Transportation Policy

In most cases, St. Thomas More School students are transported to and from school in school buses provided by the student’s district of residence. However, if a student lives beyond the 10-mile limit established by the State of Pennsylvania or resides in a district that does not provide transportation for its students, parents or their designee must transport the child to and from school.

Busing
Students will be bused to St. Thomas More School by their school district of residence when the family lives within 10 miles of St. Thomas More School AND their school district of residence provides busing for its own students. Busing arrangements are made through the St. Thomas More school office. Parents should provide the school with a correct home address; the St. Thomas More school office will then inform the public school district of the family’s need for bus transportation.
Due to insurance regulations, students are not permitted to ride on an unassigned bus during the course of the school year.

St. Thomas More School does not control the time or bus stop arrangements made by the public school. St. Thomas More School does however; attend to its students needs by maintaining communication with the public school transportation departments and verifying that they are adhering to the State law governing transportation of non-public school children. If a student experiences busing problems, the parent should call St. Thomas More School office and alert administration. School administration will provide parents with appropriate phone numbers and names of their District transportation personnel. Parents should report recurrent or chronic problems to the public school transportation office as well as well as St. Thomas More School. Discipline on public school buses is the responsibility of the public school bus driver and school district. St. Thomas More School will uphold any disciplinary action taken by school district personnel.

Changes in Transportation Needs
Changes in daily routine transportation must be made in writing and sent to school on the day of the transportation change. This includes all non-sports related activities.
Changes in student transportation relating to sports practices/activities that occur regularly for a sport season can be managed with one change of transportation note that should be sent to the school office at the beginning of the sport season and deactivated with a note at the end of the sport season. In exceptional situations such as medical appointments, a parent emergency or a parent called to work, the child’s parent/guardian should inform the school office by calling the school and speaking directly to school personnel. Parents/guardians should not leave this type of information on voicemail or on the message machine. School families should inform school personnel in writing of long term changes in transportation due to, for example, a change in residence.

Procedures for Car Rider Arrival and Dismissal
• St. Thomas More School has specific procedures for arrival and dismissal. These procedures are to be strictly followed for the safety and welfare of all students.

Car Riders
• AM DROP OFF PROCEDURES can occur between 8:10 AM and 8:25 AM in the
    student-parent car loop in the front of the school. Parking will not be permitted in the
    drop-off loop during the morning from 8:00 AM to 8:40 AM. Students should be
    prepared to be dropped off so that vehicles can move along efficiently. Parents who
    need to enter the school with their child should park in the school lot and
    accompany their child into the school.
• PM PICK UP PROCEDURES: Parents who transport their child by car should line
    up in a car line in the parent loop in front of the school. Please do not leave your
    vehicle; a staff member will dismiss your child to your car. Your patience is
    requested while all students are dismissed; please do not pull out of the car line
    while students are being dismissed. This is for the safety and welfare of all students.

School Buses
The school bus loop next to the parent drop- off loop is for school bus arrivals and departures ONLY. Private cars are not permitted in the bus loop.