For the safety of students, bus drivers, other motorists and pedestrians, the Department has set rules for students who ride our buses. Students who violate these requirements will face discipline and/or lose their bus riding privileges. Due to safety concerns and private ownership, school buses do not have bus stops or travel in/or on private roads. This includes but is not limited to private developments, apartment complexes, resort areas, business parking or drive areas, homeowner property and roads.

SOAR

Safe, Orderly and Respectful (SOAR) is a K-5 program developed to teach elementary students about how to safely ride the bus, cross the street, and what to do if they are bullied on the bus.

You can view the school bus safety video in Hawaiian and English.

Downloadable coloring books are available for download in Hawaiian and English.

Mahalo to all who contributed to the creation and production of the SOAR program!

Bus Stop Safety

The HIDOE highly recommends a responsible adult be present at the bus stop in the morning and in the afternoon for children 10 and under.  Bus drivers are not responsible to match each child with a specific adult at the bus stops.  It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to ensure a responsible adult is at the bus stop or make alternative arrangements for their child if they are unable to walk alone to and from the bus stop.

Discipline

Students who misbehave on the bus may be denied rides and shall be subject to disciplinary action as defined in
Chapter 19 of the Board of Education's Hawaii Administrative Rules. When the school receives a School Bus Incident Report, the principal will conduct an investigation of the incident and notify the parents or caretakers of the outcome. If the child is precluded from riding the school bus as a result of the principal’s disciplinary action, a refund will not be issued for the unused portion of the bus pass. Video monitoring and GPS are active on all school bus vehicles to assist with incident report tracking and documentation.  

Behavior

All students riding school buses shall abide by the following requirements, for their own safety and the safety of others.

At the designated school bus stop and while boarding, students shall:

• not bring children who will not be passengers on the bus or animals to the bus stop
• be on time at the designated school bus stop to help keep the bus on schedule
• stay off the road while waiting for the bus and conduct themselves in a safe manner while waiting
• not talk loudly at bus stops which may disturb nearby residents
• not litter or deface public or private property at bus stops
• not trespass on private property while waiting at bus stops
• line up in an orderly, single file and wait until the bus comes to a complete stop before attempting to board the bus
• walk on the side of the road facing traffic to get to the bus stop if there are no sidewalks
• not bring articles on the bus that may cause injury to passengers or carry on articles which cannot be stored safely under the seat, and
• use the handrail and watch their step when boarding the bus.

While on the bus, students shall:

• keep hands and heads inside the bus at all times
• not scream, talk or laugh loudly, engage in horseplay, or otherwise behave in a manner that may divert the driver's attention and result in an accident
• treat bus equipment as valuable furniture. The offender or the offender's parent shall pay for damage to seats, windows and other equipment
• not eat or drink any beverages on a regular trip to and from school unless necessary for medical reasons
• not tamper with the bus or any of its equipment
• keep books, packages, coats and all other objects out of the aisle
• remain in the bus in case of a road emergency, unless directed to do otherwise by the bus driver
• not throw anything out of the bus window
• remain in their seats while the bus is in motion
• not smoke, drink, gamble, fight or engage in any other behavior that may endanger health or morals, and
• obey the driver.

When leaving the bus and crossing streets, students shall observe the following procedures:

• Leave the bus only at regular bus stops, unless proper authorization has been given in advance by the school principal
• Use the handrail and watch their step when getting off the bus, and
• When crossing the street at a bus stop, students shall walk twelve feet in front of the bus and look to see if the alternating red lamps on the top portion of the school bus are flashing. If the lamps are flashing, they shall look at the driver and wait for the driver to give the signal to cross. If the red lamps are not flashing, students shall not cross the street and shall notify the driver that the red warning lamps are not working and ask the driver for assistance in crossing the street.

Students shall ride designated buses at specified times and locations as assigned.