Transportation Office
Alternate Stops Bus Notes Bus Rules & Crossing Rules EMPLOYEE REQUEST FOR TRANSPORTATION Infofinder Help
PreK Information Student Responsibilities
Information about bus routes and times will be sent to families before the start of each school year.
Contact Information:
Jessica Streator
Department Supervisor
jstreator@polandcsd.org
Welcome to the Poland Central School Transportation Department page. We have an extensive responsibility. Poland Central School District is 480 square miles in size, making it the third largest district in size in New York State. Saranac Lake Central School District is the largest district, geographically, with more than 600 square miles, and Town of Webb has 566 square miles.
We provide transportation for all eligible students in grades PK-12 who live within the Poland Central School District. Please keep in mind that we can not travel on private or seasonal roads.
Our fleet of school buses includes several 66 passenger, full-sized school buses and 25-passenger small buses. We travel more than 300,000 miles per year with regular home-to-school routes, special program out-of-district routes, interscholastic travel, and field trips. The Poland Central School District is 480 square miles in size, making it the third largest district in size in New York State. Saranac Lake Central School District is the largest district, geographically, with more than 600 square miles, and Town of Webb has 566 square miles.
Student safety is our department's priority. Our drivers and monitors attend safety training twice per year and assist with school bus safety drills for students throughout the school year. Parents and guardians can be helpful partners to teaching and reinforcing bus rules, safe riding practices and crossing procedures for our students.
We urge everyone in the community to join with us to ensure that we have an injury-free year for students. Please watch carefully for student pedestrians and stop when you see the flashing red lights on the buses.
Please make sure that your house number is easily visible on both sides of your mailbox and on the front of your house. These numbers are very important for our drivers to identify addresses, especially when dropping off pre-k students. We appreciate your help!
Maintenance
Daily Inspections
School bus maintenance begins with daily inspections. Every school bus driver is required by New York State and Federal law to complete an inspection of their vehicle before every school bus run. Every inspection is recorded in a daily vehicle inspection report that is required for every commercial vehicle on the road. Any defect that is discovered by the driver is then written in the daily vehicle inspection report, the bus is taken out of service and our team of mechanics then correct the defect before the bus is returned to service.
DOT Inspections
Just like taking your personal vehicle to the shop for an annual inspection, every school bus in New York State must undergo a New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) inspection, not once, but twice per year. Inspectors from the NYSDOT travel to every school maintenance garage and perform inspections on every school bus. Each inspection checks the obvious items such as lights and tires, but other components such as brakes, driveline, exhaust, air brake systems, seats just to name a few are carefully inspected to DOT specifications. Each school is then given an annual passing rating for the number of busses passing inspection in their fleet.
Brake Inspections
When was the last time you had your brakes serviced? Did you wait until you heard a grinding noise, or the brake pedal had to be pressed almost to the floor? Every school bus has the brakes completely disassembled, inspected, cleaned, repaired broken components and reassembled every 12,000 miles! This inspection ensure reliable service when it is needed most. The typical large school bus weighs about 30,000 pounds and being able to stop in an emergency is critical especially when we are carrying such precious cargo such as your children.
School Bus Drills
School bus drills are required by New York State Education Law to be performed three times each school year. The first school bus drill is to be conducted during the first seven days of school, the second between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31 and the third between March 1 and April 30.
Every school bus drill is more than simply a practice evacuation of the school bus. The rules on riding the school bus are reinforced during the school bus drill as well as instruction on the location, use and operation of the emergency doors, fire extinguishers, first aid equipment and windows as a means of escape in the case of fire or accident. Drills are also an opportunity to reinforce proper safe boarding and exiting procedures with emphasis on when and how to approach, board, disembark and move away from the bus after disembarking. Our school bus drivers also remind students how to safely cross in front of the bus. A detailed explanation of safe crossing procedures is found on the transportation homepage under “crossing procedures.”
All school bus drills are performed on school grounds during the students' physical education class and usually run approximately 10 to 15 minutes in length.