MY SON/DAUGHTER WAS WALKING DOWN THE STREET TO THE BUS STOP, BUT THE BUS PULLED AWAY LEAVING HIM/HER BEHIND.  WHY DIDN’T THE DRIVER WAIT?

Students are requested to be at their bus stop ten minutes in advance of assigned pick-up time.  To ensure the bus remains on schedule, drivers are instructed not to wait at any stop.   ​

IS THERE A LAW OR RULE THAT LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF TIME A CHILD CAN SPEND ON THE SCHOOL BUS?

No.  There is nothing in state law or rule that sets a maximum amount of time a child can spend on the school bus.  Local school districts may adopt a maximum time in their school boards' transportation policy.

WHO SHOULD I CONTACT TO REPORT PROBLEMS MY SON/DAUGHTER IS HAVING WITH ANOTHER STUDENT AT THE BUS STOP AND/OR ON THE BUS?

Please contact the assistant principal to report problems so they may be properly addressed.  For parents of students transported out of district, please contact your student’s case manager directly with any transportation concerns.

WHO SHOULD I CONTACT TO REPORT SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ISSUES?

Please submit an email to transportation@holmdelschools.org to report any of the following school bus safety concerns:

•Bus drivers engaging in dangerous activity.

•Dangerous conditions at bus stops.

•Buses exhibiting maintenance problems.

•Anything else you see that causes you to worry about the safety of students.

WHO DETERMINES IF AN ASSIGNED BUS STOP IS HAZARDOUS OR UNSAFE?

The school district and Holmdel Police Traffic Safety Task Force would determine what conditions would be considered hazardous.  Transportation will forward your email regarding your safety concerns to the Holmdel Township Police Traffic Safety Task Force assigned to the District. Their job is to assist our District and look at stops that are concerning and provide us with their recommendation. They will be present near your home and the stop to investigate. 

WHY HAS MY CHILD’S BUS STOP BEEN MOVED FROM THE LOCATION WHERE IT HAS BEEN FOR SEVERAL YEARS? 

The bus stops are designed to be a central meeting point for all students within that stop boundary.  The bus stops assigned to Village, Indian Hill, Satz and High School students in your neighborhood may be at different corners.  School bus stops may change from year to year and throughout the year to accommodate new students moving into the area or rebalance a bus that has become overcrowded. 

CAN MY CHILD LOSE HIS/HER BUS RIDING PRIVILEGES?

Yes.  Riding a school bus is a privilege and not a right.  Each local school district has adopted rules of conduct for waiting at the bus stop and for riding the school bus.  If your child does not follow the rules, your child could lose his/her riding privileges for a period of time or the entire school year.   Student Conduct and Safety Rules

CAN I RIDE TO SCHOOL OR HOME FROM SCHOOL ON MY FRIEND’S BUS IF OUR PARENTS WRITE A NOTE TO THE BUS DRIVER?

No.  Per school policy, for safety reasons and due to limited seating availability, students may only ride on their regular bus and to the bus stop assigned.  Please do not contact the bus company or the bus driver to request transportation changes, as they do not have the authority to approve these requests.  Bus assignment changes are approved only in the case of emergent or urgent need and long-term temporary address changes.

CAN MY CHILD RIDE ON A FRIEND'S BUS?

No.  The primary responsibility of Transportation, with regard to school bus routing, is to see that all students entitled to transportation have one bus assignment for their daily ride to and from school and that all bus assignments are done in a way as to provide seating for all students. Changes to school bus assignments for the day is strictly prohibited.

MY SON/DAUGHTER ATTENDS AN OUT-OF-DISTRICT SCHOOL, WITH TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED BY HOLMDEL.  IF HOLMDEL CLOSES DUE TO WEATHER, BUT MY SON/DAUGHTER’S SCHOOL REMAINS OPEN, WILL TRANSPORTATION BE PROVIDED?

No. The decision to close school is made for the safety of all students who live within the boundary of the Holmdel School District.  Once the decision is made to close school, transportation will be cancelled for students attending school at Holmdel School District and for students transported by Holmdel to any private, non-public, or vocational school outside of Holmdel.

WHY WAS I STOPPED BY THE BUS DRIVER WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO GO ONTO THE BUS TO SIMPLY HAND SOMETHING TO MY SON/DAUGHTER?

Pursuant to New Jersey State Law, only the following people may be authorized to be on the vehicle: Enrolled eligible pupils; School personnel; Transportation aides; Public safety officials.  Parents, guardians, relatives, friends of pupils, and the general public are prohibited from entering the vehicle. The safety of the pupils on the bus is the district’s paramount concern.

WHAT IS THE POLICY REGARDING STUDENT CELL PHONES ON SCHOOL BUSES?

Cell phones are permitted for use on the school bus only in the case of emergency.  When not in use, the cell phone should be tucked safely away to ensure it is not accidentally left behind after the student leaves the bus.  Use of personal electronic devices (i.e., cell phones, electronic games, laptops, etc.) on school buses shall not interfere with the safe operation of the bus, or the safety of students or the driver.  Students will respect the privacy of others and will not post or upload pictures or recordings taken of others to the internet nor e-mail recordings to others without the express advance permission of the persons in the photograph or recording.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY CHILD LEFT SOMETHING ON THE BUS?

Bus drivers have been directed to keep any found items with them in the front of the bus. If a student feels that they have left something on the bus, they should immediately ask their bus driver if it was found.  After a reasonable amount of time and no one has claimed the item, it will be held at the bus depot. Please contact your bus contractor to inquire about a lost item. Please have township, school and bus name ready. Find contact information HERE.  

Please email the Transportation Department at transportation@holmdelschools.org if you need further assistance.

SHOULD I CALL SOMEONE IF MY STUDENT DOESN’T NEED TO BE PICKED UP TODAY? 

If your student rides a big bus, no phone call is necessary as each bus will be going by each assigned stop along that route.  If your student does not ride the bus more than 1 week in a row, the driver will stop going to your assigned bus stop if they are the only student at the stop.  Should this happen to you, please email transportation@holmdelschools.org to let us know when they will be starting to use the bus. If your student rides a Special Education bus, the individual stops that these buses make are spread out over significant distances throughout the township. It is very helpful to the driver if they are aware that they do not have to make a particular stop that day, so we ask that you notify the Transportation Department at transportation@holmdelschools.org.

School bus safety is everyone's responsibility.  

Please email the Transportation Department at transportation@holmdelschools.org to report bus and bus stop safety concerns.

All bus stop safety concerns are  forwarded to the Holmdel Township Police traffic safety officers assigned to the District. They will investigate reported stops and provide us with their recommendations. 

EXPECTED BUS BEHAVIOR 

• Sit in your assigned seat with seat belt fastened.
• Be a bucket filler (Kind words and actions towards others). 
• Speak quietly at all times.
• Use only appropriate language.
• Do not speak in a way that teases, hurts or harasses others.
• Keep the bus clean.
• Do not eat or drink on the bus without the permission of the driver.
• Do not use recording/photograph features of other cell phones.
• Show respect to bus driver.
• Follow the bus driver’s directions as soon as they are issued. 

CONSEQUENCES of bus misbehavior 

Parental notification and one or more of the following: 

First offense - Ticket #1, Warning, Potential Level 1-3 consequence 

Second offense - Ticket #2, Warning, Potential Level 1-3 consequence 

Third offense - Ticket #3, Potential Level 1-3 consequence, 3 Day Bus Suspension

Parents are encouraged to become familiar with the student safety and conduct rules below and to discuss these expectations with their children.  

For the protection of our young elementary students, we require that they are accompanied to the bus stop and met at the bus stop by a parent/guardian, or adult 18+, whose name appears on the emergency/pick-up contact list that you provided in PowerSchool. Students will be brought back to school if there is no parent/guardian  

If you need to update the contact list, you may do so on the PowerSchool parent portal or contact the Main Office.  

Students shall ride their assigned school bus.

• Students are prohibited from riding on any school bus other than their assigned school bus.
• Students should be at their designated bus stop ten minutes prior to the pickup time and be prepared to wait 10 minutes after.
• Students shall behave in a safe and courteous manner with others and be considerate of surrounding property while awaiting the school bus arrival.
• Students must not move toward the school bus until it comes to a complete stop.
• Upon boarding the school bus, students shall promptly proceed to their assigned seats and put on seat belt.
• Students shall remain in their seats until the school bus arrives at their assigned bus stop and the bus comes to a complete stop.
• Students shall always keep their arms and other parts of the body inside the school bus.
• In an emergency, students shall remain seated until the bus driver provides instructions.
• Students shall not eat or drink on the school bus. We have several students with severe food allergies.
• The use of seat belts is MANDATORY, and students shall use them at all times.

HOUSE STOPS

All students assigned to a special education bus will be picked up and dropped off at their house.

A house stop will not be granted because the bus drives past your house on the way to an assigned stop.

Please refrain from asking the driver to do this. The driver does not have the authority to change the route submitted to the contractor by the transportation department. Drivers making unauthorized house stops will be reported to the contractor.

If your child is the only student at the stop and does not ride the bus consistently for 1 week, the driver will stop going there. Please email transportation@holmdelschools.org to let us know when they will be starting to use the bus.

BUS STOP LOCATIONS

Buses are routed for efficiency and ride time.

The stops may change from year to year and possibly during the year to accommodate new students moving into the area or re-balance a bus that has become overcrowded. 

The bus stops assigned to Village, Indian Hill, Satz and High School students in your neighborhood may be at different corners.  

PICK-UP/DROP-OFF TIMES

The pick-up and drop-off  times posted in the PowerSchool parent portal are approximate. 

During the first few weeks of school, times may fluctuate due to:

• school route adjustments
• change in dismissal procedures
• new drivers familiarizing themselves with their route

*Continue to login to check for pick-up and drop-off updates*

Throughout the school year buses pick-up and drop-off times may be delayed due to:

• traffic delays
• road construction or detours requiring the driver to change the sequence of stops  
• detours
• weather conditions
• substitute driver 

Students must be at the bus stop when the bus arrives.

For safety reasons, bus drivers will not stop once the bus is in motion after leaving a stop.  

Bus drivers will not wait for students.  When a bus arrives at a stop and no students are present, they will continue on their route. 

Please be at your assigned stop 10 minutes before the scheduled pick-up time and be prepared to wait 10 minutes after. If your child misses the bus, you will be responsible to provide transportation to school. 

Many parents enjoy conversing with the bus driver when their students are picked up in the morning or dropped off at the end of the day, especially to see how their students are making out on the bus ride to/from school. Please be mindful of other students and parents, and keep those conversations to a minimum.  The longer the conversation, the further behind the driver becomes on their route, impacting other families and the arrival time at school.

Please refrain from asking the driver to stop at your house. The driver does not have the authority to change the route submitted to the contractor by the transportation department. Drivers making unauthorized house stops will be reported to the contractor. 

Please do not discuss transportation concerns with the bus driver or the aide. Instead, please email transportation@holmdelschools.org.

For parents of students transported out of the district, please contact your student's case manager directly with any transportation concerns.

To ensure the safety of all students, parents, guardians and/or the general public are prohibited from going on the bus.  The bus drivers are instructed to radio dispatch to contact the police should any unauthorized person attempt to board a school bus.  PLEASE DO NOT GO ON THE BUS!

All bus drivers check their buses at the end of each route and have been directed to keep any found items with them in the front of the bus. If an item was left on the bus, students should immediately ask their bus driver if it was found. 

After a reasonable amount of time and no one has claimed the item, it will be held at the bus depot. Please contact your bus contractor to inquire about a lost item. Please have the township, school and bus name ready. Find contact information Lost and found contacts. 

Email the Transportation Department transportation@holmdelschools.org if you need further assistance.

PARENTS WILL RECEIVE A PHONE CALL FOR ALL EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSINGS THROUGH OUR AUTOMATED CALLING SYSTEM.

Transportation for Non-Public, Out of District and both Full-Time and Shared-Time Vocational schools will be cancelled whenever the District is closed due to inclement weather.

EARLY DISMISSALS

If inclement weather develops during the school day, the Superintendent may decide to announce an early dismissal for students. 

DELAYED OPENINGS

If the District has a delayed opening, students should report to their bus stops two hours later than their normal time.

Please allow ten minutes both before and after the assigned pick-up time.

Students are requested to be at their bus stop ten minutes in advance of the assigned pick-up time. School bus pick-up times will vary due to changes in traffic, substitute bus drivers, unforeseen accidents and/or road construction.    The District understands that it may be raining some mornings and that winter mornings can be very cold.  Please be sure your student has an umbrella and warm clothes so he/she can safely wait at the bus stop.

The Holmdel Township School District requires that all bus drivers possess the qualifications and communication skills necessary to perform the duties of the position, and must comply with the rules set forth for drivers in all federal, state and local regulations including, but not limited to, the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act, N.J.S.A. 18A:39-17 through 20 (background check) and tuberculosis testing.  

All bus aides must possess the qualifications and communication skills necessary to perform the duties of the position, and must comply with the criminal background check and tuberculosis testing as prescribed by law.

Holmdel Township Board of Education coordinates busing for all public and some private school students in the district. Our busing service is contracted through five main contractors: R. Helfrich and Sons, Keyport Auto/Shamrock Stagecoach, Michael Loori, and Jay’s Bus Service.  MOESC-Monmouth Ocean Educational Service Commission also works with Holmdel to coordinate out-of-district busing.

R. HELFRICH AND SONS 732-787-0003

503 S Laurel Ave, Keansburg, NJ

R. Helfrich and Sons is a family-owned transportation company that has been in business for 81 years. Helfrich has safely been transporting students in Holmdel for approximately 20 years.

Any changes to bus stop or assignment must be authorized by the transportation department. Any change will take at least 48 hours to process.  

As a courtesy to our district students, four late buses (A, B, C, D) are provided for SATZ and High School students. Late buses depart the High School Monday through Friday afternoons at 4:15 PM. These buses consolidate the township into four routes with centralized stops.  Your stop may be located a distance away from your assigned home-to-school stop.

Please use the links below to see which Late Bus route services the area closest to your home. 

LATE BUS "A"

LATE BUS "B"

LATE BUS "C"

LATE BUS "D"

All new students and address changes are processed through the student’s school main office. Once all required documentation is submitted and processed in PowerSchool, the Transportation department will be notified. 

The Transportation Department cannot enter or edit information into PowerSchool.

All approved changes to student bus assignments will take at least 48 hours to process. You will receive this information from the Transportation Department through email.

 

MARCH 10TH -  FORMS DUE TO NON PUBLIC SCHOOLS  

 

Non Public Important Dates

March 10th - Parents must submit B6T to their non public school by this date

March 15th - Non public schools must submit B6T to residing district

August 1st - District deadline to notify parents of AIL

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Click here for the Nonpublic Transportation Guidelines 

 

NON-PUBLIC SCHOOL AID-IN-LIEU OF TRANSPORTATION PAYMENT INFORMATION

In accordance with New Jersey statute and administrative code, parents or guardians are responsible to ensure that the B7T Request for Payment of Transportation Aid Voucher is received by the Holmdel Township Transportation Department by email or mail, no later than June 30 for the current school year ending.

Any B7T Request for Payment of Transportation Aid Voucher received after June 30 will be rejected and the transportation aid payment shall be forfeited.

Click below for detailed information.

Non Public Transportation Procedures by the State of New Jersey Department of Education

Summary of Non Public School Requirements and Recommendations

B7T Form

NON-PUBLIC SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION

Transportation or AIL shall be provided to eligible nonpublic schools students Monday through Friday between September 1st to June 30th when the nonpublic school is in session.   

• The School must be a non profit school
• Students must be in grades kindergarten through grade 12 and must meet the entrance age requirements for students in the resident public school district.
• In accordance with state law, N.J.S.A. 18A:39-1, all public elementary school students (grades K-8) who live more than two miles from their school and all public secondary school students (grades 9-12) who live more than two-and-a-half miles from their and no more than 20 miles from the non-public school they are attending are entitled to transportation.
• The cost of the transportation must not exceed the annual maximum expenditure set by law each year ($1000). 

In instances where the non-public school transportation cost will exceed the amount annually established by the State, then the parent, guardian or other person having legal custody of the student shall be eligible for aid-in-lieu (payment in the amount established by the State).

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARENTS OR LEGAL GUARDIANS OF NON-PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS

1. It is the responsibility of the parents or legal guardians of a non-public school student to annually obtain the B6T Application for Non-public School Transportation from the administrator of the non-public school in which the student is enrolled.

2. The parents or legal guardians shall complete the B6T Application for Non-public School Transportation annually for each student, and submit the application to the administrator of the non-public school by March 10 preceding the school year for which transportation is being requested or at the time of registration in the non-public school if registration is after March 10. Any application received by the non-public school after March 10 is considered to be a late application. Eligible students shall receive transportation or aid-in-lieu-of transportation based upon the date the application is received by the Holmdel Township School District.

3. The parents or legal guardians shall complete and submit a new application to the non-public school whenever the student has a change in address.

4. Parents or legal guardians receiving aid-in-lieu of transportation shall complete and submit a signed Request for Payment of Transportation Aid voucher to the Holmdel Township Transportation Department.  This form will be mailed to you.

Unlike fire drills, school bus evacuation drills are extremely important. Students must know how to properly vacate a school bus in case of an emergency. The drills are scheduled by the Transportation Department and executed by the bus drivers.

​To ensure student safety, school bus evacuation drills are completed a minimum of two times per year for all buses contracted through the District.

By law, all school buses that service our District are equipped with seatbelts. 

Although there is no law requiring coach buses to have seatbelts, our District only contracts with companies that do.