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Transportation

photo of todd silverthorn

Todd Silverthorn, Supervisor
Transportation Services

Transportation Office:
2640 Wilmington Pike
Kettering, 45419
 

Henry Mullen, Asst. Supervisor
Transportation Services

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

Bus Stop Information

The KCS Transportation Department is now using the Stopfinder app for families to access student transportation schedules, bus stop information and notifications related to transportation services. The Stopfinder app is available for download in the App Store, as well as in Google Play. 
 

Accessing Student Bus Schedules

Access to student schedules is granted only to the student’s primary contact by the Transportation Department. The primary contact, at their own discretion, may share their student’s schedule with caregivers (sub-subscribers). An invitation to activate your Stopfinder account is sent to the primary contact via email.


Eligibility

Students in kindergarten through the 12th grade, who live in Kettering, attend a public or private school that is accredited by the State of Ohio and reside more than one mile from that school may be eligible to be transported by the district’s Transportation Department. If you have questions as to whether your child is eligible for transportation, please contact the Transportation Department at (937) 499-1770.
 

Bus Safety

Bus safety is a priority of every employee of the Kettering Transportation Department. Working closely with staff members in the City of Kettering’s Safety Department, Kettering Transportation employees conduct bus safety classes for all children, pre-kindergarten through the third grade.

The department also depends on the parents and guardians of students in the district to reinforce bus safety guidelines and review pedestrian safety procedures with their children and to emphasize the importance of paying attention to the rules that each bus driver provides to all riders at the beginning of the school year.

Bus drivers complete an intensive training program and must pass the driving and written tests required by both federal and state law to secure a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with Passenger and School Bus endorsements. They undergo a pre-employment drug screen and physical examination. They have an annual physical to assure they continue to meet all the state physical requirements and are subject to random drug testing. Additionally, bus drivers must meet mandatory annual in-service training requirements with complete recertification required every 6 years. Bus drivers merit the respect due all school personnel.

The Kettering Transportation Department is proud of the fact that it has received perfect “Excellent” ratings for bus safety for 21 years in a row. Each year, the Ohio State Highway Patrol does a rigorous inspection of school buses to determine that they adhere to established safety regulations and award an “Excellent” rating only to those districts that pass every aspect of these inspections. The OSHP also conducts random safety checks throughout the year.
 

Student Rules

Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that will ensure that everyone has a safe ride. The rules are founded on the requirements of the Ohio Revised Code to provide maximum safety. Your child will be provided with a copy of the student rules at the beginning of the school year. Please review them with your child before filling in, signing and returning the lower portion of the page.

Please be aware that students are not allowed to bring friends with them on the bus. Only those students assigned to that bus are permitted to ride. If your child wants to have a friend come home with him/her or stay overnight, you must make other arrangements for other transportation.


Suggestions for Parents

  • Review the bus safety rules with your child and stress the importance of observing them.
  • Remind your child that student behavior on school buses is considered an extension of classroom behavior. The bus driver merits the courtesy and respect due all school personnel.
  • Make sure your child is at the stop 5 minutes early. This is for your child’s safety and the early arrival is required by law. Haste increases the chance of accident.
  • Periodically remind your child of the importance of mannerly and orderly behavior at the bus stop. Occasionally check on students at the bus stop.
  • Accompany very young children to the bus stop and meet them on their return from school.
  • Make sure your child uses only the assigned bus and bus stop.
  • Only authorized personnel are allowed on board a school bus. “Authorized personnel” is defined by state law as eligible pupils, transportation department employees and approved school personnel. Parents and other family members may not be on the bus unless authorized as chaperones.

Change of Address

When you have a change of address make sure to notify the Transportation Department at 499-1770, as well as the school your child attends. This assures there will be no interruption in your child’s bus service. Three days advance notice is usually sufficient.


Stop Change Requests

Bus stop locations are selected for safety and operational efficiency. There are over 1,400 bus stops located throughout Kettering offering most students a location much closer to their homes than the half mile mandated by the state of Ohio. The Ohio Department of Education has compiled a list of frequently asked questions that you may access by clicking on this link.

A Stop Change Request Form may be downloaded and mailed to the Transportation Department for consideration. The Transportation Department is located at 2640 Wilmington Pike, Kettering, 45419. Requests received at the beginning of the school year will take 3 to 4 weeks to be processed. You will be notified by phone of the decision.