Trip/ Post-Trip (Cars and Vans) All drivers will perform a pre-trip and post-trip safety inspection of the vehicle at the end of each shift. The spirit of the inspection will mirror the procedures followed in the pre- trip/post-trip guidelines for the buses. a. In the case of a car or van, the vehicle will not contain a CSAS so the driver will have to manually check the vehicle. The driver should walk to the back of the car or van checking to see that all students have exited the vehicle. Page 4 of 4 ```