About Us

Student Discipline Procedures

Driver responsibilities

1. To enforce the rules and regulations adopted by the Olympia School District for transported pupils.

2. To be reasonable, uniform and consistent in dealing with student behavior.

3. To inform parents of pupil misbehavior by personal contact and through issuance of a school bus warning notice before recurring student behavior becomes serious.

4. To work in a cooperative and positive manner with the appropriate supervision in solving student discipline problems.


Driver authority

The driver is in full charge of the bus and pupils, which includes authority to:

  1. Assign seats.

  2. Enforce adopted bus riding policies and regulations.

  3. Issue school bus behavior notices that must be signed by parent/guardians according to district policy.

  4. To temporarily suspend riding privileges after issuance of 2nd or 3rd behavior notices.


Student discipline process

In the event it becomes necessary for a driver to discipline a student the following procedures must be followed:

1. Remember proper discipline is not a form of punishment but a means to instruct and help in changing a student's behavior to that which is acceptable to the rules and regulations set forth by the school district and transportation center. Discipline should always be handled in a fair and just way and not performed with anger.

2. Always try to verbally work with the student in order to bring about an acceptable behavior. Identify the problem, explain that what they are doing is unsafe and note the consequences if the problem continues. Follow through with what you say. As much as possible, work one on one with students, don't conduct discipline in front of a group.

3. There should never be negative physical contact with a student. If you are angry or mad, DON'T TOUCH!

Prior to written procedures:

If a student continues to misbehave, the driver is encouraged to notify the parent/guardian of the problem, seeking their help in the matter. All phone conversations will be documented noting the student's behavior, time and date of the phone call and response of the parent/guardian.

Written procedures

Step One:

Notice & telephone call to parent/guardian. If a student continues to misbehave after they have been verbally warned and contact has been made to the parent/guardian, the driver should issue the first student behavioral notice (clearly identifying the infractions). This should be immediately followed up by a written documentation of the phone call to the parent/guardian. The parent/guardian would be informed that if their student continues to misbehave, the driver will then have to issue another discipline slip resulting in a five day suspension of bus riding privileges.

Step Two:

(Exclusion from bus for (5) school days) Notice and telephone call to parent/guardian; conference with supervisory personnel, driver, parent/guardian and student.

If it becomes necessary for a second behavior report, the driver shall notify the parent/guardian by phone, stating the infraction and that their student is being removed from the bus for five school days. Furthermore, the driver should inform the parent/guardian that a conference has to be held with them, along with the student, supervisory personnel and the driver prior to reinstatement to the bus.

In order to accommodate the parent/guardian schedule, sometimes it is necessary to accept an letter in lieu of a conference. The conference is the preferred method: it includes the parent more directly in the discipline procedure.

Step Three:

(Extended exclusion from the bus)

K-4 10 school days

5-6 30 school days

7-12 90 school days

Notice and telephone call to parent/guardian

If after all the above has been done and the student continues to misbehave, the student would be issued a third behavioral notice. This notice would state that the student is being put on an extended exclusion from all bus riding privileges. The driver would also follow up by a telephone call to the parent/guardian stating the infraction and the terms of the exclusion. In the case of longer exclusions, a letter will be sent by the transportation office staff noting the terms of the exclusion and the right to a hearing.

Serious Infractions

In the case of serious infractions (such as weapons on the bus, fighting on the bus, hitting the driver, etc.), it is possible for the first steps (the phone calls and write up) to be bypassed. This is only allowed with the approval of the transportation supervisory staff.