• Kindergarten Bus Riders

  • Riding a bus is a huge milestone for your kindergartner. Help them get off to a great start!

    Getting Prepared:

    • Complete the mandatory Kindergarten Dismissal Form and submit it to your child's school
    • Practice going to and from the bus stop to help your child identify their stop
    • Have the following information written in your child’s backpack or planner:
      • Student name
      • School attending
      • Bus number(s) and bus stop location

    Know before you go:

    • Elementary schools have been issued red tags to help identify kindergarten students throughout the year. Please keep the tags attached to their backpack. 
    • Kindergarten students sit up front close to the driver. Please talk to your student about staying there and not moving to another seat further back. If you want an older sibling to sit with your kindergarten student, the older child must sit up front as well. For their safety, kindergarten students should never sit in the back of the bus.
    • If your child will ride the bus home in the afternoon, a kindergarten letter must be completed and submitted to the school. This letter gives instructions as to whether your child can walk home by themselves, with an older sibling or if a specific adult must be present. This letter must be completed prior to the student being allowed to ride the bus home.
    • All bus drivers are instructed to transport only those kindergarten students for whom they have a copy of the form. Parents are expected to transport their kindergarten student home if they have not filled out a form with the preference for their child.
    • If you choose to have your kindergarten student met at the bus stop by an adult but they will not be there in time to meet the bus, the driver will continue on the route, and have the dispatcher notify the school that your student can not be delivered. Please know that bus drivers are not generally authorized to return students to school if an adult is not present. Procedures may require drivers to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office or Department of Children and Families. While these actions may appear extreme, they serve as guidelines that consistently promote the safety and security of students.