1.  What bus does my child ride?
The data that determines your child's bus assignment can be obtained from the school your child attends. On rare occasions, the school may not be able to help you. In that case, please contact the Transportation Department at 225-686-4203. Please note, this information is an estimate based on route configurations in existence when the data was compiled. In some cases, this information will be inaccurate.

2. Who should I call if the bus does not arrive on time?
After thirty (30) minutes you should call the school (if it is open) or Transportation Department at 225-686-4203.

3. What information should I have ready when I call?
You should know your child's bus number as well as the school, child's name and stop location.

4. What are the hours of operation at the Transportation Department?
A Transportation Department staff member is generally available by telephone from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM on school days.  The office is closed from 11:15-12:00 PM.

5. Will my child have the same driver every day?
In general, yes. Exceptions may be necessary due to special trips, illness or retirement on the part of the regular driver. In addition, the variety of school programs may affect driver assignments in the short term. Similarly, some of the students receiving transportation services are highly mobile and frequently change addresses and levels of service. When these factors are combined with the limited routes and a variety of contractual constraints, single students route changes can "domino" to affect several routes and drivers. Please be assured that every effort is made, while accounting for these factors, to keep changes to a minimum.

6. Can the driver stop at my house to pick up or drop off my child?
Only certain students, whose needs are addressed through an IEP or 504 plan, are eligible for "curb-to-curb" service. This service is typically restricted to situations where a less restrictive environment is not possible or where the possibility of a life threatening medical issue or disability requires this type of service.

For other students, service is provided in accordance with distance guidelines set by the Livingston Parish School Board that assures a maximum travel distance to the stop of 2/10 mile for all elementary and 3/10 mile for all secondary students. The bus driver will select the stop location and inform the student where to meet the bus. Students needing transportation to an address other than home may apply for this service through their school principal. These assignments are allowed on a space available basis. Priority is given to passengers who live on that route. Those passengers riding on a space available basis may only use an existing stop. Within these guidelines, every effort is made to improve route efficiency by grouping students to stops and, where possible, providing service on major streets. Please note, these guidelines do not apply to students riding a special needs bus.
 

7. Can I require that my child only be released to me at the bus stop?
The parent/guardian is responsible for meeting the bus if they believe it is necessary. Only certain designated students, whose needs are addressed through an IEP or 504 plan, are eligible for "must be met" service.

8. To whom should I report my address or telephone number change?
The school must be contacted immediately with the new 911 address and/or telephone number information. In addition, telephone number changes should be reported to the school and the driver directly. Once the new data are properly recorded, it may take up to five school days to implement a new route assignment if appropriate.

9. Why is the bus late and why wasn't I called?
Some of the situations that could cause lateness include traffic, road closures, weather, vehicle breakdowns or a late prior route. Since we operate more than 175 buses that, serve 20,000 students daily, it is virtually impossible to contact parents when the bus is off schedule. However, it is the driver's responsibility to notify parents when the bus route is altered in a manner that would affect the bus schedule on a permanent basis.

10. How will I be notified of a change to my child's stop time (or stop location)?
The Transportation Department will contact the bus driver with any route changes. Revisions to route may occur from time to time to accommodate a new stop, address route schedules or load. This information is distributed to the school sites for distribution to the students. In addition, the driver should notify you or your student when the bus will arrive at the home stop in the morning and evening.

11. I got home late (in PM) and I cannot find my child. What do I do?
A bus is considered late when it is more than 30 minutes overdue. If the bus is late in arriving at your stop, try to call the school to see if the bus arrived at school on time or if the school is aware of another type of delay such as a traffic problem, road construction, or road closure. This will let you know if the bus is behind schedule. If the bus experiences a mechanical failure or traffic incident, a spare bus will be sent to the scene to complete the route if the regular bus can not be used.
If your student was not on the bus, try calling your student's friends or other places he or she may have gone after school. A call to the campus may inform you that your student missed the bus, stayed for detention, or may be involved in an after school activity. "Must be met" students are usually returned to school if they are not met. You may also wish to call your bus driver to see if your student boarded the bus at school or if your student got off at another stop.
A call to your local law enforcement agency is usually the best option if the above options have not located your student. If the student is not a "must be met" student, Transportation Department staff can assist others in locating your child. This may involve contacting the police and/or home contact of school personnel.
Parents are encouraged to develop a plan with their student (s) that instructs them what to do if they do not follow their regular schedule. You may wish to have them call both home and work to leave or contact you by cellular telephone or pager. Younger students may need to have these numbers kept with them in the event they need to reach you. Work with your student (s) in memorizing their full name, address, and telephone number. Students should also know how their telephone number is listed in the directory in the event that they need assistance from law enforcement or others in contacting you.
 

12. I have a question regarding a bus stop location or pick up/drop time. Whom should I call?
Please contact your school first. Each site has a transportation liaison responsible for coordinating service with the Transportation Department. These liaisons are trained to answer most bus service questions and should be able to provide an estimate of the bus schedule. If the liaison does not know the answer to your question, they probably know who to contact and can probably get back to you with an answer. On rare occasions, the site liaison cannot help you. In that case, please contact the Transportation Department at 225-686-4203.

13. If my child uses a wheelchair, what do I need to know?
You must go to your student's school and complete a Special Needs Bus Application & Confidential Medical Information Bus Form. A recent photograph of your student is required on the form. Once the application is completed, it may take up to five school days to implement the route assignment if appropriate. If a lift bus is not available, other arrangements may be made.
Wheelchairs are transported on Livingston Parish School System's school buses in a forward facing position when possible. If transported in a chair, the chair must have working brakes and operational footrests, the seat and back of the chair must be properly attached to the chair. The harness and/or trunk support system must be attached to the wheelchair and the lap belt must be in working order. In addition, lap trays, if used by the student, must be removed and stored during transportation. Lap trays can cause injury to the passenger during emergency braking or in the event of an accident. The driver will be responsible for this as well as all other securement issues. Finally, we remind our drivers that even if the child is independent, the driver or attendant should still be the one wheeling the chair on and off the lift. We ask that power chairs be put in the manual position for transportation purposes when possible.