Purpose of Meeting:

To communicate changes in school transportation during inclement weather.

To provide information regarding the decision making process for changing the
school schedule during inclement weather.
General bus transportation safety information.

No buses on Icy Roads:

a. School may be in session with limited bus service. Under these circumstances,
buses will not operate on all roads.
i. This schedule will be posted on the MCS website and on the school
website.
b. Bus drivers may need to modify the routes. If this happens they will contact
school principal. The principal will then notify parents.
Winter Weather

We are blessed to be able to live, work and go to school in the mountains of WNC.
Along with all of the benefits of living in the mountains comes the challenges of traveling
in winter weather
Our goal is to provide parents with accurate information as soon as possible. Bus drivers
need to be notified prior to 5:15 am. Parents also need time to arrange for someone to be
home for small children. Finally, buses are on the road for up to two hours per route. We
are not always going to accurate. It is our goal to err on the side of safety.
Process for managing bus/student travel in winter
o Monitor weather forecasts
NOAA, Intellicast, Weather Channel, Local TV and radio. Surrounding
school systems are also contacted during winter weather events to
determine the progress of changing conditions. It is also important to
monitor the ground temperatures.
When snow is predicted, the decision to delay or cancel school will be made prior to the
time that buses are scheduled to depart (5:30 am). It is not uncommon for weather events
to occur from 5:00 am to 7:30 am, while most buses are in transit.
o Once buses are on the road, officials must weigh the dangers of travel against
leaving students at bus stops, or at home unattended.
If forecasts are predicting icing conditions, more caution will be used in adjusting the
schedule.
Once inclement weather arrives, school personnel visually inspect road conditions.
School officials also communicate with Macon County emergency dispatch, local law
enforcement, and NC DOT to determine the locations of any unsafe road conditions.
If inclement weather arrives while school is in session, the safest place for students may
be in the school building rather than on the road. Forecasts are monitored, but an early
dismissal requires 1.5-2 hours to get bus drivers in place and to put buses on the road.
This means that in order to dismiss school early, we must act on what the weather is

predicted to be in 2-4 hours. There are occasions when weather arrives that is
unpredicted or it may arrive sooner and/or heavier than predicted.
Parents are encouraged to use their own discretion in making a decision regarding school
travel. Weather conditions may be unexpected. Road conditions may change once buses
begin their routes. If a parent feels that travel is unsafe, they should not permit their child
to travel either on the school bus or in a personal vehicle.

School Bus Transportation Fact Sheet:

The National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. Department of Transportation and other authorities
agree that school buses are the safest form of transportation for getting children to and from
school.
Some 480,000 school buses carry 26 million children more than half of Americas
schoolchildren.

Macon County Schools transports 2200 students per day on our school buses. There are 52
Macon County buses and routes with 56 drivers. These 52 buses travel a combined 2,932
miles per day.
MCS Students are on buses for a combined 148 hours and 27 minutes each day.
52 buses/routes, 56 drivers.

Students are about 50 times more likely to arrive at school alive if they take the bus than if they
drive themselves or ride with friends. Students are much safer riding the bus than being driven
by a parent, and are about 20 times more likely to arrive to school alive if they take the bus than
if a parent drives them.
School buses decrease our dependence on foreign oil through an annual savings of 2.3 billion
gallons of fuel.
A 20-mile round-trip school commute saves an approximate $420 annually for each student who
rides the bus and an approximate $10.9 billion nationwide.
Large school buses are heavier and distribute crash forces differently than do passenger cars and
light trucks. Because of these differences, the crash forces experienced by occupants of buses
are much less than that experienced by occupants of passenger cars, light trucks or vans.
Safety features including the color and size of school buses, height, reinforced sides, flashing red
lights, cross view mirrors, and crossing and stop sign arms ensure children are protected and
secure on and off the bus.
Bus drivers participate in pre-employment and random drug/alcohol testing, as well as frequent
driving record checks, and submit to background checks to keep their Commercial Drivers
License (CDL) with a School Bus Endorsement.

School Bus Safety

Safety tips for students:
Be alert to traffic. Check traffic both ways before existing the bus.
Make eye contact with the bus driver; wait for his/her signal before crossing the street.
Walk in front of the bus; never walk behind the bus to cross the street.
While waiting for the bus, stay in a safe place away from the street.
Before leaving the sidewalk, look for the flashing red lights.
Never go near or under the bus to retrieve something youve dropped.
Safety tips for parents:
Review the safety tips with your child regularly.
Get to know the parents of other riders as well as student riders with your child.
Team up with other parents to get involved and monitor bus stops and bus routes. Voice
concerns immediately to your school district.
Attend back to school nights and tour your childs school bus.
Contact Mr. Todd Gibbs, MCS Transportation Director and/or your childs bus driver for any
additional information or to become more familiar with school transportation.
Keep phone numbers handy in case the bus is delayed or in the event of an emergency.