Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District

General Guidelines for Bus Stop Locations

Getting to the bus stop:

• While New York State Education Law allows for students of all grade levels to walk more than a half-mile to get to their bus stop, POB CSD uses the following distances to provide convenience for families:
  • Grades K – 4: The bus stop will be within two-tenths of a mile.
  • Grades 5 – 8: The bus stop will be within three-tenths of a mile.
  • Grades 9 – 12: The bus stop will be within a half-mile.
• The responsibility of getting children to and from their bus stop lies with parents / guardians. 
• Lack of sidewalks or lack of maintenance of a sidewalk (e.g., shoveling snow) by the adjacent property owner on the way to a bus stop cannot be considered a cause for a bus stop location change.
• Students should arrive at their bus stop 10 minutes early.
• Some bus stops will require students to cross residential streets. POB CSD will not assign students to a bus stop if it requires crossing the streets as outlined below. 

Bus stop locations:

• Bus stop locations were established by weighing several factors, including safety considerations, routing consistency, and routing efficiency. Please understand we cannot consider individual family situations such as visibility of the bus stop from the home when determining bus stop locations.
• POB CSD intends to keep bus stop locations consistent for families throughout their time within the district.
• Bus stops will be on side streets whenever possible rather than on main roads.
• The number of students assigned to a bus stop will be kept at or below 15 students.  
• Students should assemble 15 feet away from where the bus stops and be off the road while waiting for the bus.
• Upon returning to their bus stops, students should disembark the bus and immediately walk to a point 15 feet away from the bus and off the road. If the student needs to cross the street the bus is on, (s)he must cross in front of the bus (not behind the bus) and wait for the signal from the driver to cross. Crossing fifteen feet in front of the bus will help ensure the driver has a good view of the student(s).
• Students and families are expected to be respectful of private property at and near the bus stop locations.
• Drivers are encouraged to stop 100 feet from a bus stop located at an intersection if warranted.
• Bus stops with limited visibility such as curves and hills are avoided when possible.

FAQs about bus stops:

Q: Can I request a bus stop location change? 

A: Bus stop changes can be asked for. However, very few requests are accommodated. Current bus stops are at safe locations, and the walking distance for all families to all bus stops is within the distance guidelines. After reviewing the remaining FAQs about bus stop locations, if you think a request is justified, please email AskTransportation@POBschools.org.

Q: Can I request the bus to pick my child up at our home?

A: This service is referred to as a "house stop”. House stops are provided in some cases for students who have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and / or 504 plans. If your child has an IEP or a 504 plan, please contact your child’s school directly to discuss a house stop.

Q: The bus passes my house while on its route. Can it stop there?

A: It is very common for buses to pass by student homes on the way to or from a bus stop. Drivers are only authorized to provide service at listed bus stops. 

Q: My child is the only child using the bus stop.  Can we change the stop location?

A: Bus stops locations were established by weighing several factors including safety considerations, routing consistency, and routing efficiency. Bus stops are used for all three school levels (elementary, middle, and high school) and typically encompass between a dozen and two dozen homes in the area. In some cases, for a particular school, there might be only one student using the bus stop. However, for consistency & efficiency purposes, we cannot change the stop location or add another stop.  

Q: What is the maximum allowable distance a bus stop can be from my home?

A: While New York State Education Law allows students of all grade levels to walk more than a half-mile to get to their bus stop, POB CSD uses shorter distance limits for most grade levels.  The maximum allowable distance to a bus stop varies by grade level. Click here for those details.