Transportation FAQs
Below are frequently asked questions and general information about pupil transportation in Ohio (based on Dept of Education and Workforce):
I cannot see my child's bus stop from the house. Are there state laws that set the standards for bus stop location?
No law requires a parent to see the bus stop from home. Students in Ohio may be assigned to a bus stop up to one-half mile from their home and we encourage parents to accompany their child to the bus stop whenever possible. This teaches the child safe habits of walking to and from the bus stop and may give the parent peace of mind. Bus stop locations are determined by each district's board of education.
Are sidewalks required for my child to get to his/her bus stop?
Many students walk alongside roadways to reach their bus stop and in some instances no sidewalks exist. While we understand this may be of concern in some situations, the Department of Education does not promulgate bus stop placement. Issues relating to where a child's bus stop is located and safety concerns along the way to the bus stop must be addressed with the district in which you reside.
I transport my child to a non-public/community school each day and just learned a program exists for reimbursement. How can I be reimbursed for transporting my child?
As a parent, you should contact your public school district and request transportation. If it is not practical for them to do so, they will work with you to initiate a process to establish payment-in-lieu of transportation. Parents are not afforded the option of being paid for transporting their own child in cases where the service is provided by the district but is not the service parents prefer.
I make my child wait inside of my house until the bus is at the stop. I have heard this is not allowed - is this true?
Ohio law requires children to be waiting at the bus stop prior to its arrival. Bus drivers count the students at the bus stop before they load and as they get on the bus to ensure all children are safely on board. If students are not waiting at the bus stop the bus driver cannot count them and cannot be certain the students are all safely on board. Waiting at the bus stop before the bus arrives further ensures that no one chases after the bus - this is a very dangerous thing to do. Many districts also instruct their buses to not stop at locations where no students are waiting.
My child has an I.E.P. but transportation is not being provided. Why is this?
A child who has an I.E.P. does not automatically receive transportation unless the I.E.P. team writes this into the related services. If transportation is not included on the I.E.P., your child will be transported similarly to regular education students in your district.
I live .25 miles away from the school, can my child get transportation? I see buses pass by our house every day!
Under Ohio Revised Code 3327.01, school districts are required to provide transportation for students in grades K–8 only if they live more than two miles from their assigned school. Mentor Public Schools, however, goes beyond the state minimum by providing transportation to students in grades Kdg - 8th who live more than one-half mile from school, and for students in grades 9 - 12 who live more than 1.25 miles from Mentor High School. Because your home is less than one-half mile from the school, your child does not meet the distance requirement for district-provided busing. We apply this policy consistently across all our school zones in order to ensure fairness for all families.
Why doesn’t the school bus travel down our dead-end street/cul-de-sac?
For safety reasons, school buses generally do not enter dead-end streets or cul-de-sacs. The most hazardous maneuver a bus can make is backing up, and we aim to avoid this whenever possible. Exceptions are made, specifically if a student qualifies for curbside pickup due to legal requirements or if the walking distance exceeds the allowable limit (typically up to one-half mile). We strongly encourage parents or guardians to accompany their child to and from the designated bus stop.
Who determines whether my child will need to cross the street to reach the bus stop?
Our goal is always to minimize the need for students to cross the street. However, there are situations where students of all ages may be required to cross to access their bus stop. In cases involving major roadways or areas with significant safety concerns, buses may be routed to the residential side of the street, even if this results in a longer route, to ensure student safety. Each route is reviewed carefully with student well-being as the top priority.