Whether you bike, walk, drive, take the bus or get a ride from Mom, getting to school safely is the goal

 

Getting to School Safely

Every school day, more than 8,000 students walk to bus stops and board one of more than 60 buses to get to school within Rio Rancho Public Schools. Many others walk, ride bikes, or drive themselves to school or are driven there by parents, other family members, or caregivers. All of these methods of getting to school have one thing in common: Safety. Here are some simple ways we can all help to keep children safe on their way to and from school:

Walking or riding a bike to school or to a school bus stop:

  • Adhere to all public health orders or school safety measures currently in place
  • Parents or guardians should show their children a safe walking path to use and encourage them to follow that path
  • Obey all traffic signals, signs, and/or crossing guards; Use crosswalks where available
  • Walk bikes through intersections
  • Walk with a buddy, if possible, and be aware of the surroundings
  • Never talk to or respond to strangers – If a stranger approaches or tries to get a child to come to him/her, the child should run home, to a neighbor’s house, or another safe place such as a business and ask an adult for help
  • Reflective material makes walkers and bicyclists more visible to street traffic
  • Always wear a helmet when riding a bike

At the bus stop:

  • Adhere to all public health orders or school safety measures currently in place
  • Know your school bus number
  • Get to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive
  • While waiting for the bus, stand at least five giant steps (10 feet) away from the curb and line up away from the street
  • Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says it is OK to board before getting onto the bus
  • Be sure that the bus driver can see you if you need to cross the street to reach the school bus, and that you can see the driver when crossing the street. Be sure to watch for traffic coming both ways. If you need to cross the street, do so IN FRONT OF the bus.
  • When you are dropped off at school or at the bus stop, walk 10 giant steps away from the bus
  • Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus
  • If you drop something near or under the bus, tell the bus driver – DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PICK IT UP because the driver may not be able to see you
  • School buses are loaded and unloaded at established school bus stops only, unless an emergency dictates otherwise
  • Parents and guardians are encouraged to supervise their children at all school bus stops before and after school

While on the bus:

  • Adhere to all public health orders and school safety measures currently in place
  • Do not talk to the driver unless it is necessary
  • Stay in your assigned seat and face forward – Stand up only after the bus has stopped at the bus stop or at the school
  • No eating or drinking on the bus
  • No yelling or shouting – it distracts the driver. Speak in a low voice
  • Never throw anything on the bus
  • Never stick anything out of the window (arms, legs, head, books, etc.)
  • Keep aisles and exits clear and personal belongings under control (backpacks, musical instruments, etc.)

Students qualify for bus transportation if they live more than one mile away from an elementary school, more than one and a half miles from a middle school, or more than two miles from a high school.

Dropping Off or Picking Up Your Child:

All Rio Rancho schools have parent pick-up/drop-off lanes for parents who prefer to drive their children to school. Each school has specific procedures for parent drop-off and pick-up that have been carefully studied and found to be safe. Parents should familiarize themselves and their children with those procedures. Parents driving children to school must not drive through or park in the school bus lanes. This could be dangerous to students getting onto or off of buses.

Under New Mexico law, student bus transportation is a privilege offered to those who qualify. Students and parents are expected to become familiar with and abide by the rules described in the RRPS Student/Parent Transportation Handbook. Inappropriate student conduct on the bus will not be tolerated, and suspension of transportation privileges will be given to students who do not follow the rules of conduct while on the school bus.

To learn more about the Department of Student Transportation rules and for more information regarding school busses, please visit: https://rioranchonm.sites.thrillshare.com/page/student-transportation

Find Your Child’s Bus Stop

Finding your child’s bus stop is easy with our online bus stop tool. Simply visit https://rioranchonm.sites.thrillshare.com/page/student-transportation and click on the yellow button. When prompted, enter your child’s student ID number as the “Username” and your child’s date of birth as the “Password” (date of birth should be in this format: 2 digit month, 2 digit day, 4 digit year, no dashes. For example, if your child’s birth date is July 8, 2008, you would enter 07082008). This process will let you locate your child’s bus stop along with pick up and drop off times.