Transportation

Jeffco families will not pay bus fees again this year.

School district policy determines who is eligible for transportation according to the distance from which they live from their school and grade level. Per District Policy EEA, a student is eligible for transportation services if they live outside the following boundaries:

• Elementary school, including kindergarten - approximately one mile.
• Middle school - approximately two miles.
• High school - approximately two and a half miles.

Transportation eligibility for students with special needs is evaluated by the Transportation Department and the Student Success Office according to the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).

Per District Policy JFBA, students who attend option schools or who choose a school other than their boundary school are not eligible for transportation. District alternative programs are an exception. The policy reads:

"Transportation for students enrolled at a school or program outside their neighborhood attendance area shall be furnished by their guardian unless it is determined that transportation is necessary for the district to comply with the requirements of state or federal law. Transportation may grant temporary permission for choice enrolled students to ride a bus to an existing stop."

All bus stops are safe and compliant with the Colorado Department of Education’s direction and definition of a safe bus stop location.

The school bus driver shortage has forced the district to make difficult decisions. Every effort has been taken to provide some transportation to students rather than cancel their entire bus route. Some students will have a one-way bus ride either to school or home, but not both.

Hub stops are a creative approach to serve the most students possible with transportation services. Having buses come into all neighborhoods is most convenient for students and families, but that model is no longer sustainable given the national school bus driver shortage.

It is standard practice to develop bus routes just before the start of the school year because that is when families complete their annual back-to-school registration and notify the district if they intend to use transportation services.

School bus transportation is the safest mode of ground transportation in the United States, and is 172 times safer than a private vehicle. 

Jeffco buses meet or exceed the standards for protecting riders in the event of an accident, and the majority of Jeffco school buses do not have seat belts. Providing school buses with seat belts is not federally mandated. School buses use compartment structuring in the passenger area, which includes very high seat backs and extra thick padding. This construction helps to protect against injury.

Neck and head injuries may occur if students use a lap belt in a school bus because the seats on a bus are closer than a conventional car and an upper shoulder strap anchoring belt system is not practical. If another vehicle impacts the side of a school bus, the floor of a bus is much higher than most vehicles, reducing the chance of injury to the passengers.

Stringent rack-n-load and body frame strength requirements prevent school buses from sustaining damage when a collision occurs. School bus driver's requirements and ongoing training contribute to the safe reputation of Jeffco drivers. Drivers are required to be physically fit, maintain special licenses and follow annual state requirements. 

To see requirements of Jeffco school bus drivers visit the Become a Member of Transportation and Fleet Services page. For current national statistics, issues and recall information visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration page.

Bus drivers bring student belongings that were left on their bus to their terminal lost and found box. The driver usually keeps clothing and small articles on the bus near the driver compartment for several weeks before putting them into the lost and found box. Large or important items such as band instruments, backpacks with books in and phones are brought into the terminal office for safekeeping.

Have your student ask the driver about items left on the bus.

You may also call the terminal that services your school on any school day, 5 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The office staff will contact the driver to try to locate the item immediately. If the item is located, you may have it brought into the terminal office for you to pick up.

Have your student arrive at the bus stop five minutes before their scheduled pick-up time, waiting outside and in plain view of the driver. The driver will not leave the stop until the scheduled pick-up time, but the driver cannot wait for late riders. Drivers or bus assistants are not allowed to go up to houses or honk the bus horn.

Prepare your student for longer waits in inclement weather. Ensure that they are dressed in suitable clothing to wait additional time at the stop, usually less than 15 minutes.

Have a backup plan. Jeffco buses and their drivers are reliable, but there will always be conditions beyond their control that may cause a late bus. Parents should have a backup plan for when a bus is running extremely late or breaks down before reaching their students' stop. If you have left for work, the student needs to be able to get back into their home and be able to call you or the school.

Have a neighbor, or reliable student buddy at the same stop, for your student to go back home with. Have an alternative safe place where they can go in case you are not home and instruct them to call you or the school.

The Transportation Department will prioritize providing service to all transportation-eligible students before considering providing service to students who are not eligible for transportation.

To apply for a space available seat, you must fill out the Bus Rider Registration Form.

Bus Rider Registration Form

Non-eligible students are not guaranteed a space available seat. The request will be reviewed for approval after Labor Day.

Jeffco is committed to providing reliable, efficient service in the ongoing national shortage of bus drivers. The district works to provide consistent transportation services to as many students as possible by:

• Increasing staff: Jeffco has increased recruitment and retention efforts to bring in new drivers and keep existing drivers.
• Re-routing: Jeffco evaluated every route to maximize the number of students buses can transport on each route. This includes creating more hub stops and using contracted driver services.
• Collaborating with schools: Jeffco partners closely with school principals to ensure safe and efficient drop-off and pick-ups.
• Restoring services: Jeffco commits to adding services back as employees are hired.

Jeffco is looking for safe and reliable school bus drivers who are motivated by the district’s mission to provide a world-class education to all Jeffco students. Jeffco drivers are some of the first and last people our students see each day and play an important role in helping Jeffco students thrive. Consider becoming a member of our team today!

The rules and consequences for student behavior on the bus and the Student Contract are located on the Student Conduct on School Buses page. Students can lose their bus-riding privileges if their behavior is inappropriate. 

These rules are included in the Student & Family Handbook issued by each school. 

The program includes a progressive series of consequences, depending on the severity of the inappropriate behavior. Usual steps may include:

• The student receives a verbal reminder that they will be suspended from the bus if they break the agreement again. The action is logged in a discipline behavior log, and the parent may be informed of the misconduct. The student may be assigned a seat.
• The student's parent is called and the student may be removed from the bus for up to three days.
• The student's parent is called and the student may be removed from the bus for up to two weeks.
• The student may lose all bus riding privileges for the remainder of the school year.

The severity of the consequences are determined by the bus driver and the appropriate Transportation Department staff member. Video cameras can monitor students on any bus, but the driver's observance of a student's misbehavior is sufficient evidence in determining corrective action.

To help navigate the national school bus driver shortage, Jeffco is hiring reputable contracted partners and reimbursing eligible families who choose to transport their own students.

Car service providers are specifically contracted to help transport students who meet specific criteria for special education and out-of-district placement needs.

The following factors guided the routing process this year:

• High numbers of riders, at-risk students and students impacted by school closures in 2023-2024.
• Younger students.
• Stops and routes that were farther away from schools.