Transportation

MN Department of Education Frequently Asked Questions

How far must children live from school before the school district is required to transport them?
Generally, children must live two miles or more from their assigned school before a school district is required to transport them to and from school. It is a local school board decision on whether to transport children who live less than two miles. Because of the many unique programs and situations that may exist, it is recommended that parents contact their local school district to obtain information on the transportation services that may be available.

Must a school district transport children who live less than two miles from school if there is a hazard between the home and the school?
No. A school district may transport children who would encounter an extraordinary traffic, drug or crime hazard if they walked, but the school district is not required to provide transportation.

Who determines what conditions are extraordinary traffic, drug or crime hazards?
The school district would determine what conditions would be considered hazardous.

How does a district measure the distance between a child’s home and the school?
The walking distance is measured on public roadways or walkways using the most direct, safe route. There is nothing in state law or rule that specifies at what point the measurement must start and end. Each school district should have a method on how the measurement is made for the schools within its district.

How far can a school district require a child to walk to a bus stop?
There is nothing in law or rule about the distance between the child’s home and the bus stop. This is true for all age and grade levels. Local school districts may adopt a maximum distance in their school boards’ transportation policy.

Is there a law or rule that limits the amount of time a child can spend on the school bus?
There is nothing in state law or rule that sets a maximum amount of time a child can spend on the school bus. Local school districts may adopt a maximum time in their school boards’ transportation policy.

Can my 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 your child does not follow the rules, your child could lose his/her bus riding privileges for the entire school year.

Will my child receive school bus safety training at school?
Yes. Children in grades kindergarten through tenth must receive school bus safety training during the first few weeks of school. It is recommended that parents review the school bus safety rules with younger children throughout the school year.

Are there any laws and rules that limit the passenger seating on a school bus?
Yes. The number of children on the school bus cannot be more than the number of passengers that can be fully seated. The seating capacity must be adjusted according to each passenger’s individual physical size but cannot be more than the manufacturer’s rated seating capacity for the bus. No child is allowed to stand while the bus is in motion. Nonpublic Schools

There are two nonpublic schools located within the district with the same religious affiliation and grade levels. Can the public school district designate which nonpublic school my child must attend?
Yes. If a public school district establishes attendance areas for the public schools within its district, then it has the right to establish attendance areas for the nonpublic schools within its district. Your child must live an eligible distance from the assigned nonpublic school in order to receive transportation from the school district.

There is no nonpublic school of the proper religious affiliation and grade level within the district where we live so we are sending our children to a nonpublic school located in the neighboring district. Is the district where we live and the district where the nonpublic school located required to provide any transportation?
The district in which you live is responsible for the part of the trip that is within its boundaries. Districts can fulfill this responsibility by either providing transportation services or by providing reimbursement. The district where the nonpublic school is located is not required to provide transportation services to nonresident students attending nonpublic schools within its boundaries.

Waiting for a school bus? Families can download a mobile app to track their bus. Just search for the free Versatrans MyStop app in the app store. The app compares GPS data to routing data to give families information as to where their school bus is located and what time it is expected at their stop.

Please note:

To ensure the safety and security of our students, in the event of a vehicle breakdown or accident school bus drivers are not authorized to release students without prior district approval. We will communicate with families, as we have in the past, in the event of a significant delay in transportation. Please do not utilize the app to attempt to intercept your student(s) along the route.

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What is Versatrans My Stop™? 

Versatrans My Stop™ is a free mobile app that provides all families transported by Stillwater Area Public Schools with access to current bus location information. 

How does Versatrans My Stop™ work?

1. The My Stop App is a data aggregator. It automatically pulls data from the bus company's GPS provider and compares the information to the routing and planning software we use to provide ETA to families/students. There are a number of cross-platform systems that have to align for everything to work properly: 
2. The GPS units themselves, which are mounted on the front roof of the bus, must be functioning properly and not be damaged or broken. 
3. The GPS signals are sent through cell phone systems (Verizon). There are a few areas in our district where cell service can be unreliable. 
4. The information is then sent to the GPS provider (Synovia) who collects the data from all the buses in our fleet and publishes it to an API (Application Programming Interface). 
5.  My Stop pulls the data from the API. 
6. We assign which bus's GPS data matches which route in our routing/planning software (Versatrans) on our server. This association can sometimes be interrupted when the bus garage swaps in a different vehicle on a route (oil changes, maintenance, etc.) or if there is a data communication error between My Stop, the API, or our server. The bus garage staff has been very good about letting us know when bus swaps occur in a timely manner, so we can move the associations when needed. 

How reliable is the information? 

As long as all of the above equipment and systems are functioning and coordinating properly the app is an additional tool that has proven to be very helpful for families. Occasionally, there have been service interruptions because of a data communication error, and we have ended up doing things the old-fashioned way until our I.T. Department and the developer have been able to get the system back up and running. 

How often is the information updated? 

The bus location is automatically updated every 30 seconds and the ETA is recalculated to accommodate delays along the route. 

What if I have multiple students attending different schools? 

While a Username and Password is generated for each student, once logged into the app users can switch between students in the same family household by tapping or clicking on the student’s name in the upper left corner of the app and selecting the appropriate alternate student. 

Can anyone else see my student’s bus information? 

Only if you share the username and password for your student. The login information is not exclusive, meaning multiple people can be logged in with the same information (i.e. Mom, Dad, 10th grader, 8th grade sibling, etc.) on several devices at the same time. Although each user can view the path of their student’s assigned bus, only the information for that user’s student’s stop is visible to them. No personal data (phone, address, e-mail, etc.) of any kind is accessible. 

How do I log into Versatrans My Stop™? 

To download the app, go to the Apple Store or Google Play and search for “Vst My Stop” by Tyler Technologies. Families can access the information by entering the student’s Other ID from Skyward as their Username, and 8-digit date of birth (mmddyyyy) as their Password. The Other ID is the same number used in FeePay when purchasing school lunches. In the instance of some out of district resident students, the Username may be different. Please check your bus information email. The 8-digit date of birth is without “/”s and is formatted with leading 0s for single digit months and days. Examples:1/1/2000 would be 01012000, 7/10/2012 would be 07102012, and 10/2/2014 would be 10022014. 

Who can I contact if I have problems with the app?

You can call the Transportation Department at 651.351.8377.

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 your school. Drivers only generate reports, they are not responsible for deciding what the results of those reports will be. 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.