Frequently Asked Questions

The best way to contact the VUSD Transportation Department is via the Transportation Support Inbox. The link is listed below. 

Transportation Support Inbox

In order to request transportation services for your student, you must contact the VUSD Transportation Department. Be sure to have the student's information ready such as name, student ID number, home address, and school of attendance. Due to the large volume of telephone calls that the department receives, we advise that you email the Transportation Support Inbox. The email link for the Transportation Support Inbox is listed below. Be sure to provide all of the required information when you email Transportation Support. 

Transportation Support Inbox

A school bus may be running behind schedule for a number of reasons. If a school bus is running late, we recommend checking the StopFinder app first to see if there are any updates. Often times our dispatchers will provide a text update in StopFinder when a bus is running behind schedule. If a bus is running more than 15 minutes behind schedule and there is not an update provided in StopFinder, we recommend contacting our office for an update.

If a student misses the bus to go to school, please contact our office. Our dispatch team will advise you further. 

If a student misses the bus to return home from school, please contact our office. Our dispatch team will advise you further. 

Foggy day schedules will be communicated through Channel 24, 26 or 30, posted on the VUSD website by 6:00 a.m. and will be communicated out through the StopFinder App. Parents can also call the Transportation Foggy Day Hotline at (559)-931-8131 for a recorded message. Please visit our Foggy Day Schedule page for more information.

Upon arrival at campus, the student is to go to the main office located on campus and notify staff that they have lost their ID card. Campus staff will address the issue. 

The district shall offer transportation to those students involved at the various grade levels who live beyond the distances from the school as listed below. For grades pre-kindergarten through 6, these distances shall be measured by using the most direct route from the student's residence to the school. For grades 7 through 12, these distances shall be measured by using  a radius from the school. 

1. All pupils in kindergarten and grades TK - 1 Mile
2. All pupils in grades 7 through 12 - 2 And A Half Miles

For more information, read the full policy here. 

The following is considered reasonable walking distances to meet school buses.

1. Students in kindergarten and grades 1 through 3 - 1/2 Mile
2. Students in grades 4 through 8 - 1/2 Mile
3. Students in grades 9 through 12 - 3/4 Mile

More information can be found by reading the policy here. 

In areas where pupils live at considerable distances from each other, the school bus may need to stop at each point along the route that is nearest to the pupil's home rather than at central gathering points. For more information, the full policy can be found here. 

A request to reserve a bus for school related trips must be made by utilizing the district's field trip request form. All requests are subject to approval. The form can be found in the Forms section by clicking here.  

The Transportation Department can secure SPAB certified bus drivers and charter services if needed. All charter companies that contract with Visalia Unified School District are approved by the Board of Education to ensure they meet the highest standards. Please utilize the standard Google Request Form and select "Charter SPAB" in the box titled "Type Of Bus Requested". All requests for charter services are contingent upon driver availability and approval.  

If a student feels unsafe or if there is a dangerous situation on a school bus, the student should immediately notify the bus driver. If a parent/guardian has any concerns regarding safety, we encourage them to contact our office to report their concerns. 

If a student left personal items on a school bus, contact our office. Our dispatch team will advise you further. 

There are only a few reasons that a student would be taken back to their school campus.

1. Due to unsafe behaviors severe enough to warrant a return to school campus to seek administrative assistance. This can impact all students on a school bus as the driver will not continue their route if there is/are behaviors present that pose a serious risk to the safety of the driver or other students present on the school bus.
2. Parents/Guardians not present to receive their child. Please note, all parents/guardians must be ready to receive their child at the time of dismissal. This also applies to children being dropped of at designated bus stop locations. 

The driver or any passenger shall report any violation of the district's bus rules to the principal or designee. The principal or designee shall notify the student's parent/guardian of the misbehavior, determine the severity of the misconduct, and take action accordingly. In instances of a severe violation or repeated offenses, the rider may be denied transportation for a period of time determined appropriate by the principal or designee.  For more information, see the Bus Conduct Policy here. 

All VUSD school buses are held to the highest standards regarding safety. The maintenance team performs regular service on our buses to ensure they are in proper working order. Our buses are serviced every 45 days even if there are no issues of concern present. If there is an issue that needs to be corrected, buses are removed from service until all corrections are performed. Additionally, VUSD buses undergo annual inspections to ensure they meet all safety requirements.