School Routes
BCT offers coordinated school shuttles for rides going to and from school and learning centers within Boone County. These rides are offered at a reduced fare of $3.50 per trip. Please read below for full details on School Route Rides.
Getting a School Route Ride
To be eligible to ride on the school routes your child must have a completed School Route Application form for each child on file at BCT before they can ride. A new application form must be filed each school year. The School Route Application includes the initial ride schedule for your child. Subsequent changes and cancelations can be made by calling BCT at 515-432-5038.
Click here for a copy of the application School Route Application.pdf
School Route Information
To help insure that transportation services can be provided in a safe and timely manner, BCT has adopted the following policies regarding school routes. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with this information. If you have any questions or comments, we would be glad to talk to you.
Payment: Rides should be paid for at the time of the trip, either with tickets or with cash/check in a clearly marked envelope. We ask that you buy tickets or mark the cash so that we know who to credit for the payment. If cash is not clearly marked, we may not be able to credit it correctly. We will not be providing any transportation without payment at the time of the ride. If you do not have a ticket or cash, you will not get a ride.
Pickups: The bus will wait 5 minutes at the pickup location. If a child has not come out to the bus by that time, the bus will proceed with the route. Any student who misses the bus may be picked up later but only if a bus is available. This trip will be charged at the regular fare school route fare ($3.50) but you will still be charged a “no show” fee (see below) for the missed trip. We do our best to keep to the exact scheduled time, but you should allow 10 minutes before or after the scheduled time because of changes on the route, such as cancellations, trains, or weather. Due to the city noise ordinance we will not sound our horn.
Dropoffs:
We are responsible for our riders while they are boarding, riding, and getting off the vehicle. It is Boone County Transportation’s policy to ensure that all school children get into the door at the dropoff location. Beyond that point, Boone County Transportation is not responsible for children. If a child cannot get inside, we will return the child to the bus and your child will be kept on the bus until a suitable alternate drop off location is determined. If this becomes a recurring problem, riding privileges could be suspended.
Changes:
Changes to trip times and locations must be made at least one business day prior to the date of the change. Same-day changes may be made in case of emergency or extenuating circumstances. However same-day changes are made only when the schedule permits and are not always available.
Cancellations:
For cancellations, please call our office at least 1 hour prior to the trip so that we have time to inform the driver of the change. For pickups before 8:00 AM, please call in as soon as you can after 7:00 AM. Also, you are welcome to leave a voicemail for cancellations. Just let us know your child’s name and the trips that need to be cancelled.
No Shows:
If you don’t cancel and the bus arrives to pickup your child and your child does not ride, that is considered a “no show,” and you will be charged for the trip at the cost of the original trip ($3.50 in town $5.00 rural). We do this for two reasons: 1. When you have a trip scheduled, a spot is reserved for your child and no one else can be scheduled in that spot; 2. The bus can’t leave until everyone who is scheduled is on board. If you don’t cancel the trip, the bus has to wait. If a child no shows for 3 consecutive trips, that trip will be cancelled unless we hear otherwise from you.
School Route Agreement The school route rides are offered at lower price than the general public fares. In order to be eligible for a School Route Ride, you must agree to the following: •Cancel trips at least 1 hour prior to the pickup time, or as soon as possible for trips scheduled before 8:00 AM. •Pay for all scheduled trips that are not cancelled in the proper amount of time prior to the pickup time, even if my child does not ride. •Pay with a ticket or cash/check in a clearly marked envelope at the time of the ride. •Provide BCT with trip location or time changes at least one business day prior to the date of the change, except in extenuating circumstances. •Keep BCT up to date with my current contact informati¬on—address and phone numbers. •Take responsibility for insuring that my child follows the bus rules. School Bus Rules Safety is a number one priority a BCT. In order to ensure safety for themselves and others, passengers must follow these rules at all times: •Passengers need to comply with the driver’s instruction. •Passengers are to follow classroom rules of conduct. Throwing objects, roughhousing, bullying, bad language, vandalism, and inappropriate behavior are not acceptable. •Passengers will board and de-board only at their scheduled locations. •Passengers are to remain seated and wear a seatbelt at all times. •Passengers need to keep the noise level on the bus at a reasonable level. •Passengers will be required to be silent: at railroad crossings, during inclement weather, and at the discretion of the driver. •Nothing, including appendages, is to go outside bus windows. And driver permission is required before opening windows. •Open foods, open liquids, open gum, and smoking are not allowed on the bus. •All electronic devices are to remain put away unless approved by the driver. •Passengers must not play with bus safety or emergency equipment—emergency windows, lift controls, wheelchair restraints, etc. At the discretion of the driver and BCT staff, if a passenger is not acting in compliance with the above rules or the action is deemed unsafe, that passenger may be immediately returned to the pickup location, such as the school or home. Bus Rule Violation Schedule Passengers who fail to comply with the above rules put themselves and others at risk. When incidents occur BCT follows this guideline: •First incident...............Phone call to parent/guardian. •Second incident..........Phone call to parent/guardian & a three-day suspension from the bus. •Third incident...............Phone call to parent/guardian & suspension for the remainder of the school year. Note: This violation schedule is only a guideline. At the discretion of the transportation director, if an incident is deemed severe or endangers drivers and passengers, suspension of riding privileges could be immediate and/or permanent. The parent/guardian will be informed of all incidents and the corresponding corrective actions taken. Lost & Found All items left on the bus are put in the lost & found at the BCT office. If you think you may have left something on the bus, stop by our office. At the end of the school year all unclaimed items will be donated to Goodwill.
