Parents, guardians and person acting in loco parentis should:

1. Understand the support district rules and policies, regulations and principles of school bus safety.

2. Assist children in understanding safety rules and encourage them to abide by them.

3. Recognize their own responsibilities for the actions of their children. Understanding this, parents or guardians shall be responsible and accountable for the conduct and safety of their children at all times prior to the arrival and after the departure of the school bus at the assigned school bus stop.

4. Support safe riding practices and reasonable discipline efforts.

5. Teach children proper procedures for safely crossing the roadway before boarding and after leaving the bus, as described in "Here's How to Cross the Road SAFELY"

6. Support procedures for emergency evacuation as prescribed by the state and school district.

7. Respect the rights and privileges of others.

8. Communicate safety concerns to school administrators.

9. Monitor bus stops, if possible.

10. Support all efforts to improve school bus safety.

11. Be aware of illegal or undesirable activities and other dangers involved in and around the loading and unloading zone, including the dangers of loose clothing, drawstrings, clothing accessories, back-packs and other loose personal items.

Proper student behavior is important because the distraction of the driver can contribute to crashes. Students and parents should be made aware of, and should abide by, reasonable regulations to enhance safety. The consequences of unacceptable behavior should be clearly understood. The following actions will help to protect the student's rights and to maintain order in the bus.

1. Students should be aware that they are responsible for the actions and behavior.

2. Students should receive a copy of the rules and procedures and should be required to abide by them

3. Students should display respect for the rights and comfort of others.

4. Students should be taught to realize that school bus transportation can be denied if they do not conduct themselves properly.

5. Students should be made aware that any driver distraction is potentially hazardous to their safety.

6. Students should be made aware of the dangers involved in and around the loading and unloading zone, including the dangers of loose clothing, drawstrings, clothing accessories, back-packs and other loose personal items. Students should be trained to cross the road safely at the bus stop. (See diagrams "Here's How to Cross the Road SAFELY". These safety training diagrams show a 12-foot minimum walk distance in front of the bus.)

8. Students should be taught to avoid retrieving articles dropped around the bus during loading and unloading, without explicit directions from the driver. They should also be taught to move away from the bus (out of the danger zones) after unloading.

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