About the Department of Transportation

School buses have proven to be the safest form of transportation in the nation. In Aiken County, we transport approximately 10,400 students to and from school each day on school buses.
  
Registered Riders

Only students registered with the transportation department with assigned bus stops will be permitted to ride the bus. Students are assigned one bus stop only and may not ride home with friends or to unassigned bus stops.

Student Discipline

Student bus-related discipline issues are handled by the school administration. Concerns regarding student bus discipline may be directed to an assistant principal or an area transportation supervisor. Additional information regarding bus discipline may be received by referencing the transportation section of the District's Code of Student Conduct Handbook.

Coordination and Maintenance of Buses

Although our school buses are funded and owned by the state of South Carolina, we coordinate and manage routing of buses and oversee the performance of the bus drivers locally. Buses are routed according to state law and regulation. Maintenance and servicing of the buses is handles by the State Department of Education, Office of Transportation - Aiken/Johnston Bus Shop.

Safekeeping of our Children

At Aiken County Public School District Transportation, we hope to make your child’s school bus experience safe, pleasant and efficient. Each school has a list of school buses serving them.  You can find that information on our web page under the Routes tab.

Before the first day make sure your child knows his or her home address (street name and house number), telephone number and bus route number. Please help your child understand and obey all school bus rules.  These rules appear in your child’s “Student Handbook”.  Here is some of the most important information to keep in mind.

It is not unusual for pick-up and drop-off times to fluctuate by five to 10 minutes.  Because of this, please wait until your child’s bus is more than 10 minutes late before calling the appropriate Transportation Supervisor. If you have questions/concerns, it would be helpful if you called after the morning bus routes.

Parents/Guardians

All students must be registered and assigned a bus stop location prior to riding a school bus.  Once the transportation department receives your child’s registration form we have three days to evaluate a safe stop location, approve it, notify driver and establish a stop.  No one shall register and ride on the same day.    

Registered school bus riders are allowed one pick up location in the AM and one drop off location in the PM.  Students are not allowed to get on or off the bus at any other location.  Notes/phone calls will not be accepted/approved requesting a different stop location for a student.  We realize emergencies occur, these situations will be addressed as needed.

Parent/guardian or an adult authorized by a parent/guardian must be at the school bus stop to receive their kindergarten – second grade child, unless they are riding with an older sibling.  Failure to do so will result in the child being returned to the school.  If this occurs three times, the child will be denied transportation for the remainder of the semester. 

No student is to cross a four lane roadway system at any time when engaged in school bus transportation services.  If your child’s bus stop location is across a two lane roadway, the student must wait for the bus to arrive, lights are flashing RED and the driver signals for the student to cross.  Students should be paying attention and listening to the driver when boarding, crossing a roadway or exiting a school bus, the driver is monitoring the situation and will alert them of any danger.  Students are not to wear any type of ear phones while boarding, crossing a roadway or exiting a school bus.