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Answers to transportation question you wanted to ask.
How do I find out what school my child attends?
You can check the school
boundary page on this website
or you can contact the SUHSD
planning department at (619) 691-5553
Where will my child's bus stop be?
A student's bus stop is assigned according to student's home address.
Our routing system will route the student to the bus stop closes to the home. You may access the route system and find your
student's stop
by using the link
"
BUS STOP & ROUTE INFORMATION (interactive) "
or just click here.
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What are the qualifications for transportation?
Middle students living beyond 2-miles and high school students living
beyond 3-miles from their home school as specified in school board
policies will receive transportation on a fee for service basis.
Mileage is determined by using the shortest route (not the most preferred
route) from the student’s residence to the closest point of the school.
See District Administrative Regulation 3541
When is the bus pass office open?
The bus pass office is open Monday thru Friday from 8:00 am to 3:45 pm.
The office will be closed on
holidays.
For your convenience our office will extend it hours during the
Summer Months
Wednesday Hours during the Summer Months are 10:00 am to 6:00 p.m.
We also open our bus pass office during the Summer Months on select
Saturdays from 8:00 am to 11:00 am
Please contact the Transportation Department for exact dates.
There are usually very long lines around the
beginning of each school year. Plan ahead and come early to avoid
the last minute lines.
Bus pass for the next school year can be
purchased one week after the end of the previous school year.
You can also avoid the long line by using
our online process to purchase the bus pass through this website
or by completing the bus pass
application and mailing it to the bus pass office.
Allow 10 days for your bus pass to be mailed to you.
Should the
school year start within the 2 weeks, the bus pass will be sent to
the school for the student to pick-up there.
How much is the fee for the bus
pass?
A Two Way "Yearly" Bus Pass can be purchased for a $172.00 fee, which is equivalent to
$0.50 a ride or $1.00 a day. Yearly fee is pro-rated as days of school
progress. You will not be charged for days that have already passed.
A Two Way "Yearly" Bus Pass is valid for school bus transportation for both home to
school and school to home for the school year indicated on the bus pass.
This pass must be shown to board the school bus. Improper use or misuse
may result in confiscation of bus pass. This bus pass is Not
Transferable. Lost or stolen passes may be replaced for a $6.00 fee.
A "Yearly" One Way bus pass be purchased for a $86.00 fee, which is equivalent to
$0.50 a ride. Yearly fee is pro-rated as days of school progress. You
will not be charged for days that have already passed.
This pass is valid for One Way school bus transportation only. Passes are
issued for either the "AM" morning ride only or the "PM" afternoon ride
only. This pass is valid for only for the school year indicated on the
bus pass. This pass may be used the other half of the day with
the purchase of a single ride ticket for each ride to school.
Yearly passes are not valid on for Summer School or Intersession transportation.
Single Ride Tickets can be purchased in sheets of five tickets for $3.25 a sheet, which is $0.65 a ticket. Tickets can also be purchased at the student's school after the first
days of school. These tickets are valid for a single
School bus ride from home to school or school to home. Single ride
ticket MUST be accompanied by a valid Bus Pass or Bus Permit. Student without a Bus Pass or Bus Permit MAY NOT purchase single ride
tickets. These tickets may be used for Summer/Intersession school transportation, however,
Summer/Intersession ticket can be purchased at a less cost (see below). These tickets must be given and bus pass or permit must be shown to
the bus driver, to board the school bus. Should your student consistently ride the bus 4 or more times a week,
it would be less expensive to purchase a bus pass. The Sweetwater School District is not responsible for lost or stolen
tickets.
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Is there a way to get free or reduced priced transportation?
Yes, if you qualify for the free or reduce lunch program at the school,
you more than likely qualify for free transportation. Should you be in
the situation that you do not qualify for free transportation but you are
unable to pay the full amount for transportation, transportation offers a
payment plan.
Can I ride the bus to my school even though I am not within
the transportation area?
Yes. Students who live within the determined distances or out of
the schools boundaries may use an existing school bus stop on an existing
route as a space available bus rider. It is the board of trustees' desire to provide transportation on a
“space available” basis to those students who live within the determined
distances on a fee for service basis.
Space available transportation is provided to students on a first come
first served, fee for service basis.
It is to be understood that space
available transportation means that a student may ride on an existing
route only if there is space available on the bus. The majority of our
buses carry 57 students (two to a seat, state law does not permit
standing passengers on a school bus).
Additional bus stops or routes
will not be generated for “space available” bus riders. Space
available bus riders may apply for a bus pass and pay the fee only after
the second week of school. Applications and fees for space available
transportation will not be accepted once the bus has reached capacity.
It must be understood that
should the bus become over crowded and space is no longer available,
transportation for the student will be terminated and a refund of unused
fees will be made.
If I choose to send my child to a school other then his/her
home school, do I get transportation if I live beyond 2-miles from the middle
school or live beyond 3-miles from the high school?
Transportation is NOT provided for students in a “choice” program. All
students who have chosen to attend a school outside of their home school
boundary are considered “choice” students. Choice students do have the
option to go to the closest bus stop within the school of choice
boundary, on a space available basis and pay the fee. ( see above
)
Do FLAGS and SCPA “Magnet Programs” come with transportation?
No, FLAGS and SCPA are not “Magnet Programs”. Both are non-funded
“choice” programs and no funding is available to support transportation
to “choice” programs. Therefore, transportation is not provided for FLAGS
or SCPA. Magnet students do have the option to go to the closest bus stop
within the school boundary, on a space available basis and pay the fee.
(see above)
My student is under an intra-district transfer do
you provide transportation?
No.
However,
transportation may be provided on a space available basis.
It is the
board of trustees' desire to provide transportation on a space available
basis to those students who do not qualify for transportation
on a fee for service basis.
As a student
riding the bus on a space available basis. (see above)
My student is in the No Child Left Behind
program?
Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB),
parents of children attending schools found to be in need of improvement
may have the opportunity to choose to send their child to another public
school. Your local school district must let you know each year if your
child is eligible to transfer to another school served by the district.
It must give you at least two transfer schools to choose from, if
available. The district will pay for your child's transportation costs.
Contact student support services at (619) 691-5564 for information
regarding NCLB.
I’m Homeless how can I find information about
transportation for my student?
Through the Homeless Student Education Act, students
get a choice between their former school district and the new one.
Perhaps most important, the law ensures homeless students have
transportation to school. District will work out transportation,
sometimes sending buses across their boundaries to keep children in
school. Contact student support services at (619) 691-5564 for
information regarding transportation for homeless students.
I see a bus going down my street everyday. Why can’t I take
that bus?
Not all buses you see are going to the same location. Buses that pass
through your neighborhood most likely are not going the location you are
trying to get to. There are other school district buses that travel the
roadways within our district. These buses have nothing to do with our
district and do not go to our schools.
The neighbor child down the street takes a bus. Why can’t my
child take that bus?
Not all buses are going to the same location. Not all neighborhood
children are going to the same school. Remember, transportation
requirements for middle school students are different from those of high
school student, which is different from those for special needs
students. The neighbor child may have different requirements then your
child.
Why do I have to pay for transportation? After all I am
paying $1000 per month in property taxes and meloroos. Where does all this money
go?
School transportation is not mandated in California, so the local school
boards must make a decision as to fund school buses or replace books,
hire more teachers, or maintain classes.
The California Constitution requires
that all property be taxed, unless otherwise exempted under the
California Constitution or United States Constitution. The money
collected goes to over 900 local taxing agencies, including the County,
cities, schools and special districts. With over 900 agencies sharing the
money, the moneys are distributed as mandated. The money is not shared
evenly, with some agencies getting more than others. With the budget cuts
and rise of expenses, the portion money that does trickle to education is
then split again amongst the various school districts and educational
systems. The local school district determines what they will do with
their portions of the taxes. Much of the money is used for teachers,
administrators, books, classroom equipment; maintain school facilities
and various mandated programs. The remaining portion is then split again
amongst non-mandated programs which include transportation.
How much does it cost to operate a school bus route?
One school bus route includes the driver’s salary and benefits, routine
bus maintenance and fuel cost. On the average, that is approximately
$60,000 per year. The largest bus in our fleet carries 58 students. The
fee for each student to ride the bus for the entire year is $172.00. The
maximum amount that could be collected in fees for transportation is
almost $10,000 per route per year. The remaining transportation cost of
$50,000 per route per year is picked up by the district.
Do you have information on public transit routes and
schedules?
Our transportation department does not have public transit information;
however you call your local city transit company for more information:
Chula Vista Transit: (619) 656-2300
National City Transit: (619) 474-7505
San Diego Transit: (619) 685-4900
Can I still use the same bus pass
if my student moves (change of address)
or changes schools?
The bus pass is issued for one school, one bus route
and one bus stop. If your change of address will require your
student to use a different bus stop or use a different route, you will need to change your address at school site
and then bring your student's bus pass to transportation department.
A change of bus pass will be made if there is
transportation available for the new address or new school. There
is no fee for change of bus passes, however, the old bus pass must be
turned in for the exchange.
If the change of address does not require your
student to use a different bus stop or bus route the current bus pass is
still good can be used without any changes.
What is the process necessary to
get a bus pass?
Your child MUST be fully enrolled in the school with an ID# (the school
will issue the ID# when the child is enrolled) before a bus pas can be
processed.
If
your child is fully enrolled, request that a bus pass packet be sent to
your address or complete the bus pass process here online. Bus pass
packets can also be picked up at the school. Once you
receive the bus pass packet, review it carefully, fully complete the
application and any other necessary forms. Incomplete or
inaccurate forms cannot be processed. Mail or bring the
information to the bus pass office along with a current 1” x 1 ¼” photograph
of the student and your payment. A picture of the student is necessary to process application,
you may provide your own picture or have one taken
at transportation department/bus pass office for $1.00 .
If
you would like to have your bus pass mailed to you, please enclose a
self addressed stamped envelope. Allow 2-4 weeks for your pass to be
mailed to you.
If
the school year has started or is already in progress, the bus pass will
be sent to the school for distribution to the student. Bus pass
applications mailed without a self addressed envelope or those requested
through the internet process will be sent to the school when school
starts.
Those who come to the bus pass office to process their bus pass will
receive the bus pass at that time.
Bus
passes or tickets are not required for the first week of the regular
school year or the first day of summer school.
My child lost their bus pass.
My
child's bus pass was stolen. What do I do?
You need to come into our transportation department/bus
pass office and get a replacement pass or you can also use our online
process on purchase the bus pass through this website. The
replacement fee is $6.00 and you will need a student photograph to replace a
bus pass.
My child already has a bus pass,
can I use it for summer school or
intersession?
No,
Yearly passes are not valid on for Summer School or Intersession transportation.
Your child will need a bus pass or tickets for intersession or
summer school transportation.
You can
purchase an intersession or summer school bus pass at the transportation department/bus pass office.
No photograph require for summer or intersession bus pass.
You can
also purchase intersession or summer school single ride tickets.
Tickets can be purchased at the transportation office or at the intersession
or summer school.
The
fee for intersession or summer school is $ .50 cents per ride.
Regular
yearly singular ride tickets may be used for Summer/Intersession school
transportation, however, Summer/Intersession tickets do cost less.
My student needs to ride the bus occasionally?
You will need to obtain a bus pass permit and
purchase single ride tickets. You will need to
summit and application along with a photograph for a permit bus pass.
Bus pass permits are free and student will need to purchase single ride
tickets for a fee of $ .65 per ticket. Single ride tickets can be
purchased at transportation department/bus pass office or at school site
with a valid bus pass permit.
My student no longer rides the bus
but I already paid for the whole school year. Can I get a refund
for what is not used?
Yes, you can request a refund, the refund will be
taken on the day that you return the student bus pass to transportation
department/bus pass office. All requests for refunds must be
accompanied with the bus pass. Refunds are pro-rated based of
unused days from the date of the request for refund along with the
student's bus pass. Refunds can be obtained only at the transportation
department.
All requests for refunds must be accompanied with
the bus pass.
Once
approved by transportation, our financial department will generate a check
for the refund. A check for the refund will be sent to the address
provided. Allow 2-3 weeks to receive the refund check.
Any Additional Questions or Questions not referenced above,
Please contact
the Transportation Department at (619) 691-5527
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