The information below is provided to give a general understanding of Transportation policies and procedures for the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. Please contact the Transportation Department at (845) 568-6833 for specific questions.
Please be advised, at the beginning of the school year the Transportation Department receives hundreds of phone calls and inquiries each day. In the event you are unable to speak with someone and leave a voice message, please be patient your call will be returned as soon as possible
Frequently Asked Questions – General Information
Q. Is my child eligible to ride a school bus?
A. Bus eligibility is determined in accordance with New York State Law and the policies of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. Eligibility is determined based upon the student’s grade level, home/alternate stop address and the distance from the home/alternate stop address to the student’s school. All Special Education/Special Transportation students are eligible for bus transportation regardless of the distance between the home/alternate stop address and the school.
Q. What are the distances that determine eligibility?
A.
- For students in grade K-6 distance eligibility is 0.4 (4 tenths) of a mile.
- For students in grade 7-12 distance eligibility is one (1) mile.
Q. How is the distance between the home/alternate stop address and school calculated?
A. The distance between the home/alternate stop address and school is calculated by Transfinder, the computerized bus routing program used by the District.
Q. When is busing not provided?
A. Bus transportation is not provided:
- If the home/alternate stop address is less than 0.4 (4 tenths) of a mile from the school and the student is in Grade K-6.
- If the home/alternate stop address is less than one (1) mile from the school and the student is in Grade 7-12.
- If the home/alternate stop address is located outside the boundaries of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District.
- If the student attends a private/parochial school and an Application for Transportation has not been filed with the Transportation Department by April 1 of the preceding school year.
- If the student attends a private/parochial school and does not reach age five (5) prior to December 1 of the current school year.
Q. Do I need to fill out a form for my child to be assigned to a school bus?
A. If you child attends public school, is registered in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District and is eligible for bus transportation, busing will be established to and from the home address currently on file with the School District.
Q. What if I would like my child to be picked-up or dropped-off at an address other than my home address (baby sitter, day care, etc.)?
A. If you would like your child to be picked-up or dropped-off at a location other than the home address of record, you must complete an Alternate Stop Request form indicating the address you would like the child picked-up or dropped-off. An alternate stop form must be completed each time you would like the pick-up or drop-off location to change. An Alternate Stop form must be completed at the beginning of each school year and can be submitted beginning August 1.
Q. Where can I obtain an alternate stop form?
A. Alternate stop forms can be:
- printed from the Transportation Home page of the District website under the Forms heading.
- obtained from the student’s school.
- obtained from the Transportation Department at 20 Chestnut Street, Newburgh, NY.
Q. Are there any restrictions regarding Alternate Stops?
A. Alternate stop locations are subject to distance eligibility requirements as defined above and must be within the boundaries of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. Alternate Stop requests must be for five days per week. For emergency situations or requests less than five days, the parent/guardian must contact the child’s school to obtain a temporary bus pass.
Q. How do I obtain bus schedule information for my child?
A. Bus schedule information can be obtained in the following ways:
- Bus passes for all registered K-12 students are printed by the District’s Transportation Department and mailed to the current address of record in the latter part of August prior to the star of the school year. If the information on your child’s bus pass is incorrect please contact the school or the Transportation Department.
- Morning bus routes for public school K-12 and private/parochial schools are published in four local newspapers (Times-Herald Record, The Sentinel, Mid-Hudson Times and Hudson Valley Press) during the last week of August.
- Bus routes are also posted in PDF format on the District website. Links to each school can be found on the Transportation home page of the District website.
- Schedule information can also be obtained directly from the school, the Transportation Department or the bus company. Contact information for bus companies serving the District are listed in the column on the right side of the Transportation home page.
Note: New registrants or alternate stop requests submitted after publishing/printing deadline dates will not be reflected in newspapers or bus passes. Website updates are done periodically throughout the school year.
Q. When should my child be at the bus stop?
A. It is recommended that all students be at their designated bus stop ten (10) minutes prior to their scheduled pick-up time. All students must be at the bus stop prior to the bus arriving at the stop. Students should not be waiting indoors, as this effects the schedule and timeliness of the bus route.
Q. How are bus stops determined?
A. Bus stops are established according to the policies and guidelines of the District, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and New York State Education Department directives and recommendations. Wherever possible, bus stop locations are centrally located at street corners/intersections or centrally located addresses to insure the safety of all students and other motorists and to accommodate the maximum number of students.
Q. Do buses make house stops?
A. House stops are permitted in those areas where there is no safe means for a student to walk to a central stop location. House stop locations are also established according to the policies and guidelines of the District, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and New York State Education Department directives and recommendations. For safety purposes, multiple house stops on the same street will be consolidated to one central stop wherever possible as determined by the Director of Transportation. As a result of an audit conducted by New York State, the Newburgh School District was directed by the State Comptroller to maximize the utilization of school buses by reducing the total number of bus routes and consolidating bus stops. House stops are established for all Special Education/Special Transportation students.
Q. Who establishes bus stops?
A. Bus stops are established by the bus companies in accordance with District policies and Guidelines.
Q. Whom should I contact if I have a question about my child’s bus stop?
A. If you have a question about your child’s bus stop, first contact the bus company at the number provided on the Transportation Home page of the District website. If you have additional questions or concerns, please submit your request in writing to:
Newburgh Enlarged City School District
Director of Transportation
20 Chestnut Street
Newburgh, NY 12550
All requests and concerns will be reviewed by the Director of Transportation. The Director will advise the bus company of any changes deemed necessary.
Q. Does my child have to be met at the bus stop by a parent/guardian?
A. In accordance with District policy, all Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students must be met at the bus stop by a parent/guardian. If a parent/guardian is not at the bus stop to meet the student, the school will attempt to contact the parent/guardian to arrange for the bus to return to the stop to discharge the student. If no parent/guardian can be contacted, the student will be returned to the school. The parent/guardian must then pick the student up at the school.
Note: Students in Grade 1 and above are not required to be met by a parent/guardian, but will not be released from the bus if they are usually met at the bus stop by a parent/guardian who is not present to receive them and he/she is not comfortable getting off the bus by his or her self. In this instance, the school will attempt to contact a parent/guarding. If unsuccessful, the student will be returned to the school.
Q. What must I do if my home address changes?
A. In the event of a change in your home address, a Change of Address form must be completed and submitted to either the Main Office at your child’s school or the Registration Department, located at 191 Washington Street, Newburgh, NY, along with proof of residency (deed, tax bill, rental agreement, utility bill, etc.). The Change of Address form can be obtained at the school or can be found on the District website on the Registration page.
Q. What must I do if my phone number changes?
A. In the event of a change in your home, work or cellular phone number, a Change of Phone Number form must be completed and submitted to the Main Office at your child’s school. The Change of Phone Number form can be obtained at the school or can be found on the District website on the Registration page.
Q. Is busing allowed on private property?
A. In accordance with Newburgh Enlarged City School District Board of Education policy, busing for K-12, pre-kindergarten and private/parochial students is prohibited on private property. Busing on private property is permitted for Special Needs or Special Transportation students. Note: Authorization from the property owner does not supersede the policy of the Newburgh Board of Education.
Q. Do the buses have attendants/monitors?
A. Monitors/attendants are provided for Special Needs Transportation and Pre-K transportation only.
Q. Are there video cameras on the buses?
A. During the 2010-2011 school year, all bus companies serving the Newburgh School District began equipping all buses with digital video/audio camera systems. Cameras are used in the administration of student behavioral issues and as a part of the student management process.
Q. Whom should I contact if I have a concern about my child’s school bus?
A. If you have a concern about your child’s school bus you should first contact a supervisor at the bus company. If the bus company is unable to assist you, contact the school’s building administrator (Principal, Assistant Principal) or the Director of Transportation at (845)-568-6833.
Q. Can my child be suspended from the bus?
A. Students may be suspended from the bus by a building administrator for inappropriate behavior or violations of the Newburgh Enlarged City School District Code of Conduct. In accordance with New York State Education Law bus transportation is a privilege, not a right. In the event of a bus suspension, the parent/guardian is responsible for transporting the student to and from school during the suspension period.
Frequently Asked Questions – Private/Parochial Schools
In addition to the information provided above under Frequently Asked Questions - General, the following information is specific to students attending private or parochial schools:
Q. Is my child eligible for bus transportation for a private/parochial school?
A. Eligibility for transportation is established based on the following criteria:
- the student must be registered with the private/parochial school and registered with the Newburgh Enlarged City School District.
- the student must be five (5) years of age prior to December 1 of the current school year.
- the student must be distance eligible.
- for currently enrolled students and students who live within the District, a Transportation Request form must be submitted in writing to the Department of Transportation by April 1 of the preceding school year.
- for students who move into the district after April 1 and request transportation within thirty (30) days of establishing residency in the school district.
Q. What are the distance eligibility requirements for private/parochial school bus transportation?
A. Eligibility for bus transportation for a private/parochial school is determined based on the distance between the student’s home/alternate stop address of record and the school as calculated by Transfinder, the computer software transportation program used by the District as follows:
- Elementary school students – within fifteen (15) miles of the school they attend.
- Secondary school students – within eighteen (18) miles of the school they attend.
Q. What if my child is not distance eligible for a private/parochial school and needs busing?
A. Provided that transportation eligibility has been established for a student attending the school your child wishes to attend, you child may ride the bus to and from a designated pick-up point, which must be a public school within the district. The parent/guardian is responsible for transportation of the student to and from the pick-up point. Please contact the Transportation Department at (845) 568-6833 for specific locations.
Frequently Asked Questions – Pre-Kindergarten
In addition to the information provided above under Frequently Asked Questions - General, the following information is specific to students attending Pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) programs:
Q. Which school buildings currently have Pre-Kindergarten programs?
A. Pre-K programs are currently at Balmville, Gardnertown, Horizons-on-the-Hudson and New Windsor School.
Q. How is my child’s school placement determined?
A. Each school with a Pre-K program has a designated transportation zone which includes the geographic area surrounding the school. Students are placed in Pre-K schools based on the address from which they will be transported to and from school. To be eligible for transportation the pick-up and drop-off address, whether home or an alternate stop, must be located within the same transportation zone:
- If your child will be transported to and from the home address, the school assigned will be based on the zone in which the home address is located.
- If your child will be transported to and from the same alternate stop location, the school assigned will be based on zone in which the address of the alternate stop is located.
- If your child will be transported in one direction (either to or from school) to an alternate stop located outside the school’s designated zone, the school assigned will be based on the home address. The child will not be eligible for transportation to an alternate stop location outside of the designated zone.
Q. If the student has siblings that attend a school outside of the designated zone can the Pre-K student attend the same school as the siblings?
A. No. All Pre-K students are assigned to the school within their designated zone based on the transportation address of record.
Frequently Asked Questions – Special Education/Special Transportation
In addition to the information provided above under Frequently Asked Questions - General, the following information is specific to students receiving Special Education or Special Transportation:
Q. Is my child eligible for Special Transportation?
A. Eligibility for Special Transportation is determined based on each child’s Individual Education Program (IEP). If your child’s IEP indicates Special Transportation is necessary, Special Transportation will be provided.
Q. How will I be notified of my child’s bus schedule information?
A. The bus company contracted to provide transportation to you child’s school/program will contact the parent/guardian with bus route information. Schedule information may also be obtained from the Transportation Department at (845) 568-6833.
Q. What must I do if my home address changes?
A. In the event of a change in your home address, a Change of Address form must be completed and submitted to the Special Education department along with proof of residency (deed, tax bill, rental agreement, utility bill, etc.). The Change of Address form can be obtained at the school or can be found on the District website on the Registration page.
Q. What must I do if my phone number changes?
A. In the event of a change in your home, work or cellular phone number, a Change of Phone Number form must be completed and submitted to the Special Education Department. The Change of Phone Number form can be obtained at the Special Education Department or can be found on the District website on the Registration page.
Q. Are non-special transportation students permitted to ride Special Transportation buses with siblings?
A. No. Only those students who’s IEP indicates Special Transportation are permitted to ride Special Transportation buses.
