Individual Education Plan or 504 Plan

Please call Cloquet Transit Company to arrange for specialized transportation needs. Students with disabilities will be picked up at home whenever safe and possible to do so without compromising safety or damaging equipment. Roadways and driveways must be properly maintained during the winter months.

• It is imperative that your child be ready on time. The parent/caregiver is responsible for assisting the child from the house to the bus in the morning, and from the bus to the house in the evening. Drivers/bus aides are not allowed to come to your door.
• All students must be met by an adult unless the driver has received written permission from the parent that indicates that an unattended drop-off is appropriate.
• If the parent/guardian is unable to meet the bus, and has not made other arrangements to have a responsible person receive their child at the designated drop-off location, the bus driver will be instructed by Cloquet Transit Dispatcher to take the child back to the school, where the parents must pick up the child as soon as possible.
• During periods of inclement or extremely cold weather, make certain your child is dressed appropriately. On wheelchair buses the door is open for a long period of time while the lift is in operation.

If there is anything that could help the bus driver(s) and bus aide(s) maintain a safe and comfortable ride for your student to and from school (medical, behavioral, special needs, anxiety, likes or dislikes) please communicate this to your driver(s) and include information on the Special Education Transportation and Emergency Information Form seen on the right.

Every effort is made to establish stops in safe and convenient locations. However, safety will always take precedence over other criteria. Students with disabilities will be picked up at home whenever safe and possible to do so without compromising safety or damaging equipment.

• Roadways and driveways must be properly maintained and clear of all obstacles.

Before Riding

It is important to be ready for the bus ten (10) minutes prior to the assigned pick up time. If the student is not out to the bus at the scheduled time, drivers have been instructed to leave. Due to absentees and/or weather related road conditions of routes, their pick up time may change from day to day.

During periods of inclement or extremely cold weather, make certain that your student is dressed appropriately, as the door on the bus is opened and closed many times during the course of a route. On wheelchair buses the door is open for a long period of time while the lift is in operation.

Please remember the bus ride can be long. Give your child the opportunity to use the bathroom before leaving home.

The parent/guardian or parent designee is responsible for assisting the student from the house to the bus in the morning and from the bus to the house in the evening.

If Your Student Will Not Be Riding the Bus

It is required to call Dispatch at (218) 879-1291 when your student will NOT be riding the bus to/from school. We would appreciate a minimum of 30 minutes prior notice if it is a same day cancellation.

• If your student will not be riding the bus for an extended amount of time, please notify the Transportation Director with the stop transportation/resume transportation dates.

After three (3) separate days of attempting to pick up your student with no prior phone call stating your student will not be riding that day, you will be placed on an "on-call" transportation list. As a result, you will have to call Cloquet Transit Company on a daily basis for continued transportation.

Change of Address or Pickup Cancellation

If you would like to cancel transportation or make an address change in your student's transportation, please call Cloquet Transit Company and follow up by completing a Change in Transportation Request Form on the right.

Parent/Guardian Availability

It is necessary for the parent/guardian or parent designee to be available at the bus stop ten (10) minutes prior to the student's scheduled drop off time. Due to absentees and/or weather-related road conditions of routes, their drop off time may change from day to day.

The driver must see a parent/guardian or parent designee before they leave the bus stop. This assures your student's safety. If there is no one to receive your student at the bus stop, your student will be returned to the school.

Please notify your bus driver if there are any changes in your phone number during the school year.

Emergencies

If there is an emergency that prevents you from meeting your student at the bus stop, call Dispatch at (218) 879-1291.

A Few Policies

School bus drivers are not authorized to alter routes without prior approval of the Transportation Department.

Due to the increase in allergies, eating is not allowed on the bus.

Safety

All drivers and passengers in Type III vans will be in compliance with Minnesota's Seat Belt Law and the Minnesota Child Passenger Safety and Booster Seat Law.

Child safety restraint systems (car seats) used in Type III vans will be determined by the child's height and weight provided on the Special Education Transportation and Emergency Information Form.

Wheelchairs

For students who require the use of a wheelchair during transportation; the wheelchair must have a WC19 label. The occupant and wheelchair will be secured according to manufacturer (Q'Straint) specifications.