The school buses operated by the Transportation department of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District travel a 150 square mile radius each day. They presently transport over 4700 regular and Special Education students each day to 49 school sites and centers. The fleet of 88 buses drives over 1.5 million miles a year. The Transportation department also transports students on over 700 athletic trips and over 600 field trips each year.
The following services are provided by the Transportation department:
- Parent Pay Busing: Taking students from bus stops to school
- Special Education: Busing for handicapped students
- Special Trips: Field Trips, athletic trips, etc.
- Maintenance of all district-owned vehicles
- Fuel dispensing and monitoring
- Training programs for school bus drivers
- Safety: School bus safety and evacuation programs for all K-6 grade students
| Questions Regarding... |
Contact... |
(925) 825-7440 |
| Transportation |
Transportation Supervisor
Senior Typist Clerk |
ext. 3709
ext. 3713 |
| Parent-Pay Busing |
Account Clerk
Transporation Supervisor |
ext. 3701
ext. 3709 |
| Cost of Field Trip |
Senior Account Clerk |
ext. 3700 |
| Field Trip Requests |
Driver Trainer |
ext. 3714 |
| Regular Ed Bus Stops or Routes |
Driver Trainer |
ext. 3714 |
| Special Ed Bus Stops or Routes |
Dispatcher |
ext. 3710 |
| Shop Repair |
Transportation Shop Supervisor |
ext. 3707 |
| All Other Questions |
Transportation Supervisor |
ext. 3709 |
Special Trip Request Form Instructions
Fill out Special Trip Request form in detail. Double-check the date and the day of the week. Specific information on the destination should be provided, as well as the times you expect to be picked up and returned. If the trip is going to be charged to a specific school account, fill in the "Charge Trip To" section by writing in the budget code. If a payment is going to be made, fill in the "Send Bill To" section. Send the completed trip request form to the Transportation department. Retain the last (goldenrod) copy of the form at your office for your records.
If a specific program is involved; i.e., GATE or ESL, the request must be sent to the program administrator for approval and signature before the form is sent to the Transportation department.
Invoices for the trip will be sent to the school (from the Budget & Fiscal Services department) as close to the first of the month following the trip as possible. Payment, as always, is sent to the Budget & Fiscal Services department.
You should also inform the Transportation department when you take field trips that use vehicles other than our school buses. If there is an emergency and we are contacted, this helps us to respond. Make a photocopy of the Special Trip Request form, fill it out writing "0" at "No. of buses required" and send it to the Transportation department. You should also contact the Transportation department regarding contracting with outside charter companies. We may be able to get you a better rate and we are also aware of the state regulations regarding the transportation of students.
Each year (generally in May or June), schools will receive an updated list with trip rates; therefore, when planning a trip, check with the school office manager to make sure you have the current rates. If the destination of your trip is not shown on the list, you may call the Transportation department (ext. 3700) for the cost of the trip.
Trip requests should be received by us at least ten days prior to the trip; however, because of the volume of requests in recent years, send your request as soon as you possibly can. The information is entered in the computer and you will receive a white confirmation copy that the trip has been booked. Approximately one week before the trip is scheduled to take place, you will receive the canary copy of the trip sheet. Call 825-7440, ext. 3709 immediately if you wish to cancel a trip; you will be charged if there is less than 24-hour notice. You may leave a voice mail message.
Have students ready to load and depart at the time specified on the trip request. It is also imperative that students be ready to leave and return to the school at the time specified. Often drivers have other runs or trips to do after you are returned to school.
You must obtain your blank
Special Trip Request and Drivers Report 
form from the
Warehouse.
Parent-Pay Busing Form Instructions
A supply of packets containing the
letter to parents (
spanish)
,
Application for School Bus Transportation (
spanish)
and
Application for Free School Bus Transportation (
spanish)
forms are sent to school offices. Drivers also have them on their buses. Renewal forms are also handed out by drivers two weeks before each pass period.
When the account clerk in charge of parent-pay busing receives the application with payment or verification of income for free transportation, the information is entered in the computer and a pass is issued. The pass is sent back to the parent by mail or through the driver.
As noted in the cover letter, a $3 fee is charged for lost or mutilated bus passes. This fee may either be paid to the bus driver (who will bring it to the Transportation office) or the parent may come to the Transportation office in person. Students must show the bus pass each day.
If annual passes are not obtained, there is a different-colored pass for each period (of approximately 30 school days). There are six pass periods. The pass for the last period of the school year is the same color as the annual pass. The pass colors change each school year. Passes are laminated by the Transportation office.
A discount equal to the cost for one pass period is given to those who purchase an annual pass at the beginning of the school year.
For emergency repairs, contact extension 3884.