Departments & Services Links
Transportation Contact Info
1738 Helderberg Trail
Berne, NY 12023
Phone: (518) 872-1126
Chris Odom, Transportation Supervisor
Transportation Office Email
More Info
- Bus Pass (via Google Drive)
- Child Care Transportation Information Form (via Google Drive)
- Private/Parochial Transportation Request (via Google Drive)
- Permission for other(s), other than parent/guardian, to receive students(s) at bus stop (via Google Drive)
- Sport and Activity-Field Trip Order Form (via Google Drive)
Putting Student Safety First
Transporting students safely to and from school and school-related events is the number one priority of BKW’s Transportation Department.
Each school day, BKW buses cover a total of 126 square miles, transporting students to and from school, athletic events, field trips, and private and parochial schools.
Bus Procedures
Students who use BKW transportation are expected to ride on their assigned bus to and from school. If a student needs to take an alternate bus, he or she must provide a note, signed by a parent or guardian, to the main office of their school at the start of the school day for which the change is to take place.
A note is also required if the child is on the same bus but getting off at a different stop.
Non-Idling Policy
State law requires that all school buses, as well as other school vehicles, turn off their engines when loading or unloading students on school grounds, except when necessary for heating, mechanical, or emergency reasons. Read the Non-Idling Policies on the New York State Department of Education’s website.
Bus Safety Guidelines
- Students must cross at least 10 feet in front of the bus.
- Never cross behind the bus.
- When exiting the bus, students should look to the right and left before stepping off the bus. Students are to then move away from the bus. They should not go to the mailbox or anywhere else by the side of the bus.
- Students should look left-right-left before crossing the road.
- If the driver blows the horn, the student is to return immediately to the side of the road from which he or she started.
- Instruct your child that if they drop something outside of the bus to leave it where it falls.
- They should only attempt to retrieve the object with the driver’s or another adult’s supervision, when the bus has gone, and the road is clear.
- Children should wait a safe distance away from the road. In inclement weather, vehicles may slide on slippery roads.
Transportation Requests
Requests for transportation to private or parochial schools are due to the transportation office in the spring for the following school year. Contact the transportation office for more information.
BusRight
The district uses BusRight, a school bus management platform designed to improve student transportation safety and efficiency through real-time GPS tracking, optimized routing, and communication tools for the school community and district administrators.
The real-time mobile offering allows families to stay up-to-date on their student(s) bus routes, including schedule changes, cancellations and arrivals at home. Families and caregivers can monitor their student’s location and view the bus route directly from the BKW campus to home.
BusRight will share an email with district families to register. Once registered, the BusRight app can be downloaded directly from either the Apple App Store or Google Play. Parents or caregivers are encouraged to use the email currently on file with the district. The process is quick and easy and provides a real-time feature to enable the health and safety of our students while travelling within our district.
National School Bus Safety Week
The district recognizes and participates in National School Bus Safety Week, which is held each year in October.