Question
Who is eligible to receive bus transportation?
Answer
The eligibility of students to receive school transportation services has been defined in Florida Statutes (F.S.) Section 1006.23, to include the following:
- Grades K – 5: up to 1/2 mile (Kindergarten parents/guardians need to be at the bus stop location with photo ID for drop-off and pick-up).
- Grades 6 – 12: up to 1 mile
Question
How long does it take for my student to be assigned to a bus and bus route once I've validated my student is eligible for transportation and have submitted the request for transportation?
Answer
Under normal circumstances it takes 3-5 days to add a student to a bus and bus route. In some cases it could take up to 10 days depending on the complexity of the students transportation needs.
Question
Who determines if a student lives beyond the reasonable walking distance from school?
Answer
The Board shall provide transportation for every student who should attend school and who lives more than a reasonable walking distance from the school to which he or she is assigned. A reasonable walking distance shall be defined as two (2) miles from the school by the nearest traveled route.
Exceptions may be made in the case where a child is handicapped or when it has been determined that the nearest route taken will be extremely unsafe for the child to walk due to the traffic, natural hazards, or other peculiar circumstances.
Question
What can a parent/guardian do if they believe the distance from the student's registered address to the assigned school is more than 2 miles or the walking route is hazardous for the student?
Answer
Periodically student transportation routes and student walking conditions shall be reviewed to determine if hazardous conditions exist. Appropriate request for designation of hazardous conditions shall be provided as required by state law or State Board of Education rules.
If you have bus transportation concerns, please submit the Bus Stop Info Request Form for your area (below).
-
Pace Area (incl. Bagdad and T.R. Jackson)
Question
How will the parent/guardian know the results of the walk route check?
Answer
The Concern Request Form will be completed with the results of the request. Parent/guardian will be contacted by phone and/or email within 5-10 days informing of the results of the concern/request.
Question
If a student is eligible for school bus transportation, how will the parent/guardian know which bus route the student is assigned to ride, where the bus stop is located and the pickup and drop off time at the bus stop location?
Answer
Parents can log into the Versatrans app to find your student's bus stop, bus number, and estimated pick up and drop off time(s). To access the Verstrans app, follow these steps:
- Username is your child’s student ID
- Password is ALSO your child’s student ID (if you have not already created a password)
- Click “work with students”
- Click “view my students”
- Click the blue hyperlink of the child that shows up
Question
What should the parent/guardian do if they have verified their child is eligible for school bus transportation and the information is not showing on the Versatrans app prior to the beginning of the school term?
Answer
Parents can contact their student's designated school site (at least 5 days before the start of the school year) or contact the transportation office during normal business hours.
Phone: 850-983-5150 or 850-400-7400 plus the extension below.
Milton area - 6544 Firehouse Road, Milton, FL 32570
- Virginia Sutler, General Manager
- Shay Peek, Terminal Manager, ext. 7114
- David Quarells, Driver Supervisor, ext. 7109
- George Ling, Safety Supervisor, ext. 7110
- Dangela Bryant, Router, ext. 7108
- James Manning, Shop Foreman, ext. 7111
Pace Office - 4082 Vern Street, Pace, FL 32571
- Teresa Foster, Terminal Manager, ext. 7106
- Rachel Hysell, Driver Supervisor, ext. 7100
Navarre Office - 8047 Escola Street, Navarre, FL 32566
- Gina Till, Terminal Manager, ext. 7101
- April Patterson, Driver Supervisor, ext. 7102
- Toni Clark-Lay, Driver Safety, ext. 7104
- Maintenance Shop, ext. 7105
Gulf Breeze Office - 1264 Oriole Beach Road, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563
- Jeff Roten, SafeStop Coordinator, ext. 7103
Question
How will the parent/guardian/student know when a bus arrives at a bus stop if it is the bus the student is assigned to ride?
Answer
Students are assigned to a specific three-digit bus number. The bus number is located on the left side of every district school bus just to the rear of the passenger entrance door. You can also use the SafeStop app tp track your student's assigned bus. To download the SafeStop app:
- Download the Safestop app on play store
- Enter parent name
- Enter parent email
- Enter a password (must be 8 characters long)
- Click register
- Enter code: SRSD32570
- Enter bus number you want to track
- Select the morning and/or afternoon routes you want to track
- Click next
- Enter your student’s ID (57#)
- Enter student first name
- Enter student last initial
- Click done
- Create your first alert zone
Question
What is the process if the parent/guardian has a concern regarding their child’s school bus transportation (i.e. bus stop assignment, inconsistent schedule, discipline, etc.)?
Answer
If you have bus transportation concerns, please submit the Bus Stop Info Request Form for your area (below).
- North End
- Milton Area
- Pace Area(incl. Bagdad and T.R. Jackson)
- South End
Question
What should a parent/guardian do if a student assigned to ride a school bus does not arrive home within a reasonable time after the appointed bus stop drop off time, or is not on the bus when it arrives at the bus stop?
Answer
The parent/guardian should first try to contact the school the student is assigned to attend to inquire if the bus is running late or if for some reason the student missed getting on the bus prior to its departure from the school. If the parent/guardian is unable to make contact with the school or the school has already closed for the day, the parent/guardian should contact the appropriate transportation terminal for the bus route the student is assigned to ride as listed below:
Phone: 850-983-5150 or 850-400-7400 plus the extension below.
Milton Area - 6544 Firehouse Road, Milton, FL 32570
- Virginia Sutler, General Manager
- Shay Peek, Terminal Manager, ext. 7114
- David Quarells, Driver Supervisor, ext. 7109
- George Ling, Safety Supervisor, ext. 7110
- Dangela Bryant, Router, ext. 7108
- James Manning, Shop Foreman, ext. 7111
Pace Office - 4082 Vern Street, Pace, FL 32571
- Teresa Foster, Terminal Manager, ext. 7106
- Rachel Hysell, Driver Supervisor, ext. 7100
Navarre Office - 8047 Escola Street, Navarre, FL 32566
- Gina Till, Terminal Manager, ext. 7101
- Toni Clark-Lay, Driver Safety, ext. 7104
- Jeff Roten, SafeStop Coordinator, ext. 7103
- Maintenance Shop, ext. 7105
Gulf Breeze Office - 1264 Oriole Beach Road, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563
- Lloyd Anderson, Driver Supervisor, ext. 7107
Question
What is a responsibility of the school district and parents/guardians for students who are transported at public expense?
Answer
Florida Administrative Code 6A-3.0121(c)(1) states that the district shall inform parents, guardians, and students at least annually in writing of their responsibilities and related district policies to ensure the safe travel of their students during the portions of each trip to and from school and home when the students are not under the custody and control of the school district, including during each trip to and from home and the assigned bus stop when the school district provides bus transportation.
Question
What measures has the district put in place to ensure my student's bus stop is not near a registered sex offender/predator?
Answer
Florida Statute 947.1405requires sexual offenders whose victims were under the age of 18 and are serving a court-ordered term of community monitoring(probation) not to locate their residences within 1,000 feet of schools or school bus stops. The law also requires school districts not to place school bus stop within 1,000 feet of these supervised sexual offenders who are serving a term of conditional release. Officials do notify the School District when a supervised offender serving a term of conditional release takes up a new residence in Santa Rosa County. In addition to supervised offenders on probation, there are registered offenders and predators, including some supervised offenders who are under no obligation with regard to their residences near schools and school bus stops. Officials do not notify the School District when registered offenders and predators take up new residence in Santa Rosa County. Santa Rosa County Schools by practice has established an additional 400-foot buffer around the remaining registered sexual offenders and predators not subject to the conditional release.
Question
Can my student ride another bus with a friend?
Answer
Only a student who is regularly enrolled as a transported student and whose name appears on the bus operator’s roster for that bus shall be permitted to ride such bus while it is being operated on a regular school bus route except upon the written approval of the principal or designee.
In the event of an emergency, school site administration may authorize a guest rider, but only in an emergency situation.