Safety is our main priority at South Fayette Township School District. We strive to provide a transportation schedule that is efficient, convenient, and fiscally responsible. Answers to many of your questions regarding the operation of our school buses and transportation policies can be found in this section. Additional concerns and questions can be addressed to the administrative contacts listed below.
South Fayette Township School District owns and operates a fleet of 67 school buses and vans. Forty-five district-owned vehicles are utilized each day to run 238 bus routes for the morning, afternoon, and mid-day transportation routes. Approximately 3,529 students are transported daily to our public schools. We also transport an additional 187 students to over 30 special, parochial, technical, and private schools within a ten (10) mile radius of the district’s borders on our own buses and vans. In addition, we contract transportation services with reputable contractors when necessary. All athletic events and field trips are transported using our buses and drivers.
General Transportation Information
- Before requesting a new or alternate bus stop, please review “Bus Stop Change/Addition Requests and Questions” below.
- Newly enrolled students and students moving within the school district must contact Tiffany Vetter at 412-221-4542 x 407. Upon verification of residency, new student transportation schedules will be emailed to the parents within three (3) business days from the building your child will be attending.
- Bus stop assignments are usually at the closest intersection to your child’s address. Buses travel by most student residences, but in order to meet the bell schedule, and reduce student ride time, centrally located stops are utilized.
- Please have your child at the stop location five minutes in advance, in order to prevent students from running after the bus or delaying the next stop. Our drivers may pass stops or pull away from stops if students are in cars or not visible at the stop location.
- Lost items found on the school bus will be stored at the front of the bus for the student to claim the next time he/she rides the bus. All items that have not been claimed by the end of the year will be discarded or donated. The Transportation Department will attempt to return all items found on the bus that are clearly labeled to the proper school. We will not radio drivers while driving to look for lost items, as the radio is reserved for student issues and emergencies.
- Students in kindergarten through second grade need to have an adult or parent to receive their child at the bus stop. Drivers will return your child to the elementary school in order for you to pick up your child if you are not present at the stop.
- Stop times are approximate at the beginning of the year in order to get the school year underway. Bus stop times are likely to change as the year progresses due to the routes settling in and children getting familiar with their schedule. After the first couple weeks of school, you will have a better idea of the time for your child’s busing. Please adjust your child’s arrival time at the bus stop accordingly. Other factors that can change the pickup and drop-off times include traffic, construction, and other unforeseeable delays.
- Please email the garage at [email protected] and [email protected] if an error was made in your child’s transportation schedule.
Bus Stop Change/Addition Requests and Questions
- Due to the rapid development in the district, new stop request approvals are kept at a minimum. We make every effort to keep the maximum walking distance for all children in South Fayette at a third of a mile, although in some cases, this may be more. Please note that State/Federal law states that primary-aged students may walk up to 1.5 miles to a stop and secondary students may walk up to 2 miles to a stop.
- The district transportation system must be efficient and economical. Bus stop assignments cannot be customized to meet individual need, and buses cannot stop at every student's home they pass. Stops are generally at intersections within developments or centralized between student residences on roadways.
- The District cannot consider factors that are associated with individual family or parental situations when determining bus stops. Such concerns are expected to be resolved by the family, parent, or guardian, not the District. Examples include:
- Parent/Guardian not being able to see their child walking to the bus stop and/or waiting at the bus stop. We require a parent or guardian to be at the bus stop for all children in grade levels K-2. If a parent cannot see their child at the bus stop, it is up to the family to go to the bus stop with their child, work with neighboring families to support safety, or find an alternate solution.
- Neighborhood feuds or conflicts with nearby residents.
- Change in parent or guardian’s work schedule.
- Parent or guardian not being able to walk with their child to the bus stop due to other obligations, including childcare.
- Bus stops will vary between the HS, MS, and EL/IS runs. As children age within the district, there are generally fewer bus stops, and children may be expected to walk farther to their stop. Therefore, a bus stop for an EL/IS child may not be the same for a MS child within the same household. The same applies for students moving from the MS to the HS.
- Bus stops are not changed due to inclement weather. During inclement weather, it is the family’s responsibility to ensure the safety of their children while getting to and waiting at the bus stop.
- The district will not establish bus stops in a housing plan under construction. Bus stops within a new housing plan will be established once all construction is completed and the roads are turned over to the township. Until that time, the stop will be at the entrance of the development.
- Bus stops on cul-de-sacs are considered to be unsafe due to increased blind spots, causing children to enter or exit in the bus’s danger zone, and hazards that may require the bus to back up. As a result, the district is working toward the elimination of existing bus stops within cul-de-sacs where possible. As new developments are built and bus stops are established, district buses will not stop in cul-de-sacs unless conditions require them to do so.
- Nonpublic school bus stops shall be assigned at the location of public school bus stops, when possible.
- Bus stops may change from year to year due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the design of the route and the number of students in each residential area.
- Arrangements for stops at a daycare provider location should be the same Monday through Friday to avoid confusion at the school and for the child. For families needing to make different arrangements, only two (2) schedules will be accepted by the school and transportation. Regular changes to your children’s transportation schedule will not be permitted.
New bus stop requests that fall within the parameters listed above will not be approved. Requests for other reasons may be emailed to the transportation department at
[email protected] and
[email protected]Please allow a minimum of five (5) business days for the transportation department to review your request. Note that, due to an influx of requests at the beginning of a school year, requests made during this time may require several weeks for a response.
The granting of special transportation services is based on the disability or physical handicap of the child transported as required by the Pennsylvania Regulations Act 22 Pa. Code 15.6 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The School District shall not grant special transportation services to accommodate the disabilities or other circumstances concerning caregivers, siblings or other individuals. The transportation services include, but are not limited to, changing bus stop locations and changing walking distances.
Bus Rules
Every parent/guardian and student is asked to know the following bus rules for riding a South Fayette Township School District bus. We operate under the Dignity and Respect Program at all times.
- No throwing objects in or out of the bus.
- No fighting, pushing, or shoving on the bus.
- No defacing or destroying school property. You will be responsible for costs associated with damage incurred (seats, lighting, windows, etc.).
- No loud talking, screaming, obscene language, or inappropriate gestures on the bus.
- No extending of any body part outside of the bus.
- Do not distract the bus driver in any unnecessary way.
- No food or beverages permitted on the bus, this includes snacks and breakfast.
- Stay in your assigned seat with your feet on the floor in front of you.
- Keep the aisle clear.
- Keep your hands and feet to yourself.
All buses are equipped with video and audio recording equipment, and global positioning satellite equipment. The use of video and audio recording equipment and GPS supports efforts to maintain discipline and to ensure the safety and security of all students and staff.
Brandon Soubie, Director of Transportation
Phone: 412-221-4542 x 452
Cell phone for emergencies: 412-780-6567
Tanya Amon, Assistant Director of Transportation and Facilities
Phone: 412-221-4542 x 417
Cell phone for emergencies: 412-475-1703
Bus Garage/Mechanics
412-221-4542 x 460