Lakeland School District
Transportation Department
1355 Lakeland Drive
Scott Township, PA 18433
Fax : 570-254-6730

 

The first four weeks at the beginning of the school year are understandably very busy in the Transportation Department. The volume of requests is heavier than at any other time of year. We request that you use only one of the methods listed above. Please do not email, call or write multiple times. All requests are logged in and handled as quickly as possible. Multiple requests cause duplication in the department and, consequently, delay response time. Please be assured that every effort is made to respond to every request, no matter how it is received. Sometimes the response is "fixing the problem" (i.e. correcting an overcrowded bus.)

Kindergarten, first grade and special needs students must be met at the the bus stop by a parent, guardian, responsible adult or responsible older sibling or other designated individual. The name and phone number of non-family designees must be provided to the bus driver or our office. If no parent is available after a series of attempts to drop off, the driver will contact the school and transportation office and the child will be returned to school.

All students should arrive at their bus stop 5 minutes before their scheduled pick up. Please remember that it takes a week or two for schedules to solidify. We suggest students arrive 10 minutes early until a routine is established. The pick-up time may differ slightly from the time noted on postcards as stops or the order of bus stops may need to be changed. Bus drivers will inform secondary students of any schedule changes. Elementary students will bring home memos if morning changes are more than 5 minutes.

While we list afternoon drop off times, these are the optimal (earliest) estimation. We certainly make every effort to honor our schedules. However, traffic and road construction throughout the school district can impact greatly on our bus routes, as each bus is assigned with a high school and/or middle school run and one or two elementary runs. For example: although a school's dismissal time may be 3:15, buses arrive and are normally loaded at that location during a 15 minute window from 3:15 through 3:30 P.M. We appreciate parents patience and understanding as drop off times fluctuate due to changing conditions.

We ask parents to be patient during the first two weeks of each new school year. Drivers need time to adjust to new stops on their runs and to the needs of their passengers. We are especially mindful of the kindergarten and first grade students during this time. Additionally, individual schools extend the time for loading each bus to ensure that all students are placed on the correct bus.

Parents are asked to place nametags on kindergarten and first grade students. The nametag should be attached in a clearly visible fashion to the child's clothing rather than on backpacks or book bags. The tag should include the child's name, address, bus number, bus stop location, and a telephone number where parents can be contacted at dismissal time.