Transportation

To ensure the safety of all students riding a school bus, please follow these guidelines regarding bus safety:

• Obey your driver at all times.
• Absolutely no food, drinks, chewing gum, or tobacco.
• No loud voices, profanity, or obscene gestures.
• Be seated immediately and remain seated at all times.
• Keep aisle clear at all times.
• Keep your body in bus at all times.
• Never throw objects in or out of the bus.
• No fighting, hitting, or pushing.
• Help driver keep the bus clean.
• Be totally silent at Railroad Crossings.
• Be at bus stop 5 minutes before bus arrives ready to load.
• Be 12 feet off the road.
• No ear buds while loading or unloading.
• Make sure to watch the driver for hand signals.

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A BUS DRIVER?

Whitfield County Schools is now hiring bus drivers! 

Starting pay is $20.13 / hour, with paid training, paid summers off and medical benefits! Those interested may apply online here.

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A BUS MONITOR?

Those interested in working as a bus monitor may contact Qualified Staffing at (706) 370-4695 or dalton@q-staffing.com. Applicants may complete an application at their office at 1020 Chattanooga Ave, Suite B, Dalton, GA 30720 Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

State Requirements for Pupil Transport on Charter Buses

No school representative may enter into any contract with a charter bus company for the purpose of transporting students for any school related function until the Transportation Department has confirmed that the company is in compliance with Georgia Department of Education standards for pupil transport on charter buses. Travel agencies may be helpful in finding charter services, but when it comes to transporting students they have no approval authority. Make sure that the desired charter bus service is either listed on the approved list below or that the required information is submitted to Transportation no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled departure date. 

In order to avoid complications, delays or cancellations of trips, it is absolutely essential that the following information be disseminated to all teachers or coaches who may sponsor or coordinate trips using charter bus services. 

As with any other instructional or competition trip, requests must be submitted and approved on the Trip Tracker at https://versatransweb05.tylertech.com/Whitfield/triptracker/Login before a permit number can be issued. 

Charter bus trips require an additional notification to be emailed to Mary Jo Withrow (maryjo.withrow@wcsga.net) with the company name, address, and contact person. It is the trip sponsor’s responsibility to coordinate with the charter bus company to ensure that all required information and documentation is received by Mary Jo Withrow at Operations no later than 30 days prior the scheduled departure date. 

If a school trip sponsor wishes to utilize a charter bus company that is not on the approved list below, it will be the charter company’s responsibility to provide the first seven items listed below no later than 30 days prior to the scheduled departure date. 

1. The company must be a legitimate passenger carrier licensed to operate in Georgia. We must have on file a copy of their certificate number or license number from the Georgia Public Service Commission. 

2. The company must operate a fleet of late model buses with a documented current maintenance schedule on file, to include the last date of service. A complete fleet list including make, model, and VIN must be provided. 

3. The company must have appropriate aggregate liability insurance coverage that is current and adequate to cover medical expenses and property damage in the event of an accident. A current copy must be maintained on file at the WCS Transportation Department. 

4. The company must use only qualified, trained, and licensed bus drivers with current physicals, commercial driver’s licenses, and proper endorsements on file. A complete list of all bus drivers utilized by the charter company must be provided along with the date of their last DOT physical. 

5. The company must have a documented random driver drug and alcohol testing program in place and the last date of random testing on file at WCS Transportation. 

6. The company must furnish written documentation on the specific buses (VIN number) to be used and the specific driver names for your trip (24 hours before departure). 

7. The company gives written confirmation that they will not subcontract the trip to any other carrier or substitute buses or drivers without prior written approval from the Whitfield County Schools Transportation Department. 

8. The WCS Transportation Department will verify that the charter company has a “Satisfactory Record” through the Georgia Public Service Commission (intrastate carriers) or U.S. Department of Transportation (interstate carriers). .

Intrastate: http://www.psc.state.ga.us/transportation/BusCompanyData.asp 

Interstate: http://www.safersys.org/CompanySnapshot.aspx 

9. All the above requirements (except #6) must be in place at WCS Transportation at least 30 days prior to the scheduled trip departure. 

The following charter companies are in compliance and are approved for your use during the 2021-2022 school year. Other companies may be added as they comply with the necessary documentation requirements. 

Georgia - Approved Intrastate Carriers 

Eagle Christian Tours - Carson Roes - 706-314-8684 

His Majesty Coaches – Pamela Biddy 770-426-6282 

Leisure Time Charters, Cartersville- Patricia Burton- 770-382-7726 

Southeastern Stages Inc-Andrew L Brown 404-591-2785 

Academy Bus, LLC - Shane Shipman - 678-449-7371 

Approved Interstate Carriers 

Eagle Christian Tours - Carson Roes - 706-314-8684 

Style Charter & Tours – Alex Butok – 770-345-1559 

Southeastern Stages Inc.-Andrew L Brown 404-591-2785 

Academy Bus, LLC - Shane Shipman - 678-449-7371 

Premier Transportation - Sol Miller - 865-694-0304

Coast to Coast Tours, LLC - Willie B Johnson Jr. - 678-705-3965

If you have questions please contact Mary Jo Withrow at (maryjo.withrow@wcsga.net) or at (706) 876-7268.

How do I know what bus my child will ride? 

The lead driver for your child’s school will be available during the school's orientation at the beginning of the school year. Families can meet teachers, pick up schedules, and learn more about the coming year. If your child gets to ride the bus to school, be sure to visit the driver to learn more about the transportation service we provide, including bus numbers and approximate start times.

Will my child be picked up and dropped off at the same time as the previous year? 

Bus drivers and the families they serve will enjoy the same routes they were running at the end of last school year. The addition of several new buses to the fleet since last school year will mean a few new bus numbers, but the stop times and locations should be the same as last year for all households. All new drivers will navigate their routes before school begins with a trainer on board to help them find their way. They will also have a ride-along partner familiar with the area for additional support on the bus during the first three days of school.

What are the requirements to become a bus driver?

Our drivers must have a clear criminal record and motor vehicle report, hold a Class B commercial driver’s license with S and P endorsements, a physical exam, state Department of Transportation alcohol and drug screening, and successfully complete Whitfield County Schools Transportation bus training program including classroom instruction and behind the wheel training and evaluation. Visit Human Resources to learn more about working for Whitfield County Schools or go straight to our Jobs Application Manager to apply for any available positions.

Our training exceeds state requirements and is constantly re-evaluated by trainers, drivers, and supervisors to ensure that we recognize trends are and appropriately address issues before they become problems.

Bus drivers for Whitfield County Schools are required to spend at least 20 hours in the classroom, 20 hours pre-trip/parking lot, 6 hours without students, and 12 hours with students for a total of approximately 58 hours. This is in addition to the annual driver in-service training and retraining of drivers with particular issues.

We are working to provide more in-service training out to drivers throughout the year, which may include periodic “mini” driver training meetings at the schools prior to afternoon bus routes and daily safety messages by radio.

• Whitfield County Schools provides School Bus Transportation for approximately 9,000 of our students on a daily basis.  In order to maintain a safe and efficient transportation program and to offer this privilege with fairness and equality, we must require all students to attend their zoned school in order to receive school bus service.  Any parents who have been granted permission for their students to attend the school of their choice and whose residence address is not located within that school zone are responsible for transporting their students to and from school. 
• An exemption exists for students who qualify for special-needs bus services to specific programs in another school as authorized by the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). 

• Once a student has been enrolled in the school where their residence is zoned, the student and their family will be given bus route information for the bus to take them to and from their home of record. Due to safety and resource limitations, riding the bus to and from other locations cannot be accommodated. 
• On a limited (one-time) basis, students may ride to an alternate location as long as they have a signed note from a parent, verified by the school administrator and presented to the bus driver prior to boarding. This exception is also contingent upon space being available on the bus. 
• Bus routes are established between schools, private residences, and designated neighborhood bus stops. Due to safety concerns, school buses do not deliver students to business locations. As always, based on the individual needs of the students, it is the parents responsibility to provide the necessary supervision for their students before the bus arrives at the bus stop in the morning and after the Bus drops off the students in the afternoon.
•  All students are expected to understand and abide by the Bus Safety Rules provided in the student handbook. 
• If a hardship exists that makes it necessary for a parent to request a student to be delivered to an alternate location on a recurring basis, an exemption may be granted under the following conditions. 
  • Legitimate hardship cases may be appealed to the principal of the school for consideration by submitting a hardship request form provided by the School.  
  • Principals will evaluate each hardship request to determine if the situation precludes parents from being reasonably able to provide childcare, adult supervision, transportation, etc.  
  • The alternate pickup or drop-off location must be at a residence within the student’s home school zone. 
  • If the hardship request is approved, the student would be delivered to the alternate address on a regular basis. Students would not be able to intermittently switch between their home and alternate addresses for bus pickup or delivery.  

 

Please make sure that your child has proper supervision at the bus stop in the mornings and in the afternoons. Our drivers try to transport your child safely between the school and the bus stop, but it is the parent’s responsibility to see to the child’s welfare before he or she is picked up by the bus in the morning and when he is delivered to the bus stop in the afternoon.

 

Bus Request Information 

• Non-Profit Bus Use Form

General Documents 

• Hardship Consideration Request for Transportation Service Modification - Spanish
• Hardship Consideration Request for Transportation Service Modification - English
• Requesting Transportation Related Services