Transportation Information
In general, students in Grades K-5 are considered eligible for transportation if they live more than 0.5 mile from school property, and Grades 6-12 if they live more than 1.0 mile from school property. However, these distances are approximate and may be influenced by traffic conditions or available safe walking routes. Some students may be required to walk greater distances to school, though never more than 1.5 miles. Walk-to-school distances are calculated by measuring the shortest distance from your home to the nearest boundary of school property. Questions regarding eligibility specific to your address or school should be directed to our office.
Public school students who are eligible for transportation will be automatically assigned to a bus route - no action is needed on your part.
Private/Non-Public/Parochial school students who are seeking transportation to school must submit a transportation registration annually, using our online registration system. This is required even if you have completed transportation-related paperwork with your school of choice. More information about registration and annual updates can be found here: https://www.sdst.org/departments/transportation/non-public-transportation-info
Please remember that transportation is a privilege, not a right. Students who make unwise behavioral choices on a school bus or school vehicle may have their transportation privileges suspended for a period of time.
Students are required to be outside and visible at their bus stop 5 minutes prior to their scheduled pickup time. In most cases, buses are not able to remain at a bus stop for significant periods of time. While we try our best to run on schedule, if traffic or roadway conditions cause a bus to arrive to a bus stop a few minutes early, it is not required to remain at the stop until the scheduled time.
Bus stops that are designated at intersections are often designed to service families that may come from any direction/street in the intersection. Students may wait at any corner of the intersection and cross/traverse the intersection when the bus has arrived, the red warning lights are flashing, and the door is open.
Because of this, drivers are instructed to stop the bus at the point nearest the intersecting roadway without entering the intersection to provide the best visibility of the school bus to other traffic. Please do not ask the driver to move the stop or stop further back from the intersection. Drivers are not authorized to change bus stops.
No matter the age of your child, it is a good idea to have a conversation about bus stop safety with them at least once per year. Additional tips can be found at https://www.sdst.org/departments/transportation/bus-stop-safety
Students attending Springfield Township High School or Springfield Township Middle School ride the bus at the same time. Buses will drop off in the morning and pick up in the afternoon only on the high school campus. Middle school students must walk from the high school campus to the middle school campus using the tunnel at the bus drop off/pick up location.
We strive to create the most efficient transportation environment possible while still serving the individual and unique needs of the families that we serve. In working towards this goal, we may require students to be transported by different buses/drivers in the morning versus the afternoon. Students may also be required to transfer from one vehicle to another in the course of a route.
In order to maintain a safe and disciplined transportation environment, the school buses and school vehicles used to transport our students may be equipped with video and audio recording equipment. Recorded media may be reviewed by school officials for disciplinary and security-related purposes. This media may be provided to law enforcement or a court of law, or may be used in school disciplinary proceedings. Students, staff, and chaperones/volunteers should understand that their actions and words may be recorded while they are on school buses or school vehicles and that they should have no expectation of privacy during that time.
Information related to transportation for private/parochial/non-public schools can be found on the Non-Public Transportation Info portion of our site.
Additional common questions may be answered on our Transportation FAQs page.
For information not found in that location, please reach out to us at either 215-233-6095 or TransOffice@sdst.org.