Transportation: Arrival & Dismissal

Transporting students in a safe and timely manner is an important part of our school district's operation.

Please closely review our arrival and dismissal procedures below to ensure the safe transport of all our students, whether coming to and from school as a car rider or on a bus.

Transportation for all K-2 students is based on the home address listed in our student database. All parents/guardians need to submit a new transportation form each school year in Final Forms to indicate daily transportation plans and different pick-up or drop-off addresses, if necessary.

Arrival & Dismissal Procedures

Car Riders

Everyday Car Riders

All vehicles will enter the car line. See photo below. We will begin pulling cars into the drop-off zone starting at 9:00 a.m. for arrival and 3:45 p.m. for dismissal. You will not park or exit your vehicle at any time. Heritage staff will help with loading and unloading. Please have your student ready to go (shoes on and tied, backpack closed, jacket on, etc.) at arrival to help speed up the process.

One Day Car Riders

If your student is going to be a one-day car rider please call the office at (513) 863-7060 or e-mail Christina.tserng@lakotaonline.com before 3:00 p.m. so they can be put on a daily pick-up list shared with teachers. You will get into the car rider line and will need to provide your student's car tag. If you do not have your car rider tag you will need to park and come into the office to show your ID.

Aerial view of building with green and red arrows to indicate traffic flow and drop off zone

Bus Riders

Process & Procedures

All bus route details are available in your Home Access Center account.

To ensure your child’s safety, students will be issued a bus/transportation tag on the first day of school to wear on their backpack. They will only be permitted to ride their regularly scheduled bus home each day. Parents may only request that a student ride another bus in an emergency, such as a medical emergency that creates a scenario where no one will be home to meet the child. The request must be approved by the building administration.

If you need to pick up your student at dismissal (and they normally ride the bus), please call the office at (513) 863-7060 or e-mail Christina.tserng@lakotaonline.com before 3:00 p.m. so they can be put on a daily pick-up list shared with teachers.

Parent / Guardian Presence at Bus Stop

All bus riders MUST have a parent, guardian or another individual, as communicated to the child's bus driver, to meet the student at the bus stop when dropped off at the end of the day. Any student who doesn’t have someone meeting them will be returned to the school and the administration will contact the parents.

All attempts to reach a parent or an emergency contact will be made to come pick up the student. If no contact can be made, administration may contact the West Chester Police Department to help transport the child to their residence. If there are frequent incidents of a child being brought back to the building, a meeting with the parents and the principal may be required in order to make arrangements that will benefit the safe transition from school to home.

Special Office Pick-Up Procedures

When picking up your child during school hours, you MUST present a valid photo ID, such as a driver’s license or state ID. You will be asked every time for this when you pick up your child. You will enter through our main office for pick-ups during the day.

You will need to contact the main office if someone other than the parent or guardian will be picking up your child.

In This Section

District Transportation Information

The role of Lakota's Transportation Department is to guarantee safe, efficient and cost-effective transportation of students to and from their schools.

Over the years, the district has worked with its contracted bus service company, Petermann, to regularly review bus routes in an effort to safely transport as many students as possible within the available budget.

Transportation Arrangements
Bus Safety and Procedures

Transportation Arrangements

Transportation for all students is based on the home address listed in our student database. Please note that all transportation forms are available and completed via Final Forms.

Grades K-2

Early childhood schools ask that all families complete a transportation form (via Final Forms) each school year to have on file, even if transportation is not needed.

Note: PreK-2 parents/guardians are required to be at the bus stop for drop-off. Parents may write a letter to allow the student to get off the bus without a parent present.

Grades 3-6

By default, transportation for all eligible students is based on the home address listed in Home Access Center (HAC). All alternative transportation plans are automatically cleared at the end of each school year, so please complete the online transportation form (in Final Forms) before each school year if you’ll require transportation to or from an address different than your home address.

Please DO NOT put your child on a bus or assume that the change is in effect until you have been notified of the approval. Once approved, the Transportation Department will fax the confirmation back to your child's school and you will be notified.

No post to display.

Bus Safety and Procedures

To ensure the safe transportation of our students, please review the Bus Safety Brochure and other important information below.

Bus Safety Brochure

Parent/Guardian Role

Transporting children is a shared responsibility between home and school. While the district is responsible for children once they board their bus, families are solely responsible for the safety and supervision of their children to and from the designated bus stop and while students wait for their bus.

Parents/guardians of preschool, kindergarten and first grade children are advised to meet and receive their children at the bus stop. Children not met by their parents/guardians will be returned to their school building.

Student Role

Family support for appropriate behaviors is essential. Parents are asked to reinforce with their children the importance of obeying the district's Student Code of Conduct and all Bus Safety Rules when riding in a school bus. Such rules ensure the safety and welfare of all riders. Thus, if a child jeopardizes everyone's safety by repeatedly violating these rules, the student may ultimately be denied the privilege of riding the bus.

How to Handle Transportation Issues

Bus routes are designed for safety and efficiency. Extended stop times impact multiple routes. We want to properly address any concerns you may have, so we please ask that you do not interrupt the bus schedule by talking directly with a driver while he or she is on the route. If a problem or concern arises related to school bus transportation, families are encouraged to write the driver a note or call (513) 755-5821 to leave a message at the Lakota Service Center. Building administrators may also assist with transportation related questions.

Consequences of Misbehavior

If a bus rider misbehaves, the following guidelines will be followed in disciplining the offender:

For a first offense, the student will be counseled by the driver as to the appropriate behavior that is expected.
If the student’s inappropriate behavior continues, the bus driver will detail the student’s actions in writing to the building administrator. The building administrator will then contact the student’s parents/guardians and explain that an official warning has been given and that further misbehavior could result in removal of the student from the bus.
If the student’s continued misbehavior warrants the bus driver submitting a second report, the student will be required to personally meet with the principal or assistant principal. Parents/Guardians may also be asked to attend this meeting.
If the student must be referred to school administrators a third time, severe disciplinary action may be taken, including suspension from riding the bus for a period of time. When a pupil’s bus privileges are suspended, the student’s parents/guardians become responsible for transporting their child to and from school.
Dangerous acts on a school bus are cause for immediate suspension from the bus.

Click here to view the Lakota bus safety brochure.

Bus Driver Training

Each driver is expected to pass all required instructional materials and to meet or exceed qualifications as outlined by local, state and federal regulations. New drivers must complete rigorous training courses through classroom and behind-the-wheel training.

The safety training program emphasizes current safety prevention tactics, proper bus inspections, student management and the extra attention our riders with special needs deserve. In order to remain qualified as one of our school bus drivers, all drivers must continue to participate in in-service trainings throughout the year.

Going above and beyond

Each year, Lakota bus drivers are well-represented at the Ohio School Bus Driver Safety ROAD-E-O competition. The annual event is open to all Ohio school bus drivers and consists of both a written test as well as an off-road driving skills test – all to promote safety, professionalism and recognition.

Over the years, Lakota drivers have done extremely well in the competition, with several drivers winning the state title.

“I’m not surprised by the success of our drivers. I often see drivers in study groups asking each other questions or practicing their off-road driving skills at 7:30 or 8 in the evening. The preparation for the event is all on their own time.”Susan Prewitt, General Manager for Petermann/Lakota

Find Your Bus Route

Attendance Zone Search

Transportation Forms & Documents

In This Section

Contact Us

WE are here to help! If you have questions regarding bus route information or the transportation of your child, please contact us.

Calls are answered in the order received. Please understand that we receive a particularly high volume of calls at the start of the school year and hold/wait times may be longer than normal.

Transportation Department
Lakota Service Center
6947 Yankee Road
Liberty Twp. OH 45011
Phone: 513-755-5821
Fax: 513-777-3114

Office Hours
5:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Monday - Friday

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Transportation: Arrival & Dismissal

Arrival & Dismissal Procedures

Car Riders

Everyday Car Riders

One Day Car Riders

Bus Riders

Process & Procedures

Parent / Guardian Presence at Bus Stop

Special Office Pick-Up Procedures

In This Section

District Transportation Information

Transportation Arrangements

Grades K-2

Grades 3-6

Bus Safety and Procedures

Parent/Guardian Role

Student Role

How to Handle Transportation Issues

Consequences of Misbehavior

Bus Driver Training

Going above and beyond

Transportation Forms & Documents

In This Section

Contact Us

District Transportation Resources