Transportation Policy
School buses shall be maintained and operated in accordance with Tennessee State
Law and State Board Rules and Regulations.
The CCSE School Transportation Program shall be monitored by the principals and the
transportation director and subjected to periodic evaluations by them as necessary. An
overall evaluation shall be conducted by the transportation supervisor on or before
November 1st and June 15th of each school year, and a summary report of the
evaluation submitted to the director of schools and the Board. The transportation
director shall be prepared to apprise the Board of the condition of the transportation
service at any time.
Each bus shall be equipped with the phone number for reporting safety complaints. This
number shall appear on the rear bumper.
All accidents, regardless of the damage involved, must be reported to the school
transportation supervisor, including incidents in which any part of the bus contacts any
other object or vehicle.
The director of schools shall develop procedures to ensure compliance with the
statutory and regulatory requirements for the transportation program.
All buses and other vehicles owned and operated by the Board shall be given safety
inspections by the assigned driver and the transportation supervisor on a regular basis.
The transportation supervisor shall develop and maintain a safety inspection record
which shall be signed by the individual who conducts the inspection. In addition, all
buses shall be remedied prior to returning the unit to regular service.
Emergency evacuation instruction shall be conducted regularly throughout the school
term to acquaint student riders with procedures in emergency situations. State law
mandates one drill annually.
Current regulations regarding transportation of special education students will be
complied with.
The director of schools shall appoint a transportation supervisor for the system. He/she
shall be responsible for the monitoring and oversight of transportation services for the
district.
1) You may report any observed unsafe happenings with the operation of CCSE buses
by calling or by filling out a form online.
Call the bus vendor at (423) 653-7026
or, you may report to CCSE’s school transportation supervisor at 423-721-1121.
or, report online at http://www.chattanoogacharter.com which can be accessed via the
school website and clicking on the bus complaint tab.
2) CCSE will initiate an investigation within 24 hours of any report. CCSE will issue a
preliminary summary of the investigation to the superintendent with 48 hours of
receiving a report.
3) Any bus serving Tennessee Public School students will have a reporting number
listed on the back bumper, regardless of the county you are in. You may report any
observed unsafe happenings with the operation of any Tennessee Public School bus by
calling this number.
4) No one may use a handheld electronic device within the flashing lights of the school
zone. This law applies to drivers AND riders in cars or buses. This applies to trucks
passing through our zone. No one may be talking on the phone. The purpose of this is
so that all attention can be focused on the safety of bus passengers.
5) Our transportation policy may be reviewed on our website after February 15th for
any further clarifications.
For questions now or after the posting, call the school and leave a message for the
school transportation supervisor.
Supervisory personnel are charged with the responsibility of seeing that all of these
rules and regulations are followed. If an employee does not follow a rule or regulation,
disciplinary measures will depend on the seriousness of the offense, as well as taking
into account previous infractions or warnings.
A Reminder for Parents,
CCSE provides school bus service to students who reside outside a two–mile radius of the
school they are zoned to attend. Each bus follows a predetermined route with designated
pick–up and drop–off stops to safely and efficiently transport students to and from school.
To determine which bus stop your child should be picked up and dropped off each day, please
call the front office, and the front office secretary will assist with determining your child’s bus
stop.
Transportation (Arrival & Dismissal) - Bus Riders
CCSE provides school bus service to scholars who reside outside a two–mile radius of the
school they are zoned to attend. Each bus follows a predetermined route with designated
pick–up and drop–off stops to safely and efficiently transport scholars to and from school. A
parent/adult is required to be at the stop each morning to place their elementary school scholar
on the bus and also must be at the stop each afternoon to pick up the scholar. Scholars who do
not have a parent/adult available at the stop will continue riding the bus, and it is the parent’s
responsibility to make sure the scholar is picked up at another bus stop or at the last bus stop.
Scholars who are not picked up by the last stop will be returned to CCSE and placed in
aftercare. (Please refer to the section on aftercare for times and fees.) Scholars must ride their
designated bus and get off at their designated stops.
Parents are expected to adhere to the following guidelines:
- Parents must arrive at the stop 10 minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
- The bus driver will not allow scholars to exit the bus unless the parent is at the stop.
- If a parent is not at the stop when the bus arrives, the parent will be called to meet at the bus stop upon completion of the route.
THIS POLICY HAS BEEN APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Chattanooga Charter School of
Excellence Board of Directors and will be STRICTLY ENFORCED.
Bus Conduct:
Behavior on the school bus is to be the same as in the classroom. For the safety and welfare of
all scholars, the bus driver will not tolerate any misconduct on the bus. The administrators are
responsible for applying the CCSE policies regarding such behavior, which can be as severe as
suspending the offending scholar(s) from riding the bus. After an initial written warning from a
bus driver, the school administrator reserves the right to suspend a scholar’s ability to ride the
bus if behavior is not appropriate at all times. This will be strictly enforced and also applies to
bus behavior during field trips.
Car Rider Safety Policy:
In order to ensure the safety of all scholars, it is imperative that every parent follow the same car
rider procedures. When in the car rider line, a faculty member will be signaling when cars must
stop or go. By following all school policies, parents set a good example for their scholars.
Morning Drop–off Policies:
Please do not attempt to converse with faculty on duty – if you need to speak to school
personnel, please call to set an appointment. Please follow rules by personnel directing traffic
and do not speed when you leave the campus. The speed limit is 15 mph.
- Please drop scholars off between 7:55 – 8:15 AM. Scholars CANNOT be dropped off before these times as there is no supervision. If Before Care is available, it will be communicated and scheduled; however, please do not make any assumptions.
- Pull all the way down to the end of the car rider lane on Willow Street, where the gate ends, before letting your scholar out of the car.
- If a scholar is dropped off anytime after 8:15 am, he or she must be signed in at the front office by a parent / guardian.
- No early checkout after 2:30 PM
Afternoon Pick–up Policies:
Please do not attempt to converse with faculty on duty – if you need to speak to school
personnel, please call to set an appointment. Please follow rules by personnel directing traffic
and do not speed when you leave the campus. The speed limit is 15 mph.
All scholars will be loaded into cars by an adult. Please do not get out of your car to get your
scholar. Scholars may not walk off campus to be picked up on side streets. All car riders must
be picked up in the car rider lane on campus or picked up by a parent as a walker 15 minutes
after dismissal. Please do not let your car idle in the line until the line actually begins moving –
we’ve been advised that idling cars are causing bad air quality on campus.
- Please do not arrive and enter the car rider line until 2:45 pm on Willow Street
- When you do line up after 2:45, pull all the way down to the end of the car rider lane on
- Willow Street, where the gate ends to minimize traffic
- All scholars must be picked up by 3:45 PM on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; On Tuesdays and Thursdays by 4PM.
Changes in Transportation:
In the event of a need to change the way a student is to go home, a written request (signed and
dated) from the parent or guardian must be sent to the office. This includes taking a different
bus, getting off at a different stop, going home with a friend.
Walkers:
In order for your child to walk home from school, a PERMISSION TO WALK form must be
completed. This form must be completed and on file with the office in order to have permission
to walk. So, if walking will only occur occasionally, this form still needs to be on file.
