Florence Unified School District

Special Education Transportation

FUSD Transportation Responsibilities

FUSD utilizes both school buses and passenger vans to transport students. Arizona’s child restraint statutes exempt school buses from compliance. However, if your child requires assistance with being seated and weighs less than 40 pounds, we may utilize a bus car seat.
All transportation team members are CPR and First Aid trained and have received other training relating to transporting students with special needs.
You may have a different transportation team in the morning and the afternoon.
Drivers are not authorized to honk their horns at the bus stops, so please do not ask them to. Remember, the bus is only scheduled to wait three minutes after the scheduled pick-up time for your child to board. It is important that drivers remain on schedule to the best of their ability. If they are delayed just 3 minutes at each home, they will eventually be running 30 minutes behind schedule. Please help us be on time.
If your child’s bus has a monitor on board, they will help your child on and off the bus if they need assistance with the stairs. The bus monitor or driver will not carry students up and down the stairs. Parents may carry their child up and down the stairs if they are unable to do so on their own. The monitor will ensure the child is buckled in properly before the bus moves. We only transport students to and from a location within the assigned Special Education Program guidelines.

Parent & Guardian Responsibilities

Call 520-868-8800 to let us know if your child does not need the morning or afternoon bus.
Provide a single pick-up address and a single drop-off address that is specific to your child’s special needs program guidelines.
We do not pick-up or drop-off at businesses or other non-residential locations except child care centers, also in the guideline (3 miles).
Accompany your child to and from the bus stop each day. Be at the bus stop five minutes before your child’s scheduled bus arrival time.
Let the driver and/or monitor know anything that you feel will help them to ensure your child has a safe and calm bus ride. Please make sure to have your IEP team include any care details (short or long-term) that might be helpful for your child’s experience while on the bus, and list them on the Transportation Request Form.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What happens if no one is at the stop when the bus arrives to drop my child off and no other arrangements have been made?

A: Bus arrival times can vary due to traffic and if other students are absent. The bus arrives at the drop-off location, will wait three minutes after the scheduled pick-up time, and then depart. Please do not wait until you hear the bus before going outside to the drop-off point. We do not call the house or walk to the door if nobody is outside to receive your child. Your child will be returned to school and must then be picked up by the family.
Q: What are the procedures if my child does not need a ride to or from school?

A: Call Transportation day or night if you do not need service. The number is 520-868-8800.
Q: How long will the morning bus wait?

A: You should be outside with your child ready for school five minutes before the scheduled pick-up time. If the bus arrives early, the driver will not depart until your child is on-board or until three minutes after the scheduled pick-up time, whichever comes first. After the bus has waited past the pick-up time, they will leave and will not be sent back to pick up your child that day.
Q: Where will the bus pick up my special needs child?

A: Transportation special education monitors are provided only for students who have a specific need identified in their IEP (individualized education plan). Our goal is to have a monitor on every special needs route. It is rare that a transportation request form will specify that a bus monitor is required.
Q: How do I arrange to have my child picked up and/or dropped off at a different address?

A: There are several parts to this answer. If you move to a new address, you must contact your child’s school to arrange for a change in services. If you have made before or after-school daycare arrangements, be sure that the address of the day care provider is within the boundary guidelines of your child’s assigned Special Education Program (3 miles). We can pick up and drop off your child at an address other than the home address if it’s within the assigned Special Education Program , but we can only route with one pick-up and one drop-off address. Pick-up and drop-off may be two different addresses, but only one pick-up and one drop-off address is allowed. Again, there are no alternating day options and no temporary changes allowed.
Q: What arrangements are necessary for the drop-off of my child in the afternoon?

A: You have several options. Your child should always be met at the bus stop by a parent. You may, however, authorize us to drop off your child with other family members, friends or neighbors if necessary. Please have your child’s IEP team reflect these details on the IEP Pro Transportation Form. This is dependent upon the child’s age and disability, of course, and requires that you communicate clearly during the IEP meeting. In the event you need another adult to receive your student at PM drop-off, we require notice to our routing department in advance so we can update your child’s information.
Q: What is Here Comes the Bus?

A: Here Come the Bus is an easy-to-use app that lets you view the real-time location of your child's bus on your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

Instructions to Here Comes The Bus App - English

Instructions to Here Comes The Bus App - Spanish

Get the APP for your cell phone