Scituate Public Schools

Students in Grades K to 6 who reside over 2 miles from their assigned school are eligible for town-paid (free) bus transportation. This determination is mandated by the State of Massachusetts (Massachusetts General Law Chapter 71 Section 68). All other students in Grades K to 12 will have the option to participate in the fee-based transportation program.

The two mile distance is measured from the end of the driveway of the student’s home to the closest entranceway of the school, using the shortest means by public roadway. The Transportation Department has an updated list of streets in the “fee zone” and “no fee zone”. Please review the list as some changes have been made from the previous year’s list. The list is available on the Scituate Public School's website and at all four elementary schools.

All students who are not eligible for town-paid busing will have the option to purchase a bus pass through the “Fee-Based Transportation Program.” (i.e., K to 6 students living two miles or less from their assigned school and all students grades 7 to 12, regardless of distance.) Passes for the school year are $240.00 per student with a $460.00 family cap if you apply before the June 30th deadline. Applications received after June 30th are $265.00 per student with a $485.00 family cap.

Refunds will be granted to those families who move during the school year if they return the bus pass to the Transportation office along with a written request for the refund. Refunds may be issued to high school students who receive a parking space for the upcoming school year. In this instance, parents/guardians must request a refund in writing within 30 days of receiving the parking pass and the bus pass must be returned. Refunds will be prorated. No refunds will be granted for those families who opt for other means of transportation. Please understand that routes and staffing will be established based upon enrollments before the deadline.

Each spring, you will receive email notification that is time to register for the transportation program for the next school year. Students wishing to obtain a bus pass must complete the application and return it with payment no later than June 30th. All students who want to participate in the transportation program must complete an application whether or not they reside in a “fee” or “no fee zone”. Payments can also be submitted online via electronic payment. You can make this payment through the Scituate Public Schools website from your checking account or via MasterCard or Discover for a single student or for a family plan. Convenience fees are shared by the credit card company and Unibank; no additional funds will be allocated to Scituate Public Schools.

The payment deadline is June 30th . Payment is due in full by check or on-line payment as indicated above. Please note that any check returned due to insufficient funds or closed bank accounts will have a bank fee charged as a penalty to the check writer. Payment plans and/or partial payments will not be accepted.

The cost for passes after June 30th will be $265.00 per student with a $485.00 family cap. Applications or payments received after the June 30th deadline will result in the student being placed on a waiting list for transportation. Bus routes and staffing will be planned based on applications and payments received on or before June 30th. Applications received after June 30th will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. New residents can pay for transportation upon enrollment to a new school.

Yes. All bus students are required to carry their bus pass on a daily basis beginning the first day of school. The bus pass should then be attached to the student’s backpack. This will keep the pass handy and allow the student to display it without delay. Students who are unable to present a pass will not be allowed to board the bus.

Bus passes will be mailed to your home address; you can expect to receive your bus pass before the start of school.

If you suspect that you may have a past due balance, please contact the Business Office at 781- 545-8759 X-23300.

Applications for a replacement bus pass may be found at Scituate Public Schools under the “Transportation” link. There is a $10.00 fee for the replacement pass.

Children will walk to a common bus stop. Students are not entitled to street-by-street or door–todoor pickup or delivery. All stops will be at corners, whenever possible, as to make them fair and consistent for all. Bus stops are determined in accordance with School Committee policy and State law. In the case of new residents, you may be in an area that might require issuing a new bus stop. Until the area is reviewed, and if a new stop needs to be added, students should go to the closest bus stop until a new one is established by the Transportation Office. Any child standing at unauthorized locations may not be picked up.

Regarding Kindergarten: Students attending the kindergarten program will board the bus at the group stop with other neighborhood elementary students (provided there is one in your neighborhood). In the afternoon, kindergarten students will be dropped off at the same group bus stop. It is school policy to return children to their school should an adult not be present to meet kindergarten students. If the school is closed, the child will be brought to the Superintendent’s Office/Central Office located at 606 C.J. Cushing Highway, Entrance D8 (across from Skate Park).

No. Students may only ride their assigned buses and get on/off at their assigned bus stop. If there is a family emergency or medical situation, parents should notify the school principal and other transportation arrangements may be made.

Daycare Transportation: Requests for transportation to a stop other than the student’s home address must be approved by the Principal and forwarded to the Superintendent for daycare/babysitting on a five-day-a-week basis. On other than a five-day-a-week basis, transportation is only provided when the requested location is on the same bus route as the student’s home route and the student is not a kindergarten student.

The cost for all students is the same. The amount of time you use the bus does not matter; bus costs cannot be prorated according to varied daily usage. This is not a “pay-as-you-ride” program.

Routes and staffing will be configured based upon students enrolled as of June 30th. There is no provision for payment of a partial year. Should you choose to submit an application and payment after June 30th, transportation will be provided only if space is available, if routing does not require reconfiguring, and the fee is paid in full. In the case of new residents, a pro-rated fee will be assessed.

Students are expected to behave in a manner which will provide for optimum safety of the individual student as well as the safety of other students aboard the bus. When a student is reported for violating a safety rule in and around a school bus, school officials will review the situation with the student. Parents will be notified of the behavior. Depending on the severity of the offense and the frequency of violations, the student may receive a warning, a brief suspension from the bus or suspension for the balance of the school year. If a student is participating in the “Fee Based Transportation Program” and is suspended from the bus, the fee will not be refunded.

If you cannot afford the transportation fee and meet income requirements, you can apply for a waiver of the fee; your transportation application must be completed and submitted, along with required income documentation, by June 30th . Incomplete information will not be processed.

Special needs students attending out-of-district placements (outside the Town of Scituate) and ride special vehicles or vans are not subject to the fee. Special needs students who attend Scituate Public Schools are subject to the fee under the same provisions as other students unless they have “special transportation” by a “special vehicle” indicated in their Individualized Education Plan (I.E.P.). Special needs students with these two provisions in their I.E.P. are not subject to the fee.

Students who have a 504 plan are subject to the fee under the same provisions as all other students.

Students may bring their musical instrument on the bus if it can be stored under the seat. Any item that can’t be stored safely under the seat cannot be taken on the bus.