Transportation Office

  • Pickerington Schools contracts with  Petermann Bus  for its 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, Transportation Supervisor

      General 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 pre-school special needs classes. In addition, service is provided for all 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.

      Your Child's Bus Route

      • Tyler Versatrans

        Parents wanting to know their child’s eligibility for bus service and corresponding bus pick-up and drop-off locations should use ours interactive online systemAfter clicking this link:

        • You will be asked to enter your user name 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.

        If you are new to the district, please use the “Parent Communication” button on the Versatrans e-Link home page to let the Transportation Department know of your plans to use the bus. That will notify transportation to add your child to the route. Please use this same process to notify transportation if busing will no longer be 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.

        Tyler Versatrans App

        How long until your child’s bus arrives to pick him up? How long until her bus gets her home from school?

        A mobile application can tell Pickerington School parents approximately where their child’s bus is in the morning and afternoon. Parents must download the app to receive text notifications in case of bus delays and other information. You can download the “Versatrans My Stop” from Tyler Technologies at the Google Play or the App Store.

        Parents will need their children’s student ID numbers to set up the app.

        Parents should not use the system to wait until the very last minute to send their children to the bus stop. Students must be at their designated stop by the scheduled bus arrival time, and waiting until the last minute can be dangerous if children are running to meet their bus.

        Plus, the system operates by tracking the GPS units in each bus, so it operates at a lag that can be up to two minutes. During that time, the bus may have made progress on its route, so GPS locations are only approximate.

        Parents who will likely see the greatest benefit from the application are those who live in the more rural parts of the district and parents of children with special needs.

      Bus Rules and Discipline

      • Bus Rules and Discipline

      Payment in Lieu of Transportation

      • 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@plsd.us 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.

      • Contact Information:

        Communication with students, families, and staff is crucial to the success of Pickerington Schools. Please do not hesitate to contact us by phone or email with any questions or concerns. We always welcome the opportunity to connect with members of our community.

        Greg Strausz, Transportation Supervisor

        greg_strausz@plsd.us

        Mimi Leonard, Administrative Secretary 

        mimi_leonard@plsd.us

        Business Office: 

        614-833-3641 fax