Items Not Permitted on School Busses
School bus drivers are required to adhere to the following guidelines regarding the safety and well-being of their students while riding on school buses:
Guidelines for Carry-On Student Personal Items:
- The school bus driver shall not allow any live animals, firearms, explosives, chemicals, or anything of a dangerous or objectionable nature on the bus.
- Musical instruments or any school project shall not be placed in the aisles or areas near the entrance/exit door. No instrument, large or small, should occupy any space in the aisle or seating space.
- In general, any items not able to be held in the lap or between knees are prohibited on the school bus.
Instruments that can be held on the lap or between the knees would include violins, flutes, oboes, trombones, etc. These would be considered “lap” or “between the knees” instruments.
- Large cellos, saxophones, bass drums, all of which are “non-lap” should not be allowed on the school bus.
- Potentially dangerous items: Glass jars and other glass items will not be permitted on the school buses.
Broken glass could create an unsafe situation. Flammable materials, knives or other sharp objects, etc. are prohibited. Ice skates are restricted unless in a zippered/closed kit bag. Skates are often razor-sharp and when air-borne as a result of impact energy they can cause very serious injury.
The driver has the right to refuse students or any other person with any non-lap or potentially dangerous items. If transportation of the above items is necessary for school, parents should make arrangements to transport the items. Exceptions may be prearranged, with approval from the Public Schools Branch office, for school-sponsored activities that require some of the above items.
The Transportation Services Division wants to ensure that students are transported in school bus environments that are as safe and as comfortable as possible. To allow the transportation of potentially dangerous items which could become a projectile in the event of an accident on a school bus, whether or not fully loaded, could compromise both comfort and the safety of students.
General List of Items Not Permitted on the School Bus:
- footwear with cleats and/or spikes
- skateboards/scooters
- large instruments (other instruments must be able to fit safely on the student's lap or alongside the student and not obstructing the aisle)
- hockey sticks, golf clubs
- large equipment bags
- skis/poles
- large school projects that will not rest easily next to or on the student's lap
- pets, live animals, reptiles, bugs, etc
- plants, flowers
- water guns