York County districts start school Monday. What to know about riding the bus
Summer is winding down to its final hours, and Monday is the first day of school for students across York County.
Thousands of students will be taking that first step onto buses this Monday, bright-eyed and ready for what awaits them at school. Here’s what parents need to know about bus transportation.
Rock Hill bus guidelines
During the Transportation Open House last week at Finley Road Elementary School in Rock Hill, parents and families of incoming and returning students learned the key points for back-to-school busing.
The following are the guidelines for families and guardians of students regarding bus transportation:
- If a student has missed or doesn’t ride the morning bus for three consecutive days, a call needs to be made to dispatch to let them know if the student will be taking the bus on starting on the fourth day.
- For the afternoon bus ride, students can choose an alternate form of transportation without contacting dispatch for as many days as they please.
- The state does not allow buses to make any stops within a mile and a half of school, so families need to look at nearby stops as alternatives if a student lives within that mileage.
- All buses must have two-tenths of a mile between stops; therefore, no door-to-door stops.
- If students live off a main road, they must be picked up/dropped off at least three-tenths of a mile away from the main road.
- To call dispatch for any bus concerns or issues, the number to dial is 803-908-2122.
Aside from these guidelines, school officials say families and guardians need to make sure that the transportation registration form is completed and submitted, as well as the final form that can be completed over the weekend.
In addition to that, families are encouraged to download the MyRide app, which provides the bus number, their assigned bus stop location and all other bus information, according to routing coordinator Pamela Alicea.
The school district’s transportation department operates 719 daily routes, covering 2,231 miles to transport students to school, said assistant director of transportation Derek Owens. This year, there are 41 new state-owned buses.
The open house served not only as an opportunity to learn about the bus guidelines for the 2025-2026 school year, but also for students to meet their bus drivers before the first day of school.
Bus drivers are the first and last people that the students see each day, and the event was a great way to connect the students with their drivers to make that first day interaction smoother, said Rock Hill School District Superintendent Dr. Deborah Elder.
York School District 1
All bus assignments, including bus number, stop location, and pick-up/drop-off times, can be accessed through families’ Parent Portal accounts. According to the Transportation Department, all new bus assignments and changes require one full school business day to fulfill. Families are encouraged to use the MyRideK12 by Traversa app as the primary way to stay connected with their students’ bus rides. The app provides details such as route details, stops, delays and more. All parents of York School District 1 students should have received their bus routing information, which was released on July 30. If parents have not received that message, contact the transportation department by calling them at 803-684-1952.
According to the transportation department website, Parent Portal will have all bus information for students. It takes up to 48 hours for all changes and additions to show correctly in Parent Portal. The department also encourages the use of the Ride 360 Traversa app, which will be available to parents and guardians of students. Ride 360 provides quick access to students’ routing information, which will include the bus stop, route, driver and bus number. Ride 360 can also utilize GPS data to give parents and guardians access to information on where the bus is located, the planned bus path and what time it is expected to be at their scheduled bus stop. The transportation department recommends students arrive at their bus stop 10 minutes prior to their pick up time every morning.
Fort Mill School District
Families are required to fill out the transportation form in PowerSchool each year. The information provided on the form will enable the schools to determine which bus students will be assigned to, as well as the stop they need to go to for pickup and drop-off.
To find the registration form, parents need to log onto their parent portal accounts and click “forms” under navigation. According to the Fort Mill School District bus transportation department, the latest form that families submit will be the information the school uses to determine the bus route assignment for students on. Transportation requests will take no less than 24 hours to update in the system, but students can still use the bus on Monday if requests are submitted over the weekend, according to Joe Burke Fort Mill School District chief communication officer. Once the school year begins and students need to change their bus stop or bus route, families can call the transportation department directly at 803-802-1998. To determine if students live in a non-transportation zone, families can visit the non-transportation zone tab where each school has a tab that provides a virtual map of the area that is considered a non-transportation zone.
Clover School District
For Clover School District students, there is no bus registration link. Students need to be registered using their snap code which is where they can request morning and afternoon transportation. After submitting the request, parents can refer to the status page for updates on if it is approved or not. Additionally if registered but not assigned a bus stop, parents can fill out a Google form that requires information such as school, grade and morning or afternoon transportation to help get students assigned. The Clover School District transportation department has a website where students and parents can check to see if their specific bus is in operation and/or delayed. The department also provides a list of bus rules that touch on waiting, riding and departing the bus.
“The Transportation Office realizes that it is working with Clover School District’s most precious resources—its school children. Riding the bus is a privilege rather than a right for each student to enjoy,” the school district says on its bus rules webpage. Some of the rules include:
- Students should arrive at the bus stop five minutes ahead of the bus. Bus drivers will not wait for those who are late, unless it’s during inclement weather.
- Passengers are allowed to leave the bus only at regular designated stops. Drivers are not permitted to make unauthorized stops to drop students. Permanent changes require the approval of the transportation coordinator.
- Students who must cross a highway should go about 10 feet to the front of the bus and wait until the driver signals them to cross. All students should promptly move away from the bus after exiting and should never go back toward the bus once the driver has broken visual contact with them.
