Mrs. Marilyn Albanese  Transportation Supervisor

District Transportation Office
 354 Mount Laurel Road · Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
 Phone: (856) 778-6905 · Fax: (856) 235-1440

Mount Laurel Schools transports more than 4,000 of our community's school children each day. The safety and security of our riders are our number one priority. 

Our district uses a tiered routing system. This means that a route begins with middle school students. After they are dropped off at their school, elementary students are picked up and transported to their schools. This equates to approximately 320 routes, all developed by the Mount Laurel Schools’ Transportation Department.

Marilyn Albanese - Transportation Supervisor
 [email protected]

Caroline Torres-Brown – Assistant Transportation Supervisor
 [email protected]

Kristine Sawadzki - Transportation Administrative Assistant
 [email protected] 

 Sue Lovett - Transportation Dispatch
 [email protected]

We thank you for your ongoing support and patience!

 CHANGE OF BUS STOP LOCATION

Please keep the following information in mind:

• Requests are addressed in the order they are received beginning the second full week of school in September. The Transportation Department will communicate any major changes or rerouting to those affected.
• Bus stop locations are chosen as central points for multiple households. Whenever possible, we use neutral street corner sites. The parent/guardian is responsible for ensuring their student reaches the stop at least 10 minutes before the scheduled bus arrival.
• A change in a current bus stop is allowed only for compelling safety reasons. Bus stops in neighborhoods with speed limits of 35 mph or less and a clear line of sight for the approaching bus are rarely changed.
• We do not change a stop due to obstruction from the home or potential weather conditions.

 All requests to change a stop due to safety concerns will be thoroughly inspected and researched before making a decision.

CHANGE OF HOME ADDRESS

LATE & CLUB BUS INFORMATION

• Only students eligible for daily transportation are allowed to board a club bus. 
• Club buses are courtesy buses. 
• Late/Club buses have assigned bus stops that may be further out than your child's regular stop. 
• However, these stops   will be within a reasonable distance of their regular stop. 

Jackets, athletic uniforms, projects, backpacks, lunch boxes, cell phones, earbuds, water bottles, etc….

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they have all their belongings before getting off the bus.

Thousands of students use our bus services to travel to and from school each day. If just one item is forgotten by a student on each bus every day, hundreds of items will be left unclaimed and stored in lost-and-found boxes. This would happen within the first week of the school year alone.

Following the Mount Laurel Schools Transportation Department procedure, bus drivers are instructed to keep any items found on the bus for 3 days before handing them over to the Mount Laurel Transportation office or the bus contractors’ office. It's important to note that neither Mount Laurel Schools nor our bus contractors are liable for missing or damaged items.

If your student has misplaced an item on the bus, please advise them to inquire with the driver the next time they board the bus. However, please be aware that radio communications with the drivers are reserved for student transportation matters such as transfers, lost students, or emergency communications. Please note that missing a cell phone does not constitute an emergency communication.

BUS SAFETY

Please remember these safety guidelines:

• The DANGER ZONE is the area immediately surrounding the school bus, extending 10 feet in front, behind, and 10 feet from the sides. The zone of most significant danger is immediately in front of the front bumper and right wheel.
• Leave home ON TIME to ARRIVE AT THE BUS STOP 10 MINUTES before THE ARRIVAL.
• Running to the stop is dangerous, so NEVER RUN TO CATCH THE BUS.
• If you can touch the bus, you are TOO CLOSE.
• If you can't see the driver as you cross the street in front of the bus, you are TOO CLOSE.
• Always cross at least 10 feet in front of the bus.
• Wait for the driver's direction before crossing in front of the bus.
• Look both ways for traffic before crossing the street, and NEVER stop to pick up anything that falls in front of the bus bumper or wheels.

ALWAYS WATCH FOR MOVING VEHICLES WHEN EXITING A STOPPED SCHOOL BUS. Even though it is the law, vehicles do not always stop for a school bus with red lights flashing.

BUS GUIDELINES

• Transportation provided by the Mount Laurel Board of Education is a privilege. Ensuring the safety and security of our riders is our top priority! We are committed to providing transportation services consistently and efficiently. We ask for proper bus behavior to ensure student safety in return for this privilege. 

• Please remember:
   

• Arrive at the bus stop ten minutes before the scheduled time.
• Wait on the sidewalk or the area closest to the curb until the bus comes to a full stop (NOTE: sitting in a car or standing in the house or garage is not considered "at the bus stop").
• Behave appropriately at the bus stop.
• Board the bus orderly, and remain seated with your seat belt on.
• Every student will have an assigned bus seat.  All students are expected to remain in their assigned seats for the duration of their time on the bus.
• Wear your seat belt.
• Eating, drinking, or throwing objects on the bus is prohibited.
• Books, lunches, backpacks, and body parts are to remain in your seat, not the aisle or another seat.
• Show respect for the school bus and refrain from any activity that may result in damaging or defacing the school vehicle.
• Never lean out of the bus window or extend any body part out of the window.
• Nothing should ever be thrown from the bus window.
• Follow the Bus Driver's directions.
• Always ride your assigned bus.
• Speak softly using appropriate language.
• Permission to change buses or bus stops will be granted in EMERGENCY cases ONLY. Students must ride on their assigned bus and get off at their designated stop. Requests to change bus stops must be sent to the principal in writing before 9:30 am and must be approved in writing.
• An approved adult must be present to meet Preschool and Kindergarten students at the bus stop. An approved adult is a parent/guardian or an emergency contact listed in your child's Student Information sheet in PowerSchool. We must have written permission from you to release your child to anyone else, and that person must present proper identification. Otherwise, the bus driver must return your child to school, and you will be required to pick him/her up there.

STUDENT DISCIPLINE

Please remember these rules and policies for school bus transportation:

• The school bus is an extension of the classroom, and students must follow the same rules.
• Improper language, standing up while the bus is in motion, and hanging hands out of the window is not allowed.

• Smoking or vaping is strictly prohibited.
• Objects may not be thrown inside the bus or out of the window.
• Damaging or defacing the bus is prohibited. Parents/guardians are responsible for paying for any damages.
• Eating and drinking are not allowed on the bus.

Students who violate these rules will be suspended from the bus.

The New Jersey Statute (18A:25-2) grants the Board of Education the right to exclude pupils who display behavior detrimental to the safety of other pupils. The statute emphasizes that the driver is responsible for maintaining order on the bus and can report unmanageable pupils to the principal. If a pupil is excluded from the bus for disciplinary reasons, their parents are responsible for providing transportation to and from school during the exclusion period.

Student behavior on school buses should be orderly and respectful, with a focus on safety and following the bus driver's instructions.

Students must remain seated, keep their hands and feet inside the bus, and avoid distractions that could interfere with the driver's focus.

Unacceptable behavior includes fighting, loud talking, eating, drinking, or littering.

General Rules and Expectations

• Respect the bus driver:

Students must avoid harming or interfering with the bus driver's duty of driving safely.

• Follow Driver's Instructions:

Students must adhere to and abide by the bus driver's directions at all times.

• Behave Orderly:

Students are expected to behave in a polite and respectful manner, maintaining a

classroom-like environment.

• Remain Seated:

Students must remain seated while the bus is in motion and should wait until the bus

comes to a complete stop before attempting to stand or move around.

• Keep Body Parts Inside:

Students should keep their hands, feet, and head inside the bus at all times. Never out

of the bus windows.

• Avoid Distractions:

Students should not engage in activities that could distract the driver or endanger themselves

or others, such as throwing objects or playing in the aisle.

• Proper Language:

Students are expected to use appropriate language and avoid profanity or abusive language.

• No Eating or Drinking:

Eating and drinking on the bus is prohibited to maintain cleanliness and safety.

• No Littering:

                Students should not litter on the bus and should dispose of trash properly.

• No Smoking/Vaping:

                Smoking is strictly prohibited on the bus.

Specific Considerations

• Loading and Unloading:

Students should enter and exit the bus one at a time, in an orderly fashion, and avoid

pushing or shoving.

• Bus Stops:

• Students should get on and off the bus at their designated bus stop and not at other locations.

• No playing at the bus stop when the bus is approaching the stop.

• Students must wait until the bus comes to a complete STOP before approaching the bus.

 • Safety

Students should never crawl under the bus, and if they drop something, they should inform the driver.

• Crossing the Street

If students need to cross the street after exiting the bus, they should wait for the driver's signal before crossing and cross in front of the bus.

• Special Needs

Students with disabilities may have specific needs that need to be addressed, and bus drivers should be knowledgeable about these needs and how to support them.

• Discipline

Bus drivers are responsible for maintaining order and discipline on the bus and may take appropriate disciplinary action if students violate the rules.