Our mission is to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient transportation services that support the educational mission of our district. We are committed to providing a welcoming and secure environment for all students, fostering positive relationships with our community, and continually improving our services. Our goal is to ensure every student has access to the educational opportunities they deserve by offering transportation solutions that are punctual, courteous, and adaptable to the diverse needs of our district.
REGISTERING YOUR CHILD FOR TRANSPORTATION FOR THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR
**Parents of students who are new to the district may receive an error message when trying to enroll their student(s) with their phone number in the SmartTag Parent App. Please use your email instead and you should be able to link or enroll your student(s). We are working to resolve this issue and will notify you once it has been fixed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Eagle County School District has migrated from the SMART tag™ Parent Portal to the new SMART tag™ Parent App for the 2024-2025 school year. Parents and guardians should download the Parent App from the app store or scan the QR code that you will find on the support documents below. Register now to take advantage of the SMART tag™ Parent App Features and register your child(ren) for the 2024-2025 school year!
Parent App Registration_en Espanol
The SMART tag™ system helps increase safety and security for students riding on a school bus, leveraging technology to improve student management and communications on school buses.
SMART tag™ monitors the location of each school bus, including student loading and unloading, providing real-time information to the Transportation Department, and you, the parent.
SMART tag™ will help...
- increase driver, school, and parent awareness
- ensure riders will load on the right bus and unload at the right stop
- maximize rider safety and security
- enable drivers to efficiently and effectively carry out their duties
- ensure Special Education and Pre-K students are released to authorized guardians.
SMART tag™ Parent App
- SMART Alerts – sign up to receive push notifications when the bus is near your student’s designated bus stop.
- SMART Locate – view live bus location from when you receive the arrival alert up to your home stop.
- Authorized guardian release. This allows you to add and update authorized guardians through the Parent App (for primary parents only and if enabled by your district).
If you need assistance once you are in the SMART tag™ Parent App, click on the 'Help Center' button on the bottom of the Account tab or call SMART tag at 855-604-6344 for assistance.
For general transportation questions, contact the Transportation Department at 970-328-2744. Para espańol: 970-328-2743.
general Bus PASS information
SMART tag™ bus passes are required to ride the bus. All ECSD students that wish to ride the bus will be required to produce their bus pass each time they ride their assigned school bus. Eligible riders will initially receive a FREE SMART tag™ bus pass that is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) card, much like a ski pass, that will be required for the student to board the bus. The assigned card will be good for the duration of your student's ECSD career in elementary and middle school. Once in high school your child will receive a free new card with their school ID printed on it each year until they graduate.
Replacement Bus Passes
If your child has lost their pass they can purchase a replacement from their school front office, bus driver ot call 970-328-2744 for assistance, or go to https://eagleschools.epaytrak.
- Once the $10.00 is confirmed received by the students school, bus driver or through the transportation office, we will print the new pass and get it to the bus driver to be delivered to your student usually by their next ride.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Bus passes are the property of Eagle County School District and to be used for school district purposes only. PLEASE DO NOT PUNCTURE BUS PASSES! For the safety of all students bus passes are required to ride any school bus for any purpose. Purposefully damaging the pass card by punching holes, chewing or defacing the card in any way will be considered an act that may cause a 3-day suspension from riding the bus and requires the purchase of a replacement pass. All costs associated with replacing a pass are the sole responsibility of the student and parent or legal guardian.
Please explain to your child that drivers cannot wait for running students. Most student accidents happen from slipping and falling while running. To discourage this unsafe practice, we will not wait for runners and instead ask that children arrive at their bus stop five minutes prior to the bus arrival time to catch the bus.
BUS RULES
These rules apply to bus routes, field trips, and athletic trips.
· Students must have their SMARTtag pass ready to scan each time they ride a bus. All bus riders must identify themselves upon request. Providing false information to a driver may result in permanent loss of school transportation privileges.
· Respect the bus driver, other passengers, and the school bus always. Passengers must not engage in behavior that infringes on the rights of others, including verbal, ethnic, racial, or sexual abuse or threats.
· The use of electronics on the bus may be restricted, especially if it distracts the driver. Taking pictures or videos of others on the bus is considered an invasion of privacy and is strictly forbidden.
· Students can only board and exit the bus at their designated stop. If a student needs to get on or off at a different stop, a parent or guardian's request must be approved by a school official and presented to the driver. Notes written in Spanish must be translated by the school office.
· Arrive at the bus stop at least 5 minutes before the scheduled pick-up time, as the bus will not wait for latecomers. Once the bus door closes, it will not reopen until the next stop. Do not chase the bus as the driver cannot stop.
· Stand a safe distance (at least 10 feet) from the curb or roadway and avoid running games or roughhousing while waiting for the bus.
· Wait for the driver's signal before crossing the road. Cross directly in front of the bus at a distance of 10 to 15 feet. Never cross behind the bus.
· Wait until the bus completely stops and the door opens before boarding or exiting.
· Sit quickly and quietly in your seat, facing forward, and remain so while the bus is in motion.
· When the bus approaches a railroad crossing, complete silence is required.
· No more than three passengers (Elementary, Middle) or two passengers (High School) to a seat.
· Do not block the isle.
· No eating, drinking, chewing gum or spitting while on the bus.
· Keep all body parts inside the bus.
· Do not throw objects in, on, at, or from the bus. Dispose of trash properly in the trash receptacle.
· Keep conversations at a low volume; loud, rude, vulgar, or obscene language and gestures are not allowed.
· The following items are prohibited on school buses according to state law and/or district policy:
o Alcohol, drugs, tobacco, e-cigarettes
o Weapons (including replicas)
o Lighters or matches
o Glass items
o Explosives
o Animals, insects, or reptiles
o Perfumes or colognes
o Legally prohibited substances
o Fireworks, smoke bombs, or stink bombs
o Aerosol products
o Other dangerous objects
· Students must carry all items (such as band instruments, athletic equipment, backpacks, etc.) safely on their lap or place them on an adjacent open seat if available and maintain control of these items at all times. Items considered too large may be denied transport at the driver’s discretion.
· Sport or recreation balls and equipment must be carried in a backpack or sports bag.
· Baseball bats, hockey sticks, golf clubs, tennis rackets, skateboards, scooters, and rollerblades are not permitted on the bus. Any other object deemed unsafe as cargo will also be denied. Drivers have the authority to deny transportation to students with such items.
· Students must not wear clothing or footwear (such as cleats) that can damage upholstery or floors or that violates district dress code policies.
· Stay alert for danger signals from the driver (such as a horn honk or verbal command) when unloading the bus or crossing a road. If you hear a signal, immediately stop and follow the driver’s instructions.
· Unauthorized exit from or tampering with emergency exits is prohibited.
· Any behavior not specifically mentioned above that the driver considers unsafe or harmful to the well-being of other passengers is not permitted.
Consequences for School Bus Infractions
All bus suspensions will be enforced on school days. Bus suspension applies to bus routes, field trips, and athletic trips.
Subsequent infractions are cumulative, building upon the original infraction. While a warning may be issued for one type of infraction, a different type of infraction may then result in suspension.
In every instance, a Bus Conduct Form will be emailed to the parent or guardian. This form details the behavior issue and the resulting disciplinary action. The form must be signed by a parent or guardian and returned to the transportation team before the student can ride the bus again.
The transportation department will usually make contact by phone. However, due to varying schedules and the possibility that some families have unlisted phone numbers or lack a telephone, phone contact can be challenging.
Bus suspensions issued at the end of a school year will carry over and be enforced in the following school year.
Zero Tolerance Behaviors
Eagle County Schools has implemented a zero-tolerance policy for certain serious behaviors. The Transportation Department, in coordination with the Eagle County School District administration, has established the following consequences:
· Vandalism: Bus suspensions due to vandalism will require restitution through a money order before bus privileges can be reinstated.
· Police Involvement: If police involvement is necessary, consequences may escalate to suspension for the remainder of the school year, depending on the severity of the infraction.
· School of Choice / Transfer Students: Students who are school of choice or transfer students, as well as those in after-school programs, will receive one warning call to their parents before losing transportation privileges for the rest of the school year.
The following acts apply to the matrix below:
o Bullying as per Colorado S.B.01-80 (Taunting, Racial Slurs, or Sexual Innuendo)
o Fighting or Physical Assault
o Repeated Extreme Profanity and/or Vulgarity
o Gang-Related Activity
o Theft or Vandalism
o Inappropriate Display of Affection/Sexual Nature
o Tobacco/Vaping or Use of a Lighter or Matches
o Menacing or threatening a Driver
|
Elementary |
Middle School |
High School |
First Offense |
5 Day Bus Suspension |
10 Day Bus Suspension |
10 Day Bus Suspension |
Second Offense |
10 Day Bus Suspension |
15 Day Bus Suspension |
15 Day Bus Suspension |
Third Offense |
Suspension: Remainder of School Year |
Suspension: Remainder of School Year |
Suspension: Remainder of School Year |
Suspension for the Remainder of the Year:
o False Accusation or menacing of a Driver
o Alcohol or Drug Use on a Bus
o Weapons or weapon facsimiles (as described per: JICI - Weapons in School On ECSD Website)
o Tampering with Emergency Equipment
Suspension for the Remainder of the Year plus Assault Charges:
o Physical Assault of the Driver
o Sexual Assault of a Student
Bus suspension does not equate to school suspension. If a student is suspended from the bus, it is the parent or guardian's responsibility to ensure the student's safety in traveling to and from school.
Note: Students suspended from the bus who are variance students will lose all bus privileges for the remainder of the school year.Appeals Process: If a parent wishes to appeal a bus suspension decision, the following steps should be taken:
-
The parent must request a conference by contacting the Transportation Department.
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At least one parent must attend the conference, as well as the student, the Transportation Director (or designee), and a school administrator.
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The school administrator will schedule the conference and notify the appropriate parties.
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The Transportation Director will have final authority following the conference. Any suspension will remain in effect until the outcome of the conference is determined.
Audiovisual Recording: District buses are equipped with audiovisual recording devices for the purpose of enhancing safety and discipline. The recordings provide a visual record of behavior on the bus. Misconduct discovered through reviewing recordings may lead to disciplinary action. Recordings will not be released to anyone outside the district unless required by law and will be treated as protected records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Restoring Order: If a bus discipline problem becomes too disruptive and the driver deems it unsafe to proceed on their route, the driver will safely park the bus until order is restored. This may cause delays, but our priority is to ensure the safety of the students on the bus. As a last resort, drivers may return any unruly students to their school.