Safety is our main priority here at South Fayette Township School District. We also strive to provide a transportation schedule that is efficient, convenient, and fiscally responsible. Answers for 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. Approximately 3,462 students are transported daily to our public schools. We also transport an additional 187 students to over 30 special, parochial, and private schools within a ten (10) mile radius of the district’s borders on our own buses and vans. We also contract transportation services with a reputable contractor when necessary. All athletic events and field trips are transported using our buses and drivers.
General Transportation Information
- 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 business days by 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. See below for more important bus stop information.
- 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 route 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 issues.
- Please email the garage at [email protected] and [email protected] if an error was made in your child’s transportation schedule.
Important School Bus Stop Information
For information regarding the transporting of students in the district, please contact:
- Due to the rapid development in the district, new stop request approvals are kept at a minimum. 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. We make every attempt to keep the maximum walking distance for all children in South Fayette up to a third of a mile. If you feel you have an unsafe bus stop or want to request an additional bus stop due to other extenuating circumstances, please fill out a Bus Stop Request Form. When you click submit after completion, the form will automatically be forwarded to the transportation offices. Please allow 5 business days for the transportation department to review your request. During the beginning of school, your request may take several weeks to review due to the extreme number of requests received in the first couple weeks of school.
- Parents must note that bus stop assignments cannot be customized to meet every individual need and still be part of an efficient and economical transportation system.
- The District cannot consider factors that are associated with individual family or parental situation. Such concerns are expected to be resolved by the family, parent, or guardian, no the District. Examples Include:
- Parent 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 be at the bus stop for all children in grade levels K-2
- 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
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.
- 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. If you need 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.
Every parent and student is asked to know the following bus rules for riding a South Fayette 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 if damage occurs (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, there are cameras on every school bus that are watching every time you ride
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
Bus Garage/Mechanics
412-221-4542 x 460