Driving Towards a Brighter Future

  • children getting off a school bus

    The Transportation office is an essential part of Pickerington Schools, responsible for ensuring the safe and timely transportation of students to and from school. Pickerington Schools contracts with  Petermann Bus  for its bus transportation services. You can contact Petermann at 614-837-8525. To report any kind of issue involving pupil transportation, visit the BusReport website. Reports filed on the BusReport website go to Petermann as well as to Petermann Bus' corporate office. Every day, Petermann Bus, working with Pickerington Schools transportation staff, are focused on efficient operations, quality, safety and culture.

  • Greg Strausz

  • Greg Strausz

    Transportation Supervisor

    Phone: 614-834-2620 Ext. 3106

    Email Mr. Strausz

     

     

      Information

      • School transportation is a service provided in accordance with numerous state and federal standards covering topics ranging from minimum bus service levels and training of bus drivers to construction and operation of school buses.

        At a minimum, Ohio public school districts are required by law to provide bus service to all public, non-public, and community school students in grades K-8 who live two miles or more from their school of attendance. Transportation for high school students is optional. 

        Like most school districts, Pickerington provides service over and above this minimum standard. Currently, the district provides bus service for students in all grades, including those attending preschool special needs classes. In addition, bus service may be available for students in grades K-6 who live one mile or more from their school of attendance. Where dictated by safety considerations, bus service is also provided for some students who live closer than one mile from their school of attendance.

        School transportation is a form of public transportation that is designed to be safe and efficient while serving as many students as possible. It is not an individualized transportation service. As in other forms of public transportation, there is little opportunity to alter or change schedules and routes to meet individual family circumstances.

      Bus Routes

      • e-Link

        Our interactive online system allows parents to check their child's eligibility for bus service and find pick-up and drop-off locations. Click the interactive online system link to access the system for tracking students' transportation. 

        After clicking the interactive online system link, you'll be directed to: 

        • You will be asked to enter your username and password. Both of those are your student’s ID number, which is the ID number generated through Infinite Campus.
        • Click “Log-In.”
        • Click “Work with Students.”
        • Click “View My Students.”
        • Click a student’s name to be taken to their transportation information page. Read this page carefully as it explains the morning and afternoon transportation information for your students.

        Students with the same home phone number will be grouped together on the “View My Students” page. If, for some reason, you do not see all the students in your household, try logging in again using one of your other children’s information.

        Requesting or Removing Transportation:

        • Please use the “Parent Communication” button on the e-Link home page to inform the Transportation Department know of your plans to use the yellow bus transportation.
        • Use this same process to notify transportation if busing is no longer needed.

        By doing so, the system will notify transportation to add your child to the route, or to remove the child, if busing is no longer needed. 

        If you wish to make a change regarding your student’s pick-up or drop-off location, please log in to the online system and click on the “Parent Communication” link. Follow the instructions for completing the form. The alternate bus stop must be in the same attendance area as your child. Alternate stops outside that area will not be approved.

        e-Link App

        STAY UPDATED ON YOUR CHILD'S BUS!

        If you want to know where your child's bus is, how long until it arrives for pick-up, or when it will get your child home from school, Pickerington Schools parents can use a mobile app to track the bus location in the morning and afternoon.

        Parents must download the "Versatrans My Stop" app from Tyler Technologies to receive text notifications about bus delays and other important updates. Parents will need their children's student ID numbers to set up the app.

        You can download the app at:

        Don't delay. Parents should ensure their children arrive at the bus stop by the scheduled arrival time and not wait until the last minute. Rushing to catch the bus can be dangerous.

        Please note that the system tracks each bus's GPS, which may have a delay of up to two minutes. During this time, the bus may have already progressed along its route, so GPS locations are approximate.

        The "Versatrans My Stop" app will be especially beneficial for parents living in rural areas and those with children who have special needs.

      Bus Rules & Discipline

      • BUS RULES AND DISCIPLINE

      Bus FAQ

      • I cannot see my child’s bus stop from the house. Is this legal?

        Posted by:

        I cannot see my child’s bus stop from the house. Are there state laws that set the standards for bus stop location?

        No law requires a parent to see the bus stop from home. Students in Ohio may be assigned to a bus stop up to one-half mile from their home. We encourage parents to accompany their child to the bus stop whenever possible. This teaches the child safe habits of walking to and from the bus stop and may give the parent piece of mind. Bus stop locations are determined by each district’s board of education.

        Comments (-1)
      • Are sidewalks required for my child to get to his/her bus stop?

        Posted by:

        Many students walk alongside roadways to reach their bus stop, and in some instances no sidewalks exist. While we understand this may be of concern in some situations, the Ohio Department of Education does not promulgate bus stop placement. Issues relating to where a child’s bus stop is located and safety concerns along the way to the bus stop must be addressed with the district in which you reside.

        Comments (-1)
      • Am I allowed to keep my child inside until the bus comes?

        Posted by:

        I make my child wait inside of my house until the bus is at the stop. I have heard this is not allowed. Is this true?

        Ohio law requires children to wait at the bus stop before the bus arrives. Bus drivers count the students at the bus stop before they load and as they get on the bus, to ensure all children are safely on board. If students are not waiting at the bus stop, the bus driver cannot count them and cannot be certain the students are all safely on board. Waiting at the bus stop before the bus arrives further ensures that no one chases after the bus (a very dangerous thing to do!) Many districts also instruct their buses to not stop at locations where no students are waiting.

        Comments (-1)
      • How is Pickerington Schools Transportation department funded?

        Posted by:

        The Ohio General Assembly has included in the Biennial Budget partial reimbursement for transportation costs. The remainder of the funding comes directly from the District’s General Fund. Each school district is evaluated each school year for efficiency of its operation. Safe and efficient transportation operations are defined by being good stewards of our tax dollars and not unnecessarily burdening the overall budget, which could affect funding in other areas.

        Comments (-1)

      Payment in Lieu

      • Payment in lieu of transportation is a payment made to families of students attending a non-public school whose bus route that would otherwise qualify for district transportation is declared impracticable by the Board of Education. Once declared impracticable, those families qualify for this payment. The amount is set by the Ohio Department of Education.

        If you reside in Pickerington Schools school district and your child goes to a non-public school, and you qualify for payment in lieu of transportation, you must complete the contract, application, and attendance verification forms.  You’ll need to email Mimi Leonard for the forms and take note of the deadlines listed on the form.

        Failure to return all forms by the identified date will be interpreted as a withdrawal of your request for transportation reimbursement and no payment will be made.

        Parents who have signed a contract and completed an application in the past will not need to re-submit the contract if their child remains in the same non-public school. You will only be required to complete and submit the application and attendance verification form before the due date that requires the signature of the private school administrator.