Transportation FAQ

Each year, students move in and out of neighborhoods and students advance in grade levels. Stops can change to accommodate the needs of the students in the area. Versatrans considers the students requesting transportation in each area and the distances walked to each stop and then determines the safest location for all students.

If a route changes during the school year, a notice will be handed out to students as well as an automated phone call sent out to all families. A mid-year bus stop change does not occur often but could be necessary because of construction in an area, road closures, or if a registered offender is moving into a specific area.

Your student will be dropped off 30 minutes earlier than normal every Wednesday during the school year. For example, if your drop off is normally 4:15 PM, your student will be dropped off at 3:45 PM on Wednesday. The stop and route will not change. The routes will only run 30 minutes earlier on Wednesday afternoons.

Please remember that BCSC Transportation transports close to 6,000 students daily. It is impossible to provide door to door service to everyone and do it in a timely manner. It is more efficient to pick up several students at one stop, usually at a corner or other midway point for the students requesting transportation in the area.

BCSC’s policy does not allow for a student to be picked up and dropped off at different locations. Students are allowed one bus stop in the morning and one bus stop in the afternoon, providing that stop is in the assigned school attendance boundary. This policy is in place so teachers, bus drivers, sub bus drivers, and students know how they are getting to and from school, safely and consistently, on a daily basis.

Some of the older neighborhoods in our district do not have sidewalks and the lighting is poor in many areas. With the Versatrans routing software and our knowledge of the areas we service, we try very hard to place bus stops at the safest location possible. Please contact BCSC Transportation to report any concern with the safe location of a bus stop.

Our routing system, Versatrans, calculates the mileage of the route, the number of stops along the route, and the speed limits of the roads to determine the approximate pick up and drop off time. What the routing program cannot do is calculate the traffic conditions, weather, and road conditions along the route. It sometimes becomes necessary for the driver to make adjustments to expected pick up and drop off times.

When adjustments are needed, the driver must contact our office in the students in advance to let them know of the change. Our office will send a letter home with each student explaining the new time of the pick up/drop off. The afternoon drop can also vary depending on when the buses are released from school, who is riding, traffic conditions, and weather. If you believe the bus is consistently running 10 or more minutes after the scheduled time, please call the transportation office at 317–852–6813.

First, never let your student run after a moving bus. This is very dangerous. If your student misses the bus, please take your student to school. You may also call the BCSC Transportation office at 317–852–6813 for further instruction but most routes are not able to accommodate looping back without delaying other students. It also may look as though the driver can see your student, but drivers must check all of their mirrors on the bus prior to moving. By looking at the mirrors it may appear as though the driver looked at your student, but is actually checking the area around the bus to safely depart. The best way to make sure your student does not miss the bus is to be at the stop five minutes prior to the scheduled stop.

There is no specific number under Indiana law. The maximum number of students that can be transported in a school bus corresponds to the seat capacity designed by the manufacturer of the bus. An 84-passenger bus, which BCSC utilizes in most routes, can carry 84 passengers regardless of their age or size. Federal regulations govern how manufactures determine seating capacity, using a 15-inch block for each designed seating position and rounding to the nearest whole number. Most school bus seats are 39 inches wide.  Dividing 39 by 15 equals 2.6, and rounds to three seating positions per seat.

Clearly, that formula is not appropriate for all students. BCSC typically seats 70 elementary students and 48 secondary students per route. While state law does not limit the number of students per seat, it does require that I was an exit to be free of obstruction. This means that students cannot be hanging off the seats into the aisles and their belongings cannot block emergency exits.

All students, Pre-K through 12th grade, have an assigned seat on the school bus. This is done for bus safety. An assigned seat on the bus helps the driver know who is on the bus and eliminates the time spent on the student trying to find a seat. Assigned seats also help with deterring acts of vandalism on the bus.

The driver’s first responsibility is to drive the bus. They cannot see everything that is happening on the bus at all times. If something is happening on the bus that concerns you and your student, please first contact the principal of your student’s school. You could also call the BCSC Transportation office at 317–852–6813 for assistance or to relay a message to the driver. Each driver is happy to assist and make every student’s bus ride a safe and enjoyable experience.

All school bus discipline problems should be immediately reported to your student’s school. Students who continue to cause problems can be removed from the bus for a period of time as determined by the school administration.

Musical instruments, athletic equipment and other large items may only be transported if they fit on the lap of the student in the seat. Items cannot be stored in the aisles or blocking exits or pathways.

For BCSC staff use, all buses have at least four active cameras. The newest buses are also equipped with two stop arm cameras that will help BCSCPD enforce stop arm violations to help keep students safe. All buses are equipped with GPS and families can view the location of their student’s bus by using the Versatrans My Stop app. Find more information on the BCSC Transportation page:

https://www.brownsburg.k12.in.us/student-transportation

If you have a concern about the bus driver or route, please call the BCSC Transportation office at 317–852– 6813. We will gladly look into your concern.

In order to drive a school bus for Brownsburg Community School Corporation, a person must be at least 21 years old, hold a valid Indiana class BCDL license with passenger and school bus endorsement. The license must also allow you to drive a vehicle with airbrakes. The driver must also have a safe driving record and pass a criminal background check. In addition, the applicant must also attend a school bus driver safety class, which is taught by the state of Indiana Department of Education. Each year drivers are required to attend regular safety and training classes. If an applicant does not hold the required certifications, BCSC’s Transportation Department will provide paid training.