The Routes
Q: What’s the difference between bus numbers and route numbers?
A: The bus number is the number of the vehicle itself, whereas the route number is the white magnetic sign that is stuck on the side by the door. We use route numbers because the actual bus that transports may change (in for service, or inspection, etc.), but the route number won’t. If you call with a question, it helps if you know your child’s route number, not the bus number.
Q: How are the routes organized?
A: Our routes have numbers that help us (and you) identify them. For our public school routes, they are given numbers that identify them to the elementary school they service. The route ranges are below:
- Routes 20 – 25: Rosendale Elementary
- Routes 30 – 36: Glencliff Elementary
- Routes 40 – 46: Craig Elementary
- Routes 50 – 55: Hillside Elementary
- Routes 60 – 66: Birchwood Elementary
(Exceptions: Some routes cover elementary schools in the afternoon as daycare drop off buses) - Routes 70 – 100: Non-Public and Special Needs
Routes 20-66 identify their elementary school base route. Most of these routes are big buses that also transport high school, middle school, and possibly private school students.
The most common schedule for the above in the morning is elementary and then either middle school or high school. In the afternoon, it is the same, with elementary students dropped off and then either the high school or middle school. Routes 70-100 are mostly small buses, vans and wheelchair equipped buses.
Bus Stops
Q: I can’t see my child at the bus stop from my house. Why can’t the stop be at my house?
A: It is impossible for us to route according to sight lines from houses. Students are expected to travel a certain distance to bus stops based on Board of Education policy, depending on their grade level. Elementary school students may walk up to 0.1 mile, middle school students up to 0.2 mile, and high school students up to 0.3 mile to reach their assigned bus stops.
Q: I don’t feel comfortable sending my child to the house down the street. Why can’t the stop be at my house?
A: Establishing a bus stop is based on safety and the overall route. Stopping at a bus stop involves a series of maneuvers with safety as the utmost concern. The driver follows set procedures in executing the stop—stopping, observing, opening the door, boarding or releasing passengers, observing, crossing, closing the door, and so on. It is safer for these stops to be spread out so the driver can complete all these actions. More stops also increase the length of the bus ride for students.
Q: What are you doing to ensure my child gets to and from the bus stop safely?
A: While it’s the district’s responsibility to provide each student with a safe place to be picked up and dropped off, it is the family’s responsibility to get the child to and from the bus stop. The district has designated certain safety zones, in which stops may be more frequent than in other zones or where students may not cross the street for a stop. Due to safety concerns, students will not be required to cross Troy-Schenectady Road or Union Street and no elementary student will be required to cross Balltown Road. Safety zone changes are at the discretion of the director of transportation. The district encourages families to get their children to bus stops safely.
Q: I still don’t agree with my child’s bus stop. What steps can I take to request a change?
A: Families who would like to request a change to their bus stop may submit a bus stop change request form. The transportation department will evaluate the request and communicate a decision to the family in writing within 10 business days of receiving the request. The transportation department’s review of the request will include an assessment of whether the bus stop complies with the district’s transportation policy and safety considerations, among other factors. More information about this process is available on the bus stops and request for bus stop changes page on our website.
Q: The bus stop is up the street on the opposite side. Does my child have to cross the street?
A: You may choose to have your student wait on the correct side of the road before the bus arrives, or wait on the opposite side and cross the street only when the bus has arrived, its lights are activated, and the driver signals that it is safe to cross. We recommend having students wait and cross with the driver’s signal, as this allows the bus to control traffic and helps ensure a safer crossing.
Q: I have been told that my elementary age child must transfer buses. How is that done, and is it safe?
A: All transfers are done at schools, and are supervised by the bus drivers and/or school staff. No elementary students are left on their own to find their transfer bus.
Riding the Bus
Q: My child plays a large instrument and some days it seems very difficult to find room on the bus for this. What should we do?
A: We try to accommodate everyone, but we can’t add another bus because musical instruments take up a large number of seats. Generally, if the bus is full, and the item doesn’t fit on a child’s lap, parents should make other arrangements to get their child or the instrument to school.
Q: My child’s bus ride seems very long, and I’m only five minutes from school. What can be done about that?
A: All our elementary routes range from 30-50 minutes long, depending on the school and pick up area. However, the time from any home directly to school is typically 5-10 minutes or less. We are transporting an average of 65 students per bus, sometimes making 25 stops. We recognize that in our community everyone lives relatively close to the school, while the nature of riding the bus is that someone always has to be first and someone has to be last.
Special Transportation Requests (Childcare, Non-Public Schools, Joint Custody Arrangements)
Q: How can I request transportation to a childcare provider after school?
A: Transportation is provided to licensed daycare centers within school district boundaries and to non-licensed daycare centers/babysitters within the student’s school attendance zone. If your child requires transportation to an approved childcare location, please complete the childcare transportation to childcare location form and submit it annually by July 15. Forms submitted after Aug. 15 will not become effective until the third Monday in September. Requests submitted at other times may take up to two weeks to become effective.
Licensed daycare centers within the district include Capital Church, Capital Kids Care, St. Kateri’s, Schenectady Jewish Community Center, Villa Fusco Day Care and Wiggles and Giggles Child Care.
Q: What is the process for district residents to request transportation to a non-public school?
A: To request transportation to a non-public school, you must submit the transportation request to non-public schools form by April 1 of the school year prior to the one in which transportation is needed. Transportation is available for students who live within 15 miles of the non-public school and are residents of the Niskayuna Central School District. Eligible students must be at least 5 years old by Dec. 1 of the school year they will attend.
Please note that transportation will not be provided to any schools when Niskayuna Central School District is closed due to inclement weather.
Q: What are the requirements for transportation to a non-public school in a joint custody arrangement?
A: The district is only required to provide transportation to the student’s primary residence, which is the address used for school registration. If both parents live within the same school attendance zone, transportation can be provided to either or both homes. However, if one parent’s address is outside the school attendance zone, transportation will not be provided to that address unless an established route already exists from the school to that specific school zone. If transportation is provided to both homes in a joint custody arrangement, the schedule must remain consistent for every day of the school year and cannot alternate week by week or month by month.
Bus Drivers
Q: Who is the bus driver?
A: Before they ever transport a single student, the bus driver has:
- Undergone over 70 hours of training.
- Been fingerprinted (criminal background check) and drug tested.
- Taken a DMV road test, followed by a Niskayuna Central School District road test.
- Taken a physical performance test that tests coordination and strength.
- Had a physical.
After all this, every year they do a defensive driving review, a physical, and two mandated driver refreshers. Bus drivers are subject to random drug and alcohol testing. Every other year, drivers must take the road test, physical performance test and written test.
Q: My child tells me that the older kids in the back of the bus are using bad language, and the bus driver does nothing about it. Why doesn’t the driver do something?
A: It is likely that the driver can’t hear what is going on in the back of the bus. A bus is a very noisy environment under the best circumstances and it is very hard for the driver to hear what is happening past the first few rows of seats. Drivers are usually made aware of this behavior by the students telling them what is happening and then they follow-up with the students and/or school administration.
Q: Another student hit my child, and my child retaliated and hit back. The driver only saw my child, and made him come up front. Is that fair?
A: The driver is charged with transporting students safely. The driver must deal with other motorists as well as picking up or dropping off students. Therefore, drivers must make quick judgments in order to keep the bus riding peacefully and safely. Their focus is getting students to and from school safely and on time, and therefore cannot get into lengthy discussions about who did what. After students have been safely transported, is the time to talk through any issues with the driver, transportation director, and/or school administration.
Snow Days/Delays
Q: A one hour delay has just been announced on TV. When will the bus come?
Q: A two-hour delay has just been announced. When will the bus come?
A: The bus will come two hours after the regular pickup time. However, given the conditions that typically cause delays (inclement weather), road conditions may be slower and the driver is likely taking more time as a safety precaution. It is best to be at the bus stop for a pickup two hours later than the regular time that they arrive at the bus stop, but recognize that the bus may come somewhat later than that.
Q: How do I know if there’s a closing or delay?
A: The district uses several information vehicles to inform parents and community members when school is closed, delayed, or closing early due to inclement weather and/or other events that warrant a schedule change. These include ParentSquare alerts, the district website, and local television/radio.