Transportation

Transportation Department

To provide a safe, efficient and professional transportation service for our students while supporting the district’s educational mission.

While establishing bus routes, close attention is given to the safety of our children when boarding and off loading from the school bus. District bus routes are designed so students will have access to the right side door of the bus for boarding and in most cases, not have to cross a road wherever possible.

The size of the district (65 square miles) and the miles driven each day does not permit us to go down every road or stop in front of every child's residence. All bus routes are scheduled for specific times when picking up or dropping off students with a five to ten minute variance due to traffic, weather or other unforeseen delays or situations.

 

 

Bus Stop Safety Information

Students should be at the bus stop 5 minutes before the time of pickup as buses operate on a time schedule which does not permit waiting for late students. 

Please do not discuss bus problems with the driver while they are on route. Please call the Southwest Licking Local School District’s Transportation Department to report any concerns that you may have. (740)-927-5901

Talk to your child about the following safety rules: 

• Avoid the danger zone around the bus – Danger zone is the area 10 feet around the bus.

• Tell your child/children not to pick up anything that is dropped or lying near the school bus – the bus driver might not see the child.

• Remember that some vehicles don’t always stop for a stopped school bus. Tell your child/children to be careful whenever getting on or off the bus.

• Always follow the school bus driver’s directions.

Safety rules for crossing the roadway to get on or off the bus: Students are to remain on their side of the roadway and watch for the driver’s signal. When signaled it is okay to cross, students are to look both ways before entering the roadway and if it is safe then they are to continue to cross to get on the bus and go directly to their assigned seat.

Safety rules for crossing the roadway when exiting the bus: Students must walk 10 steps or more along the side of the roadway to the front of the bus and wait for the driver’s hand signal. After the driver drops their hand, the student must walk to the center of the road and stop to check traffic on their own before crossing. If it is safe, they are to go directly to their designated place of safety and remain there until the bus leaves. If the driver blows the horn, which means danger, stop and re-check the traffic. If the student sees nothing then they are to look back at the driver for further instructions.

Warning lights on the bus means: Amber (yellow) – bus preparing to stop; Red – bus is stopped for pickup or discharge of students. Motor vehicles must stay stopped until the bus resumes motion.

Those wanting transportation to a non-public/community school:

You must notify the school district of your request for transportation to a non-public or community school each year by May 31st for the following school year by completing the form below. You must submit a unique request for each student.

2024-2025 Request for Transportation from SWL Board of Education

Your failure to notify us by the above date, each year, does not obligate us to transport your student.

Once received, the Board of Education will review the request and may then at its discretion choose to transport or declare transportation to the non-public school impractical for said student based on the following parameters:

• the time and distance required to provide such transportation;
• the number of pupils to be transported;
• the cost of providing transportation in terms of equipment, maintenance, personnel, and administration;
• whether similar or equivalent service is provided to other pupils eligible for transportation;
• whether and to what extent the additional service unavoidably disrupts current transportation schedules; and/or
• whether other reimbursable types of transportation are available.

If the Board of Education declares transporting your student impractical, it may offer you payment in lieu of transporting. You have the right to either accept or reject that offer, and may have additional legal rights.

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On days when Southwest Licking Schools are not in session:

In the morning, we will only offer shuttle service from Watkins High/Middle Schools to all out of district schools including C-TEC. Please arrive at least 5 minutes prior to your designated time. This will allow students to load and be ready to go.

Transportation for the afternoon will differ for each student based upon their school of attendance.

When Southwest Licking Schools are on a 2 hour delay in the morning, all of our pick up times will be delayed approximately 2 hours, which means we will get to all out of district schools approximately 2 hours behind our normal drop-off time.

If Southwest Licking Schools are closed due to weather, we will not provide transportation for any students.

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It will be helpful for you to become familiar with school bus transportation procedures.  Students who are eligible to ride a bus must have the same pick-up point each school day and the same drop-off point each school day.  However, the morning pick-up location may be different from the afternoon drop-off location. If a temporary change (one day) is needed, the parent is responsible for meeting the child at school or at the normal bus stop.  The Transportation Office telephone number is 740-927-5901 and office hours are Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.  Summer hours are 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.  Thank you for helping us as we make the safe transportation of students our highest priority.

Southwest Licking schools updated the non-transport zones around each school building. To learn more about this change, please click on this link.  

SWL K-3 Neighborhood School Boundaries

Our K-3 students will attend their designated neighborhood school for kindergarten through third grade. Below is a link to search any address to determine the neighborhood school your child will attend. Since there will no longer be shuttle buses, students have to be picked up and dropped off within the boundary area of their neighborhood school in order to receive transportation. This means if your child goes to childcare in the morning and/or afternoon, those locations must also be located within your home address elementary school boundary.  

Use this link to search your address to determine your neighborhood school.

• SWL K-3 Neighborhood School Boundaries Map

If you would like to permit your child to be released off the bus without an adult present, please print and complete this document, and then submit it to the transportation department by email to lmilligan@laca.org, fax 740-964-3234, or bringing it in person to the support services center at 10653 Hazelton-Etna Road, Pataskala.