Festus R6 School District

Families that wish to have bus service will be required to sign students up annually.

The Transportation department is diligent to consider all factors when preparing and updating school bus routes. The top priority is always the safety of students.

Bus routes developed for the school year are created using information submitted to the Transportation department via Festus R-6's Infinite Campus Student Information System. Bus routes are not always the same from year to year. It is common for bus routes to be adjusted after a new school year begins to accommodate new students, alleviate bus overcrowding or make routes more efficient.

By identifying students who use alternate transportation, we can reduce the number of buses we need and maximize ridership in a manner that is safe and comfortable for students. This will directly benefit students by creating significant savings that can be used for classroom instruction.

Other factors include:

In areas that do not present unreasonable pedestrian hazards:

When possible, students will be picked up at centralized stops, creating shorter route times and allowing buses to run more efficiently.

Bus stops shall be a minimum of 500 feet apart, where possible.

Buses are only routed down streets, roads and highways deemed safe and those which provide a sufficient and safe space where the bus can turn around.

Stops are generally located at corners and intersections, where traffic naturally slows, creating a safe space for students to get on and off the bus. The designated area for the bus stop must be within a bus length to the corner, which is approximately 40 feet. For safety reasons, we avoid making house stops, mid-block stops and driving into cul-de-sacs.

Cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets are generally avoided, as a standard-size passenger bus requires a 115-foot radius to safely turn.

Private roads are avoided because they may not be maintained reliably and require permission from the owners to travel them. The road must be wide enough for both the bus and oncoming traffic to safely pass each other at any point in the road and also to provide for safe visibility.

Adjustments are made to bus routes when an area and/or conditions are documented as unsafe or hazardous.

Buses typically are not routed through neighborhoods without through streets, due to lack of connectivity and direct routes. This leads to inefficient navigation and potential delays.

Proof of residency is required before a student can be assigned to a bus route. Residency is verified by the district registrar. If there is no existing bus stop within the district’s bus stop guidelines, a new stop will be created. The creation of new stops takes approximately 2-4 school days for regular enrollment. Please allow up to 5 school days for bus stop assignments when enrolling in special education programs.

Stop requests are processed in the order in which they are received, with an emphasis on student safety. If a new stop has to be created and existing drop-off times are changed, three additional days may be required to ensure adequate communication to all families impacted by the changes. Families are responsible for transportation to and from school until a bus stop is established.

It is impossible to locate a bus stop within sight of every home or child care provider. As a general policy, we locate bus stops at corner intersections where motorists expect that the bus will stop. For safety reasons, we avoid making house stops, mid-block stops and driving into cul-de-sacs. Parents, guardians and child care providers are responsible for ensuring their student arrives and departs safely to and from the bus stop. School bus drivers do not have the authority to change bus routes or student stops.

An address located within district boundaries is required before a student can be assigned to a bus route. Students may be assigned to fixed alternate routes based on (1) a child care provider or (2) a relative’s home address. The alternate address MUST be within student’s school transportation boundaries.

To make a request please submit the Change of Transportation form.  Do not submit transportation change requests to the bus driver. Permanent address changes must be submitted to the main office at your student’s school building.  Address changes cannot be scheduled until the transportation department receives an updated student record, which will include the new transportation address. The transportation department does not have the ability to make address changes. A two-week notice before the address changes is preferred.

Yes. In accordance with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), all school districts must maintain accurate, active bus ridership rosters. DESE defines an active rider as a student who rides at least one time a week. Based on this definition, the district will remove a student who does not meet the requirements of an active rider. If a student is not at the assigned stop for 10 consecutive school days, the transportation director may contact the student's family and/or place the student on the inactive rider list. If your student is inactive and plans to begin actively riding the bus, please complete this Change of Transportation Form. 

The operator of a school bus can transport no more children than the manufacturer suggests. Festus R-6 students are transported on two types of buses one has a manufacturer suggested capacity of 84 students and the other 77 students.

Festus R-6 requires that a parent or caregiver be at the bus stop to meet their kindergarten students. The transportation office will attempt to contact the parent or guardian if no one is present at the stop, if we are unable to reach you or it is deemed unsafe or a traffic hazard for the bus to wait for your arrival your student will be returned to the elementary school office and you will need to arrange pick up from there.  

If you would like to give permission for your student to get off the bus with an older sibling or adult other than the parent or guardian please complete this authorization form.

Only in emergency situations will we consider allowing a guest rider. These exceptions can only be made through the transportation office.  You must call 636-937-5716 to have your request considered. Bus routes are carefully planned to ensure efficient and safe transportation for all students.  Allowing guest riders could potentially compromise the safety measures in place, making it harder for drivers and school staff to monitor and account for everyone on the bus.

Anything large enough to obstruct pathways to emergency exits or inhibit visibility should not be brought onto the bus; example balloons or large projects. To ensure the safety and well-being of all bus riders, food and drinks should be kept in lunchboxes or backpacks.  Students are allowed to have drinking water on the bus, however  soda, juice, coffee, etc is not allowed.