Transportation & Boundaries

Transportation Office - Frequently Asked Questions

Please click on the appropriate question. If you do not find the answers you need, please contact our office.

Can my child ride the school bus?
How is eligibility for transportation determined?
Are there any exceptions to the 1- 1/2 mile rule?
How do I get my child to school if they can't ride the school bus?
How do I go about getting my child on the school bus?
How are school bus stops established?
How do I request a school bus stop be added or changed?
I don't think my child's bus stop is in a safe location. What can I do?
Will you transport my child to and from a childcare facility which is located outside of his/her attendance area?
Will you transport my child between a childcare facility and my home?
There is no room for my child at the designated school in our area. He/she has been assigned to another school. Will you provide transportation to and from the school to which they have been assigned?
I have a special needs child. How do I arrange for transportation services?
I have permission for my child to attend a school other than the one designated for our area through the open enrollment policy. Will you provide transportation to and from school?
My child will be attending summer school. Will you provide transportation to and from school?
Why doesn't the District own and operate its own school bus fleet?
I'm interested in being a school bus driver or attendant. How do I apply for these positions?
How do I contact First Student?

Can my child ride the school bus?

It depends on where you live. The Boise School District Policy Manual (#8110) reads, in part, as follows:

"Student Qualifications for Transportation
Greater than One and One-Half Miles. The Superintendent or designee shall offer, where practical, transportation services to District students living one and one-half (1-1/2) miles or more from the nearest appropriate school as determined by the nearest and best route from the junction of the driveway of the pupil's home and the nearest public road to the nearest door of the school house in his/her attendance area."

If the child uses a childcare facility (daycare) and that facility is both within the school attendance area the child attends and more than 1-1/2 miles from the school, or in a designated "safety busing zone," transportation will be provided to and from school. Idaho Code 33 - 1501 does not allow a school district to provide transportation between a childcare facility (daycare) and a child's home.

Please call the District Transportation office, (208) 854-4167, or e-mail us at , to see if your child is eligible for school bus transportation. In order to provide accurate information concerning eligibility, we will need the exact address of the child's residence or childcare facility.

How is eligibility for transportation determined?

The District determines transportation eligibility using a global positioning system (GPS) device, which measures mileage to the nearest hundredth (0.01) of a mile. The distance is measured by the nearest and best route from the junction of the driveway of the pupil's home and the nearest public road to the nearest door of the schoolhouse in his/her attendance area.

Are there any exceptions to the 1- 1/2 mile rule?

Yes. The Boise School District Policy Manual (#8110) reads, in part, as follows:

"Student Qualifications for Transportation
Safety Busing Zones. The Superintendent or designee shall offer transportation of students who reside less than one and one-half (1-1/2) miles from school when, in the judgment of the Board, the age, health or safety of the students warrants such action."

For an area to be designated as a "safety busing zone," it must meet criteria which has been approved by the School Board. If you live in an area, or your childcare facility is located in an area, designated by the School Board as a "safety busing zone," transportation will be provided to and from school. Please call the District Transportation office, (208) 854-4167, or e-mail us at , to see if your address (or childcare facility address) is located in a "safety busing zone".

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How do I get my child to school if they can't ride the school bus?

The final decision about what is the most appropriate way to get a child safely to and from school must rest with the parent(s)/guardian(s). The parent/guardian is the person most knowledgeable about the child's abilities and is in the best position to choose the safest and most appropriate way in their area to get the child safely to and from school. Some options that a parent/guardian might want to consider are: walking with a parent/guardian; walking in a group with other students/parents; being driven to school (by a parent/guardian, grandparents, friends, etc.); carpooling; riding bikes; public transportation; private transportation providers (see telephone book); and childcare providers.

How do I go about getting my child on the school bus?

The first step is to let the secretary at the school know that you would like to request transportation. The secretary will post information on the District's computer system which will be shared with the Transportation office. The Transportation Supervisor will review whether or not the student meets the eligibility criteria and inform the parent/guardian whether or not the student is eligible. If your child is a special needs student, please contact your child's special needs teacher to begin the process for transportation services.

How are school bus stops established?

Every effort is made to establish school bus stops near where students live. While we do not stop at the home of each student, we do use the homes of students whenever possible as a stop for students living in that area. Stops for elementary students are usually within two to three blocks of their home. Stops for junior high and high school students are usually within four to five blocks of their homes. Stop locations and distances may vary depending upon the number of students in the area and the type of area (urban/rural) served.

How do I request a school bus stop be added or changed?

Please call the District's transportation contractor at 854-5230 to make a request. Each request is evaluated before the decision is made to add or change a stop. Once a stop change is approved, it may take three to five working days to have it implemented because other riders need to be notified of the change and, in some cases, a bus or buses may need to be rerouted.

I don't think my child's bus stop is in a safe location. What can I do?

Please call the District's transportation contractor at 854-5230 and advise them of the situation. They will investigate your concern and provide a response to you after completing an assessment of the situation.

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Will you transport my child to and from a childcare facility which is located outside of his/her attendance area?

No. The childcare facility must be within the school attendance area the child attends and more than 1-1/2 miles from the school, or in a designated "safety busing zone," for transportation to be provided to and from school.

Will you transport my child between a childcare facility and my home?

No. Idaho Code 33 - 1501 does not allow a school district to provide transportation between a childcare facility and a child's home.

There is no room for my child at the designated school in our area. He/she has been assigned to another school. Will you provide transportation to and from the school to which they have been assigned?

Yes. The school secretary will forward the request for transportation to our office. Transportation will be set up within three to five working days.

I have a special needs child. How do I arrange for transportation services?

Please contact your child's special needs teacher to begin the process for transportation services.

I have permission for my child to attend a school other than the one designated for our area through the open enrollment policy. Will you provide transportation to and from school?

Perhaps. The district's open enrollment policy (3113) allows that, if space is available on the bus, open enrollment students may ride. No stops will be added and no routes will be altered in order to accommodate open enrollment students.

My child will be attending summer school. Will you provide transportation to and from school?

No. The Boise School District Policy Manual (#8110) reads, in part, as follows:
"Summer School. The District does not provide transportation for the regular summer school program."

Why doesn't the District own and operate its own school bus fleet?

It is more cost-effective for the District to contract its school busing operation than use District resources to transport students. The District's expertise is in educating students. The expertise of our school bus contractor is transporting students. First Student works closely with the District to provide safe and reliable transportation. Its operation is monitored constantly by District Transportation Office staff members. By using a contractor to provide transportation services, the District gains the contractor's expertise while saving money by not having to buy and maintain school buses, and hire and train drivers, attendants, and mechanics.

I'm interested in being a school bus driver or attendant. How do I apply for these positions?

Click here to visit our First Student page.

How do I contact First Student?

Click here to visit our First Student page.

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