Transportation
Tammy Talmadge
Transportation Supervisor
e: ttalmadg@nullsomsd.k12.nj.us
p: (973) 378-9651 x8005
Eligibility
The Board of Education is required under N.J.S.A. 18A:39-1 to provide round trip transportation between home and school for South Orange and Maplewood resident elementary students (grades K-8) who live more than 2 miles from their assigned school and secondary students (grades 9-12) who live more than 2.5 miles from their assigned school.
Elementary and Middle Schools
Students are generally assigned to attend a school near their home and are not eligible for transportation. The district may assign a student to attend a school outside of his or her home area for a specific reason, such as the pairing of Jefferson and Marshall or to receive a service or program offered only at another school. If the district makes the assignment and the school attended is more than one mile from the student's home, the student is eligible for transportation as long as he or she continues to receive the service or remains in the program. A Public School Transportation Application Form must be submitted each year for all eligible students.
A shuttle bus service is provided between South Mountain and the Annex. Kindergarten and first grade students in the South Mountain area walk to South Mountain and are shuttled to the Annex. Students in grades 2-5 have the option to walk to the Annex and ride the shuttle to South Mountain. Seats on the shuttle bus are limited. Students expecting to ride the shuttle bus must submit a Public School Transportation Application Form each year for all eligible students.
In certain circumstances, a parent or guardian may request that a student transfer to a school outside his or her home area. The district may approve the parent or guardian's transfer request for school assignment, but the district will not provide transportation.
Columbia High School
The following South Orange addresses are more than 2.5 miles away from CHS and eligible for transportation by N.J.S.A. 18A:39-1:
| Street | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Brentwood Drive | All |
| Crest Drive | House #74 & up |
| Crestwood Drive | All |
| Duffield Drive | House #76 & up |
| Glenview Road | House #76 & up |
| Great Hills Drive | All |
| Hill Drive | All |
| Hoskier Road | All |
| Longview Road | House #608 & up |
| Mountain Drive | House #608 & up |
| Woods Drive North | All |
Columbia High School students residing at these addresses who wish to use the school bus must submit a Public School Transportation Application Form each year for all eligible students.
Special Education
Classified special education students may be eligible for transportation according to their Individualized Education Program (IEP). Please contact the Special Services Department at 973-762-5600 for arrangements and additional information.
Application Process
The parent or guardian must complete the Public School Transportation Application Form each year for each student. Eligible students will not receive a Bus Pass until the Form is completed and submitted by the due date to your School’s Office, the Transportation Department or the Registration Office. Please provide an Emergency Contact and Emergency Phone.
Public School Transportation Application Forms must be received by June 15, 2012. Applications received after June 15 will be assigned transportation if eligible and only if space is available. The deadline to submit applications will be extended after June 15 only for students to attend the Demonstration School at Seth Boyden. The process to apply for transportation will be provided when notified of the acceptance to the program.
The district will notify the parent/guardian of eligibility over the summer before school opens. New students registered during the school year will be notified within five working days after the Transportation Department receives the application. The parent or guardian is responsible for getting the child to school until notified in writing whether transportation by the district is available.
Students eligible for transportation will receive a Bus Pass card identifying the assigned stop and estimated pickup and drop-off times. The student must have this Bus Pass card available to show the bus driver.