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TRANSPORTATION

The School District of Palm Beach County provides transportation to and from school for eligible students. Eligibility
requirements as defined by F.S. § 1006.21 and State Board of Education Rule 6A-3.001 include:
▪ K-12 students whose homes are more than a reasonable walking distance, from the nearest appropriate school.
A reasonable walking distance for a student is defined by the Florida Department of Education Administrative
Code Rule 6A-3.001 as "any distance not more than two (2) miles between the home and the school or one and
one half (1-1/2) miles between the home and the assigned bus stop".
▪ Pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students with special needs or disabilities, regardless of the distance from
home to school (Requires form Specialized Transportation Request, PBSD 1848 - administered by the school’s ESE
personnel).
▪ All students enrolled in a Teenage Parent Program and the registered children of such students. F.S. § 1003.54
▪ Elementary age children whose grade level does not exceed grade 6 and live within two miles of their assigned
elementary school and who are subject to hazardous walking conditions as defined in F.S. § 1006.23. Hazardous
walker areas are officially determined by Transportation Services.

All students who will be using bus transportation should register with the Transportation Department's Register Your
Ride portal to ensure their child is assigned to a bus. The child must have a student ID to use when registering.
Visit mysdpbc.org and click on the Register Your Ride icon in the portal. Registration will improve efficiency, reduce delays,
and is encouraged to be completed before the first day of school. Answers to frequently asked questions, including Choice
Transportation options, can be viewed at palmbeachschools.org/transportation. For additional assistance, contact the
Transportation Call Center at 561-357-1110.

For Exceptional Student Education (ESE) students requiring special transportation, the ESE Contact at the school center
will process the request for transportation services as indicated by the student’s Individual Education Plan.

For all other transportation related inquiries, contact the Transportation Call Center at 561-242-6565.

Behavior on the Bus
Policy 5.186

School bus transportation is a privilege not a right. This privilege can be denied for recurring unacceptable bus behavior.

Required Use of Seat Belts on Buses
Students are required to utilize seatbelts while riding as a passenger in a school bus equipped with seatbelts. All buses
manufactured after January 2001 are required to have seat belts. As the belts are different from those on most private
vehicles, parents are encouraged to teach their students how to use the 2-point lap belt system (similar to those used on
airplanes). Students must push the two ends together, hear a click and then pull the strap to tighten the belt. Students
are highly encouraged to utilize seat belts during the bus operations. The bus driver will announce “buckle your seatbelts”
to students during departure and buckle up decals are in buses for student safety.

Students shall not bring on board the school bus any item which may be disruptive or interfere with the safety of
students.

These items include, but are not limited to: glass containers of any kind, sharp objects, balls, bats, roller skates,
skateboards, cutting instruments of any kind, fishing poles, athletic equipment (inclusive of golf clubs, and lacrosse sticks),
any type of balloon, all animals, and any large or bulky item which may interfere with the proper seating of students or
evacuation of the school bus. These items include but are not limited to: baritone horn, baritone and tenor saxophone,

FY24 Student and Family Handbook 70 | Page