Twin Valley School District Guidelines for Discharging Kindergarten Students
Twin Valley School District requires a parent or designee to be present at the bus stop both AM and PM for all Kindergarten. students. Although we do recommend a parent or designee be present at the bus stop for all Kindergarten students, this may only be waived with written notice from the parent to the Transportation Department, stating they give permission for their child to be at the bus stop without them.
Kindergarten students riding home from school on buses contracted by Twin Valley School District will only be discharged from their buses if a parent or other authorized caregiver is present to meet the child or we have written notice allowing the student to get off without a parent. We recommend that parents and caregivers are out of their homes and/or vehicles and visible to their children and their bus driver.
If no one is present to meet the child, the driver will contact his/her dispatch and contractor and/or the Transportation Office will, when possible, try and contact the parent/guardian and resolve. If that is not possible, the student will be returned to their assigned school building. The parent will be responsible at that point to pick up the child at his assigned school if he/she was returned to that location. If a child is brought back to a school building repeatedly due to no one being at the bus stop, the District will have no other alternative other than to contact the local authorities.
Safety of our students is always our priority, We need our parents/guardians to be active participants in ensuring the safety of their children.
Implement a bus stop buddy system, discuss with all your children that they should walk home with an older sibling and/or with other older neighborhood children whenever possible. (Reminder: Kindergarten students must have a parent or designee present.)
Create an emergency plan:
Discuss with your family whom you should call if you cannot meet your child.
Call school building office or Transportation Office.
Call a friend or relative for assistance.
Discuss with your child what they should do if no one is there to meet them:
Kindergarten students should not get off the bus if they do not see their parent/guardian. They should make the bus driver aware no one is there for them.
If your child does get off the bus and their parent/guardian is not present, where should they go?
To their house.
A friend’s house.
A trusted neighbor’s house.
Whatever plan you come up with that works for you and your child.
*Maintain and communicate your contingency plans to your family and friends to be as prepared as possible for all emergencies that may arise.
