Transportation

StopFinder-Know where the bus is!

What the App Can Do

• View your student’s daily transportation assignments.
• Securely share your student’s schedule with caregivers (sub-subscribers).
• Receive notifications and updates related to transportation.
• Create GeoAlerts that will notify you when the bus has arrived or departed from the assigned bus stop and/or school.
• Send private messages to SDHT’s Transportation Department.

Install the App

• Stopfinder is available for download in the App Store and Google Play.

Access Student Schedules

Access to student schedules is granted only to the student’s designated contacts:

In-District Students: primary e-mail address(es) currently in PowerSchool.

Out-of-District Students: e-mail address(es) provided by the non-public school.

Stopfinder contacts, at their own discretion, may share their student’s schedule with caregivers (sub-subscribers).

Please contact transportation@haverfordsd.net:

• If you need an e-mail invitation to register for Stopfinder.

Click to learn more about Stopfinder features:

https://stopfinder.com/

https://www.mytransfinder.com/mytf/videos/StopfinderApp.mp4

What can students and parents expect to see in the first weeks of a new school year?

As the new school year begins, both drivers and students are adjusting to updated routes and bus stop locations. We are all getting used to a new routine, and this learning curve can slow things down during the first couple of weeks.

Increased traffic around schools, parents taking photos, and conversations with drivers can also contribute to minor delays. Despite these challenges, we strive to keep pick-up and drop-off times within a 5-minute window whenever possible. 

During the first two (2) weeks of school, the district continues to register new students and update student information. As a result, school bus routes may need to be adjusted ​- with stops being added or removed​ - which can slightly affect stop times.

Our office staff works closely with drivers to ensure all students arrive at school on time. ​Routes are sometimes modified as needed to meet this goal across all the schools we serve. Typically, these adjustments are finalized by the end of the second week.

Thank you for your patience as we begin a new school year!

The School District of Haverford Township has developed boundaries that seek to create a balanced population of students at each of our five elementary schools. To determine which elementary school boundary an address lies within you may view this interactive Haverford map. 

Bus Policies & Procedures:

• The bus driver is in full charge of the bus and riders at all times. Students are as responsible to the driver while riding the bus as they are responsible to their teachers while in school.
• Students must remain seated and keep the aisle clear at all times while the bus is moving. No standing or seat-changing
• Any distraction to the driver's attention jeopardizes the safety of every student on the bus. 
• Students should be at their stop at least five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled arrival time.  Roadwork, weather and road conditions make it impossible for school buses to arrive at exactly the same time every morning.
• Students are responsible for keeping the bus clean and free of trash or damage. 
• Students must wait safely off the roadway and stay on the sidewalk until the bus arrives. 
• The rear door of the bus is for EMERGENCY USE ONLY.
• Students may not, at any time, extend their arms or head out of the bus windows.
• At drop-off, students must cross in front of the bus only when directed and while the red lights are flashing. 
• Smoking, abusive language or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated and may result in the loss of bus privileges.  
• Students who cause damage to the bus will be responsible to pay for repairs and may face disciplinary action. 
• All safety-related directions from the driver must be obeyed.

Please see the attached map of afternoon bus locations at the High School. 

• Please see the attached map of morning bus locations at the Middle School.
• Please see the attached map of afternoon bus locations at the Middle School. 

Transportation and Inclement Weather

In the event of inclement weather, SDHT will provide transportation according to the decisions of the District, as follows:

• If SDHT has declared a weather-related closure and a non-public / private school is open, those students will not have transportation that day.
• If SDHT is operating on a weather-related 2-hour delay, non-public / private school students will be transported on a 2-hour delay, as well. See Kindergarten delay schedules here (KA | KP). 
• If SDHT opens on time and a non-public / private school is operating on a 2-hour delay, those non-public / private schools must accept the students on time; otherwise, the students must find alternate transportation that day. 
• If SDHT has declared a weather-related closure with virtual instruction, no transportation will be provided.

** To receive critical information from SDHT via SMS, please opt in as follows: text YES to 67587.

Kindergarten and 1st Grade Procedures: 

For the safety of kindergarten and first-grade students, a parent, guardian, or older sibling must be present at the bus stop. If no one is there, the student will remain on the bus, the Transportation Office will attempt to contact a parent/guardian, and the bus will return to the stop after completing its route. If no one can be reached and no one is present when the bus returns, the student will be transported back to the school. ,

Students in second grade and above may exit the bus without a parent or guardian present

When a student is assigned to daycare for transportation purposes, there is no home stop included on the bus run. The daycare location becomes the student’s designated transportation stop. When the daycare is closed, parents/guardians are responsible for transporting the student to or from school. An exception is made only when a student has an established day-specific schedule in which they are transported to both their daycare and home stop on designated days. Providing both a daycare and home stop for the same student disrupts established routes and affects the transportation schedules of other students.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in following this procedure.

Please see current PA State bus stopping laws and safety tips. 

Please see the attached shuttle bus schedule.

SDHT will not operate morning shuttles to Haverford High School and Haverford Middle School until our official first day of school AND during SDHT’s Spring Break.

For schools in session before Labor Day and during SDHT’s Spring Break, students must go directly to the High School or Middle School to board the transfer bus to their school (bus information will be listed on their Bus Pass). Transportation in the afternoon will be provided to a home stop.

When I register my child at a school, do I need to contact the Transportation Dept. to set up busing? No. Non-Public schools will provide our office with the information. The District Registrar will provide information on in-district students. If eligible, students will be routed.

My family moved during the school year. Who do I call with the new information? Non-Public: Contact your school. They need to update our department with any changes. Public: Contact the District Registrar and our department will be updated once all appropriate documentation is provided.

When will I receive a bus pass for the new school year? Developing efficient, safe and economical routes is a complex process that requires careful planning and time. Bus passes will be e-mailed to families the week prior to the start of school.

What is the mileage entitlement for busing? Elementary students (K-5) are eligible for transportation services if their primary residence is located over 1 mile from their assigned school. Secondary students (6-12) are eligible for transportation services if their primary residence is located over 1.5 miles from their assigned school. Please refer to the District Policy.

If I have a complaint or concern about a bus stop, whom do I call?  Send an e-mail to transportation@haverfordsd.net. The e-mail will be reviewed and responded to in a timely manner.

How far may a child be asked to walk to a school bus stop? In Pennsylvania, the law allows a school district to ask a child, regardless of age, to walk up to a mile and a half to a bus stop. The mile and a half is measured by public roads and does not include any private lane or walkway of the child's residence. The School District of Haverford Township school board has lowered that to the following:

Elementary students (Grades K-5) - .3 mile to assigned stop

Secondary students (Grades 6-12) - .5 mile to assigned stop

What should I do if I think the bus my child rides on is overloaded? Send an e-mail to transportation@haverfordsd.net. The Transportation Dept. reviews student ridership often and will make any necessary adjustments, if warranted.

May a school district suspend busing services for a child? Yes. Transportation is a privilege, not a right.

May a school district ask a child going to a nonpublic elementary school to ride on a vehicle with public high school students? Yes.

Can my child bring a friend home on the bus? No. The School District does not provide special transportation services for playdates or childcare-related requests, particularly when students are not already eligible for transportation under existing guidelines. If your child needs to go home with another student, please arrange for that student's parent or guardian to pick up directly from the school.

The only exception to this policy is when both students are assigned to the same bus and one student needs to get off at a different stop with a friend.

No student from another school district is permitted to ride an SDHT bus under any circumstance.

To request a bus stop change, please e-mail the Transportation Department at transportation@haverfordsd.net. You will be notified of the approval or denial of your request within two (2) weeks of submission. 

Before submitting a request, please see the following criteria:

• It is unlawful for a school bus driver to stop the bus to pick up or discharge students at any location other than the established stop.
• Parents must realize that bus stop assignments cannot be customized to meet every individual need and still be part of an efficient and economical transportation system.
• The District cannot consider factors that are associated with individual family or parental situations. Such concerns are expected to be resolved by the family, parent or guardian, not the School District. 

Examples:

• Parent not being able to see child walking to bus stop and/or waiting at bus stop.
• Neighborhood feuds or conflicts with nearby residents.
• Change in parent’s work schedule.
• Parent not able to walk to bus stop with child because of other obligations.

• The granting of special transportation services is based on the disability or physical handicap of the child transported as required by the Pennsylvania Regulations at 22 Pa. Code §15.6 and §504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
• The School District shall not grant special transportation services to accommodate the disabilities or other circumstances concerning caregivers, siblings or other individuals.
• The School District shall not grant special transportation services to accommodate childcare-related issues, particularly for students who are not eligible for transportation under District policy. Parents and guardians are responsible for making appropriate transportation arrangements when their child's pickup or drop-off location involves a daycare provider, whether a commercial center or personal provider.