Transportation

Transportation Newsletter - Fall 2024

New Legislation to Promote School Bus and Driver Safety have been signed by the Governor
We are pleased to announce that Governor Whitmer has signed into law important laws to increase safety for students and staff on school buses.

Highlights of the laws include:

• Allowing stop-arm cameras to be installed on buses. Video or photography would be allowed as evidence for law enforcement prosecuting vehicles that illegally pass a school bus. Corresponding legislation will spell out other specifications for any camera usage.
• Setting a penalty for boarding a school bus without permission of the driver as a civil infraction, which is punishable by a fine up to $500. A civil infraction penalty for impeding the progress or operation of a school bus will also be established.
• Allowing a sticker to be affixed to the side of a bus stating that unauthorized individuals attempting to board are subject to a civil infraction and fine.

Click here to view the full press release.

Parents, students, and staff have available the latest information about Waterford School District transportation delays via the Blackboard Connect program. Transportation will display messages when a bus is delayed 20 minutes or more due to traffic, inclement weather, or mechanical difficulties. The message will contain the bus number, route number, and building name. Please ensure your Blackboard Connect profile is updated to receive text and/or email messages. 

Parents should have a transportation contingency plan in place so students know what to do in the event of delay. 

On rare occasions when mechanical failures occur in a school building or when inclement weather develops after school is in session for the day, it may become necessary to dismiss school early. While this is not likely to occur, the following procedures are outlined for your information. 

School Closing and Early Dismissal Procedures

1. Local media will be notified of school closings. However, this method of communicating is not completely reliable since these messages are announced at the station’s discretion. 
2. Each school will communicate via Blackboard Connect. Building administrator will activate their school’s system when they are notified there has been a change in the normal dismissal time. 
3. The order of dismissal is: senior high, middle and elementary schools.

Service Interruption - Hazardous Highway Conditions

It is the policy of the Waterford School District not to operate its buses when weather conditions cause hazardous travel for bus riders. The decision whether buses will run when severe weather conditions are eminent is made by the Superintendent after consulting with public safety and school district transportation officials. The procedures followed to determine whether or not buses will run is as follows: 

1. A call is made to the Waterford Police Department for its appraisal of road conditions. 
2. Two or more school officials will personally inspect the various types of roads on which buses travel in the district. They will then meet at the bus garage where all available information is considered before the decision is made to run all buses as usual or cancel all buses. 
3. When weather conditions in your immediate area make your child’s trip too hazardous, then it is your discretion whether to keep your child at home. The Waterford School District covers an area of approximately 42 square miles, and weather and traffic conditions can vary significantly in these large areas. 

Service Interruption - Mechanical Breakdown or Traffic Conditions

Instruct your child to wait only a reasonable time for his/her bus (approximately 20 minutes) and then return home. 

Suggested Parent Procedures

All parents must ensure their contact information in Blackboard Connect is correct and up to date to assure all parents and families are notified of an early dismissal. It is imperative that parents discuss he possibility of early dismissal thoroughly with their children and make certain they know where to go when parents are not at home. 

Please do not call the Transportation Department regarding delays. Phone service must be kept free to handle emergency calls dealing with the operation of the bus fleet.

Student Transportation Rules

The Waterford School District is accepting applications for the following positions:

Bus Driver | $19.00 – $21.10/hour
Flexible schedules. No experience necessary. Training class will be conducted.

Bus Aide | $13.00/hour

Applications must be submitted online via the District website at waterford.k12.mi.us. Click on employment

CDL Training provided throughout the year. Flexible schedules, competitive benefits package. Applicants must pass background check, physical exam and drug test. 

If you have questions please contact Transportation at 248.674.2692.

Applications must be submitted online.

Employment Applications

If you have questions please contact Transportation at 248.674.2692.