FAQ's

• The school bus driver (or attendant) is responsible for the safe operation of the bus. He/she should receive the same level of respect afforded to a classroom teacher, assistant or other school employee. When necessary, drivers or attendants may correct a student verbally. In most cases, that resolves the problem. If the misconduct continues, the driver may complete a "bus conduct referral " to notify the school of the event for further review and, if appropriate, disciplinary action.

• When referrals are turned into the school by bus drivers, Administrators follow the process outlined in the SPS policy for all disciplinary actions. School administrators may deny a student transportation when his or her conduct presents a threat to the safe operation of the school bus, to the student or to others on the bus. Information about "Student Behavior and Disciplinary Responsibilities" is available in the SPS Student Handbook.

• The safety of the children is always our priority. It is illegal for any unauthorized individual (parents, guardians or any other adult) to stop or board a school bus. Please do not attempt to board a school bus along the route or at school.§ 18.2-128 Code of VA

• A No Trespassing sign is posted on each SPS bus.  Violators are subject to criminals charges.

• SPS offers parents and students the ability to locate their bus using the bus tracking app. Visit the Transportation page on Suffolk Public Schools Website for more information on the  Bus Tracker (Edulog Parent Portal).Bus Tracker 

For your child to ride home with another student in the afternoon, a permission slip must be written, dated and signed by the parent or guardian and approved by school staff prior to 10:00 AM for middle and high and 11:00AM for elementary.  The school will forward your request to the Transportation Office. Transportation will submit a bus pass to the school.  PLEASE NOTE:  ASSIGNMENT IS BASED ON THE CAPACITY OF THE BUS.  IF THE BUS IS AT CAPACITY, THE REQUEST CAN BE DENIED.

• Students will be expected at the assigned bus stop regardless of the weather. If there are delays, a phone message will be issued.

• Students should be dressed appropriately for the weather along with any equipment needed.

The bus driver is required to assign seats on all routes as this helps to determine placement in the event of an accident as well as help to determine behavior issues if any should arise.

• Bus stops are created based on distance from registered student addresses to an assigned stop.  That distance is recommended at .2 miles or (4 blocks or 1056 ft or 3 football fields-352 yards). 

• Corner stops are created in central locations to accommodate all students in a common area.  The use of corner stops also helps to provide time efficiency. Stops that are  Exceptions to corner stops include Special Education accommodations and in areas of heavy traffic when a corner is not available ie. homes directly on busy roadways such as Highway 58, Nansemond Parkway etc. 

• It is a practice that we do not travel into cul de sacs.

• The Suffolk Transportation Department can be contacted by phone at (757)925-5572.  Please be advised that call volume is heaviest during  transporting times 6:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m., and 2:00-5:00 p.m.

• Send  us an email 

  • Kevin Privott, Director kevinprivott@spsk12.net

• • Beverly Young, Supervisor (northern) …  beverlyyoung@spsk12.net

• • Jessica Allen, Supervisor (southern) … jessicaallen@spsk12.net

• Activity Bus's are usually requested by the high schools and some middle schools to transport students after sports practices,  club meetings, tutoring etc.

• Activity Bus stops are not the same as your students assigned route stops.  Activity stops are made at general locations, and require a parent or designee available to meet the bus at drop off.  

• Activity Bus's can not be tracked with the bus tracking app.

• To find a list of all activity stop drop off points, please click the link below.

SPS Activity Stops

If a driver finds an item on the bus, he/she will turn the item into the school upon completion of the route or secure the item on the bus if the school office is closed. If you contact the Transportation Office regarding a lost item, please provide us with a full description of the object. Often, drivers are not able to inspect buses while they are on the road and will check for lost items at their next assignment. We recommend that personal items be stored in the child's backpack. Because electronic devices such as cell phones, tablets, iPods and games are very popular, the recovery rate is very low. We recommend that students store these items in secure places, such as their backpacks, while traveling to and from school.

• Be sure to notify your students registered school of your transportation needs, and they will submit the request to transportations routing department.  It may take up to 3 business days to complete the request. 

• Once your student has been assigned a bus, a bus pass with your students bus assignment and times will be sent back to your students school.

• Dispatch will send out automated phone calls to alert families of buses who are running late and even early.  Please ensure that our number is not blocked and that  your Primary phone number is updated in E School at your students school.  The transportation department does not have the ability to update phone numbers.  

• It is always our goal to send out alerts as far in advance as possible to allow our families to plan.  At times this is not possible due to the nature in which delays may occur, and alerts will be sent out in real time.

Students are assigned a stop for safety and route planning for time and capacity.  When parents drive to other stops it causes a concern for safety.  We request that a parent transports the student to school.  

• Our drivers must stop at all stops on their assigned route, whether students are present or not. Drivers must stop and extend their stop arms and wait for at least 5 seconds before proceeding on.

• If your student is not at the stop when the driver proceeds on, this is considered a missed bus.

• A bus cannot return for students who missed the bus. Please be sure your child arrives at the designated bus stop at least 10 minutes ahead of schedule. 

• If you are unsure if a bus came to your stop, please contact dispatch. Dispatch will use GPS to verify if your stop was missed or not.  If missed dispatch by a driver, we will dispatch another bus to your student

• If you are alerted that your bus route is on a second or double load, this means a driver will be taking their own route and then returning out to pick up your student's route.  This means your bus route will start no earlier than the schools take in time 7:00am. for middle school, 8:00 a.m. for high school and 9:00 a.m. for elementary school.

• If you are alerted that your students are on a combined route, have students out at their scheduled stop times, but prepare to wait past the allotted 10 minute threshold that we give for bus arrivals.  

• As much as we would like to include round about times of your late buses arrival, we simply can not guarantee times. Please feel free to call into dispatch to get a more up to date ETA of your bus's arrival.

Students in grades 1-5 can be dropped off at the bus stop without an adult present, however if the parent or guardian is normally present the bus driver will use their discretion to take the student back to school.   Please make sure your child knows to NOT get off the bus if they are not comfortable and the driver will return them to school.

• Early start and Kindergarten students are required to have a blue form on file with the Transportation department.  The form contains all the information the driver needs to know about who will be picking your student up daily from their bus stop. This form is given to your student by their driver.

• Kindergartens must have a yellow tag attached to them prior to getting on the bus in the afternoon. Early Start students must have a green tag attached to them prior to getting on the bus in the afternoon.  

• Parents and/or their designees must be available to receive their Early start and Kindergarten students when the bus arrives.  Students who are not received will be returned to their school to be picked up by their parents.

No, Courtesy notices are not the same as a referral.  Courtesy notices are used as a form of written communication between the driver and parent.  Courtesy Notices can be written to acknowledge good bus behavior or to inform parents about behaviors that need to be corrected.  Courtesy notices are issued before most referrals are written depending on the level of infraction, to allow parents the opportunity to play an active role in reinforcing the bus rules to help ensure a safe ride. 

• We must remember that to ride the School bus is a privilege for most students. Students who refuse to obey bus regulations may forfeit their privilege to ride the bus.

• Students are expected to follow the Student Code of Conduct of Suffolk Public Schools while on the school bus, at the bus stop and going to and from the bus stop. 

• Students being transported are under the authority of the bus driver.

•  Students shall stay in their seats and keep hands/feet to themselves.

•  Students must board and leave the bus at their assigned stop. Written permission from the school

• Principal/designee is required to get on or leave the bus at a location other than the regular bus stop.

• Students shall converse in normal tones so as to not distract the driver profane language is prohibited.

• Students may not transport animals (other than approved service animals) on buses.

•  Students shall not transport large items (balloons, flowers, band instruments, athletic equipment, etc.) on buses as they create safety hazards.

• Every effort is made to correct minor situations through a conference, parent involvement, or administration

• Make sure that the transportation department has your number on file.  Call in to check your primary phone number listed in our database.  If a number is not included or needs to be updated, call your students school to have it updated in E School

• Make sure our number is not blocked.

•  It is always our goal and our responsibility to keep our parents informed of busing delays. We strive daily to notify our families of changes well before dismissal times.   However,  there are times when this does not happen due in a timely manner.  The times in which calls are sent out in real time instead of prior to the delay can be due to lack of communication from drivers to dispatch, mechanical issues, traffic delays and accidents and even human error. 

• Many SPS families often request changes, particularly for afternoon transportation, to accommodate childcare, after-school activities or other special needs. We can accommodate your request if there is space available on that bus. For one time only changes we cannot create a new bus stop on any route; therefore, your child will be assigned to an existing stop on that bus route that is closest to your requested destination. If you need to request a change in the normal routing for your student, please contact the school office prior to 10:00 AM for Middle and High school and 11:00 AM for elementary school. As always, the  Transportation Office will do its best to meet your family's needs.

• Students are to be at the bus stop daily at least 10 minutes prior to their scheduled stop time, and should wait at least 10 minutes after their scheduled stop time unless notified of a late bus .  This allows for unforeseen delays or early arrivals due to changes in student attendance and traffic patterns.

• If your student is waiting more than 10 minutes after their scheduled or usual pick up time, please utilize the bus tracking app, and/or feel free to call into dispatch to get an ETA of your bus's arrival time.

• The best way to locate your bus is to use the bus tracking app. Visit the Transportation page on Suffolk Public Schools Website for more information on the  Bus Tracker (Edulog Parent Portal).Bus Tracker 

• Dispatch will send out automated phone calls to alert families of buses who are running late and even early.  Please ensure that your Primary phone number is updated in E School at your students school.

• If your bus tracking app is not working, and you not received an automated phone call, feel free to call into dispatch to speak with a repersenative to get route information.

• If your student is on a second load, or if your student is on a different bus short term due to route coverage or mechanical issues, you will not be able to track your student's bus location.  Feel free to call into dispatch to get the status or ETA of your bus route.

• The tracking app is not accessible on days with delayed opening, half days or days where the schedule is altered.

• If your student is on their regular route and bus, and you can not track their bus's location, try logging out of the app and logging back in.  This fixes most issues.  If this does not help, call into dispatch to be transferred for further assistance

• Everyday situations arise that are beyond our drivers' control. This can include traffic accidents, second or combined routes due to  driver absences, maintenance problems, lane closings and roadwork, weather delays or even a late departure from school. Please be patient, as the drivers make every effort to stay on schedule while being mindful of student safety.

• If your student's bus is more than 30 minutes late in the afternoon.  We recommend that you contact your school to see if the bus was held at school or delayed. If the school staff members are unaware of any delay or departure, they contact the Transportation Office and work with our staff to determine the cause.