Transportation

Each spring Stillwater Area Public Schools requires every family with students attending public, private and charter schools who need transportation to "opt in" for bus service for the next school year. This helps our transportation department provide reliable and efficient transportation for our students.

• Public Schools: Families must complete the Transportation Verification Form, located in PowerSchool, by the spring deadline to secure a spot on the bus for the first day of school.
• Private/Charter Schools: Families must complete the Charter/Private Transportation Request by the spring deadline for each child to secure a spot on the bus for the first day of school. More information is available by contacting the student's school.

Families that do not complete the form will not be routed on a bus for the following school year. 

If you miss the deadline or need to update your response, you can do so at any time by submitting a Help Desk Ticket. Please note that it takes 3-5 days after your submission to add your student to a bus route. Responses times are longer during the summer as we prepare for the start of the school year.

How to Access the Form via PowerSchool

1. Log in to PowerSchool using the parent sign-in email address provided to you by the district. This email ends with @stillwaterschools.org.
   • If you need help with your login information, please contact our Family Help Desk at familyhelp@stillwaterschools.org or 651-351-8404.
2. Once you are logged in, select “Forms” from the main page.
3. Select and complete the Transportation Verification form.
4. For step-by-step instructions, visit our website and choose the button labeled PowerSchool, then the module for “How to Find Forms in PowerSchool.”

Share MyRide K12 with family members

• Press the Share button to share a student link with someone

• Enter the email of the person you would like to share with. That person must register with My Ride K-12.

• They will receive a confirmation email that will automatically link them to the shared student

Receive Push Notifications

My Ride K-12 can send notifications about the bus's estimated time of arrival (ETA) to a bus stop. Make sure to turn on the notifications that your family wants to receive. This can be done in the Settings of your My Ride K-12 account.

• Early Arrival Notification – A notification will be sent when a bus is running three or more minutes early.   
• Late Arrival Notification – A notification will be sent when a bus is running three or more minutes late.  
• Arriving Soon Notification – A notification will be sent when a bus is within two minutes of arriving at the stop.  

How to read your bus schedule in the app

Type: IN = the inbound trip to school (from left to right)

• From: pick-up location (letters in brackets show which direction the door of the bus will be facing when the stop is made)

• Time: scheduled pick-up time

• Bus: number/name

• Days: which days of the week - MTWHF (T=Tues and H=Thurs)

• To: school building or program name

• Time: drop-off time at building/program

Type: OUT = the outbound trip from school (from left to right)

• From: school building or program name

• Time: scheduled departure time

• Bus: number/name

• Days: which days of the week - MTWHF (T=Tues and H=Thurs)

• To: drop-off location (letters in brackets show which direction the door of the bus will be facing when the stop is made)

• Time: scheduled drop-off time

Please check the schedule carefully, as students may be scheduled on a different bus in the afternoon than in the morning, and times may vary by day.

Walk/No Bus Zones

A walk/no bus zone is the area around a school where busing is not provided.

• Elementary walk/no bus zone = ½ mile (This is less restrictive than the state’s 1-mile maximum)
• Secondary walk/no bus zone = 2 miles (This is set at the state’s maximum)

Distance is measured using the district’s routing software and is calculated from the student’s street address to school property. Walk/no bus zones are used in school districts across the state and are reviewed annually to incorporate safe walking routes within the designated distance.

In the event district staff identify hazardous roadways within a walk/no bus zone, transportation is provided. Hazard determinations are made by the district based on factors such as traffic volume and speed, road design, and other safety considerations. Not all busy or inconvenient roads meet the district’s hazard criteria.

Determining Bus Routes

Routes are designed based on geography, safety, timing, student population, route flow, and capacity. Stops can be placed up to a ½ mile from a student’s home to create more centralized locations. We strive to limit changes from year to year. We also understand that specific stops may need to be re-evaluated because of road speeds, line of sight, and other criteria. Routes are reviewed annually and may change mid-year.

All students who ride a bus are subject to rules and regulations set forth by the State of Minnesota and the District’s School Board. A violation of those rules may result, depending on frequency and severity, in suspension of bus riding privileges. The school bus is considered to be an extension of the classroom.

If a student misbehaves, the driver has several options available. A driver may pull the bus over, give a verbal warning, assign seating, write a conduct report, or a combination of all of these. Any notification of discipline will come from the school. Drivers only generate reports, they are not responsible for deciding the results of those reports. Schools have a principal or assistant principal in charge of student conduct forms and bus discipline.

Before they can be hired as a school bus driver, an individual must pass a criminal background check and their driving record is scanned for violations. As part of their training, each school bus driver is given instruction in student management. Every driver knows their primary responsibility is the safety of each child on their bus. When a student misbehaves, it can distract the driver from the safe operation of the bus.

Can a child lose his/her bus riding privileges?
In Minnesota, riding a school bus is a privilege and not a right. Each local school district has adopted rules of conduct for waiting at the bus stop and for riding the school bus. If a child does not follow the rules, that student could lose his/her bus riding privileges for the entire school year.

Before the Bus Arrives

• Be at the bus stop 5 minutes before the scheduled pick-up time.

• Wait in a safe place, at least 20 feet off the roadway.

• Drivers will wait 1–2 minutes after the scheduled stop time.

• Parents are responsible for their child's safety at the bus stop and when not riding the bus.

Boarding and Riding the Bus

• Obey the driver at all times.

• Communicate any issues or concerns directly to the driver.

• Always listen to the driver, especially during emergencies.

• Seat assignments may be made at the driver’s discretion. Drivers have the right to move students for safety reasons.

• Remain seated with your feet on the floor while the bus is in motion.

• Use lap/shoulder belts if provided, as required by Minnesota Statute 169.447.

• Keep all body parts and objects inside the bus and to yourself.

• Do not throw objects inside the bus or at the bus.

• Do not distract the driver—your safety depends on it.

• Keep the noise to a minimum: no yelling, screaming, or loud talking.

• Be courteous and respectful: no profanity, rude gestures, or fighting.

• Be respectful of others.

• Do not eat or drink on the bus (due to cleanliness, choking, and allergy concerns).

• No smoking, tobacco products, or spraying of perfume, body spray, or other products on the bus.

• Keep all harmful objects off the bus.

• Do not litter, write on the seats, or damage the bus. Report any vandalism to the driver.

Training and Safety Rules

• All students (K–10) must complete school bus safety training within the first 6 weeks of the school year.

• Each family should read the District Handbook annually for updates and changes for the upcoming school year.

What happens if a bus is late?

What can I bring with me on the bus?

Anything that a student brings with them on the bus must fit comfortably on their lap. This includes things like backpacks and small instruments. 

Larger instruments, athletic equipment and/or large school projects must be transported by families.

While buses are never operated over capacity, we do maximize the number of students on our buses to ensure we are operating efficiently. This doesn't leave room for large items.

Can I have a friend ride home with me on the bus?

• Elementary: Friends permitted, as space allows

• Middle, High School & Charter/Private Schools: Friends not permitted

We understand that having a friend ride home can be important for families. However, many of our buses are operating at or near capacity. Limiting additional riders helps ensure all eligible students have a seat and allows us to run routes as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

Thank you for your understanding as we work to provide reliable transportation for all students.

Is there a lost and found for items left on the bus?

Can students be picked up somewhere other than home?

What should I do for address changes?

Fill out a help desk ticket to update a home address or change in childcare.

Attending a school outside of your attendance boundary?

Transportation options vary depending on how a student is enrolled.

Alternate Enrollment Students (Students Living Within the District)

Each student is assigned a neighborhood school based on where they live, and school bus routes are designed to serve those attendance areas. Students who choose to attend a different school through alternate enrollment are not eligible for district transportation. Families are responsible for transportation to and from school.

Note: Transportation may be available from a qualifying daycare or alternate residential address located within the attendance boundary of the student's chosen school, provided space is available on an existing bus route.

Open Enrollment Students (Students Living Outside the District)

Students who open enroll into Stillwater Area Public Schools may be eligible for transportation if:

• the student attends a Stillwater Area Public Schools district-operated school,
• space is available on an existing bus route, and
• the family can bring the student to an existing bus stop within the school’s attendance boundary.

Transportation is not provided for students living outside district boundaries who attend charter or non-public schools.

Why are the transportation options different?

Transportation for some open enrolled students can be provided by using available space on existing bus routes. Because the district has many more alternate enrollment students, existing routes cannot accommodate all of the requests. Expanding transportation for alternate enrollment students would require additional buses, routes, and transportation resources.

Charter and non-public school students who live within the district's boundaries and attend St. Croix Prep, St. Croix Catholic and New Heights are eligible for district transportation. Families must register for busing each year through their current school. Any changes during the school year should be requested in our help desk ticketing system and families must follow up with  their school.

Transportation is not provided for students living outside district boundaries who attend charter or non-public schools.

• We follow Individual Education Plan (IEP) approved transportation accommodations.
• IEP approved bus stops are usually more centrally located at the home address when possible
• Special education buses may use hazard lights at house stops. SPED students are not to be crossing the roadway unless the student(s) are accompanied by an adult, and buses will not enter driveways.
• One consistent AM and one consistent PM stop are required (e.g., home and daycare).
• No temporary changes are allowed unless in an emergency and pre-approved by the transportation department.
• Buses do not enter private driveways unless a yearly agreement is signed by the school district and homeowner for liability.
• Property owners must keep loading areas clear of snow and ice in winter at the bus stop location.

Residents of the Stillwater Area Public Schools, who elect to send children to non-public schools outside of the boundaries of the school district, may receive reimbursement for transportation.

Transportation Reimbursement Guidelines:

• Families who choose to send their child to a non-public school outside the Stillwater Area Public Schools District will NOT be eligible for transportation reimbursement if a comparable non-public school exists within the district.
• Siblings attending the same eligible non-public school will receive a maximum of one reimbursement per family.
• Siblings attending different eligible non-public schools will receive reimbursement for each school attended. 
• Reimbursement is limited to one school per vehicle.
• Reimbursement is based on the mileage from your home to the nearest Stillwater Area Public Schools District boundary, not the full distance to the school.

This application, including proof of insurance, must be submitted to the District Transportation Office by Feb. 1 of the current school year. Reimbursement check will be mailed in July after the school year once we receive verification of attendance from the school attended.

Funds are also available to help pay transportation expenses for qualifying students that participate in PSEO courses on college campuses. For more information on these funds, access the PSEO Mileage Reimbursement Program Instructions. Families may also apply for reimbursement for students participating in PSEO education off of the Stillwater Area High School campus.