- Angleton Ind School District
- Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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What happens to my Pre-K student if there is not an authorized person at the bus stop?
Posted by:The child will be returned to his/her campus, where it will then be the responsibility of the parent to come and pick up their student. After your student has been returned to the campus three times, bus privileges will be suspended on the take home service for a period of time. Your student may continue to ride the bus to school only. Should you need to add additional authorized persons to receive your child at the bus stop, you may do so by contacting the school registrar and updating the information in Skyward.
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What if my student has lost his/her Smart Tag card?
Posted by:Replacement cards can be obtained from Transportation. The replacement card will cost $5, and the payment must be received before the card will be re-issued. The cost of the replacement card covers the expense of the RFID card, printing, plastic pouch, and staff processing time involved with printing and re-assigning a new ID card. The fee is similar to what is charged at our High School campus when ID cards are lost and/or forgotten (School ID cards do not contain RFID technology). RFID technology increases our cost, while at the same time providing you an additional layer of comfort and safety when your child rides the bus.
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Will my child be able to ride the bus without their bus identification card?
Posted by:Students are expected to have their bus identification cards when boarding and disembarking the school bus. Manual entries will be done, but for no more than three days in a row. Failure to have the card and use it correctly will result in disciplinary action (including suspension of bus privileges).
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Where does my child get his/her bus pass card from?
Posted by:When students enroll in the district, the home campus will direct them to visit the Transportation Department to obtain a bus rider identification card, if they will be utilizing the school district busing service. Parents may also fill out forms online and cards will be given to the students the first day the ride.
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My child left a jacket (books, instrument, etc.) on the bus. How can he get it back?
Posted by:The drivers must check their bus after each run. Items left on the bus by students will be held by the driver and may be claimed by the child. Fragile, expensive items are taken off the bus in the evening for their protection, but the driver will bring them back on the bus the next morning to be claimed. If an item does not get claimed the driver will turn it into the school's lost and found or the Transportation center if they are not sure which school the item belongs to. Items are kept for two months and then donated to a local shelter.
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Why are the school bus seats spaced so close together?
Posted by:The purpose of spacing school bus seats so close is to contain the child in a cushioned compartment with only a minimum amount of space between energy-absorbing surfaces. In the 1970s the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Safety Administration determined that the safest arrangement for school bus seating would be a "compartmentalization" concept. Under this concept, seat backs were made higher, wider, and thicker than before. All metal surfaces were covered with foam padding. They were also required to have a steel inner structure that springs and bends forward to help absorb energy in the event a student is thrown against it. The seat is required to be anchored to the floor so strongly that it will not pull loose during this bending action. The floor must meet strength specifications that will not allow it to be bent or torn by the pulling action of the seat anchors. Finally, if the seats are too far apart, the child could be thrown too far before being cushioned an/or could be thrown outside of the bus compartment altogether. The rule today states that the seat back be no farther than 24" away from a defined point.
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I cannot see my child's bus stop from my house. How can I get the stop moved closer?
Posted by:The bus stops are located at centralized locations that can be safely accessed by a significant number of students to minimize the time and mileage of a route. If you have a concern about your child's safety, you are encouraged to accompany your child to the bus stop. As a safety consideration, it is safer to have several students wait at a stop versus an individual. Angleton ISD utilizes group stops where possible to cut down on the amount of time students are having to ride the bus. Also, in accordance with AISD Board Policy.
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My child's bus is overcrowded, can some children be placed on another bus?
Posted by:School bus sizes are stated in terms of passenger capacity. It is assumed that elementary school-aged children will ride three (3) per seat. Every attempt will be made to limit middle and high school students to ride two (2) per seat. Even if the bus has three (3) elementary or two (2) middle or high school students in each seat, it will seem crowded, but it will not be over capacity. It is our goal to fully utilize all the space on all routes while remaining within the capacity specifications of each bus.
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I have a question regarding a bus stop location or pick up/drop off time. Who should I call?
Posted by:Please contact the Transportation department. The staff is trained to answer most of the service questions. If the person does not know the answer, they will know who to contact and have them return your call with the answer.
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I got home late (in PM) and I cannot find my child. The school is closed, who should I call?
Posted by:Calling the Transporation Department (979-864-8011) is usually the best option under these circumstances. The transportation staff can assist you in locating your child. If no answer at Transportation, you can contact the AISD campus police at 979-997-7220.
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How will I be notified of a change to my child's stop time, stop location or route number?
Posted by:If the change in time is less than five minutes (which falls within the guidelines of being at the stop location 5 minutes prior to scheduled time), the driver will notify the students of the change. If there is a change in stop location, bus assignment or time changes of more than five minutes, the Transportation Department will send written notification home with the students. Notification of changes will be sent prior to changes becoming effective as much as possible however exceptions may apply.
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Why doesn't someone call me when the school bus is running late?
Posted by:Situations such as traffic, road closures, weather, vehicle breakdowns, or a prior route that ran late can cause school buses to run late. Since we operate approximately 50 routes, it is impossible to contact parents when the bus is slightly late. However, we are in radio contact with all of our buses and when we determine the bus will be 30 or more minutes late, we contact the campus and attempt to contact parents of students on the bus with information that we have on the route. Parents may also utilize SmartTag parent portal to obtain this information.
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Who should I report my address or telephone number changes to?
Posted by:The school registrar should be contacted as soon as possible with all address and telephone number information changes. The registrar will update the student's information in Skyward and the information will be visible to the Transportation office at that time. The Transportation Department cannot change your student's information.
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Can the driver stop at my house to pick up or drop off my child?
Posted by:Only certain students, whose needs are addressed through an IEP, are eligible for "curbside service". "Curbside" service is normally restricted to situations where a less restrictive environment is not possible or where medical issues require this type of service. For other students, service is provided in accordance with district guidelines.
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What are the Transportation Department hours?
Posted by:The Transportation Department office is open from 5:00 am until 6:00 pm on school days or until all route buses have returned to the Transportation Department if later than regular hours.
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Who should I call if the bus does not arrive to pick up my child on time?
Posted by:Your child should be at their bus stop five (5) minutes before the scheduled arrive time. Ten (10) minutes after your child's scheduled route time, you should call the Transportation Department. Please have your child's bus route number as well as the school attending and stop location. Route times may fluctuate during the first few weeks fo school and occassionally due to mechanical issues, please be patient with us during these times.