• Sparta Public School District provides transportation for the following schools:

  • Preschool Program

  • Alpine Elementary School

  • Mohawk Avenue School

  • Helen Morgan School

  • Sparta Middle School

  • Sparta High School

  • Sussex Charter School

  • Sussex Technical School

  • Reverend Brown Memorial School

  • Pope John XXIII

  • Hilltop Country Day

  In addition, the Transportation Department arranges transportation for all Special Needs Out-of-District Placement and arranges for Aid-in-Lieu Payment for qualified Non-Public Schools. 

All Sparta Board of Education buses are a safe environment for students to ride. We encourage a positive attitude for students and drivers alike. Safety is a top priority and is everyone's responsibility.  We are very proud of our safety record and we encourage parents to reinforce these safety tips with their children.

Our Safety Guidelines:

• Students are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly manner during the time they are on a district bus. From the time the students enter the bus until they are discharged at the bus stop, they are under the jurisdiction of the rules and regulations of the school district, as enforced by the school bus driver. Riding the school bus is a privilege, not a right, and such privilege may be revoked if an individual's conduct is abusive, dangerous, or destructive. Bus drivers will report the misconduct of students to the Building Principal and the Supervisor of Transportation by means of a discipline report.

• Students crossing the highway, either to board a bus or after leaving a bus, must cross at least 10 feet in front of the bus at the signal of the bus driver.

• Students will board and depart only on their assigned bus and only at the established stop. The boarding stop and departure stop may be different for their assigned bus but, must remain at the same stop for five days a week.

Following the above student conduct guidelines will ensure that your child will have a positive experience on our buses.

Also:

If your bus stop is assigned to your home, please have your student waiting at the end of the driveway not inside your home.

If you miss the bus, please DO NOT follow the bus to the next stop. Proceed to the school to ensure the safety of your student. Sending your student running down the road to the bus creates an unsafe environment with the potential of being a tragic statistic. 

Pre-k - 2nd grade parents, if you are not at the bus stop for your student, your student will be returned to the school. When a student's parents are not at the bus stop, it causes unnecessary anxiety and creates an unpleasant riding experience.

Cell phone use on the bus is covered in your students' school handbook. 

Please allow 3-5 business days for an approved request to take effect. 

The most important fact that parents must be aware of is the Danger Zone around the outside of a school bus. Despite all of the special mirrors on a bus, drivers may not always be able to see young children who are close to the bus. Everyone near the bus,including students, siblings and pets should stay away from these "danger zones".

Parents can assist by:

• Encouraging students to stay out of the danger zone and do so themselves.

• If a child needs to cross the road to get on or off the bus and you meet the bus, please cross with him or her, following the driver's hand signal.

• Avoid purchasing traditional yellow raincoats, which blend in with the color of the bus.

• Remove all jacket and coat drawstrings.

• Students should keep all belongings in a book bag. Loose items dropped by children can cause them to reach into the Danger Zone.

Parents can assist their child(ren) in being safe riders by:

• Please have your child waiting at their designated bus stops at least ten (10) minutes prior to the scheduled pick-up time.

• Children are most vulnerable when they are outside the bus; it is important that children wait for the driver to give them the universal crossing signal and that they check for oncoming traffic once they are no longer protected by the bus and before completely crossing. We must remind children to check right and left before stepping out of the stairwell of the bus for motorists who may pass on the right hand side of a stopped school bus.

• All items should fit securely in the child's book bag.

• Musical instruments too large to fit on a child's lap are not permitted (they could block an emergency evacuation). This is also true of over sized book bags with airport-style wheels.

• If your son or daughter needs to go to an alternative site (i.e.: a babysitter) please notify the school and Transportation Department in writing in a timely way. Special forms are available in the schools, and  in the Transportation Department. *Note:  Alternative site pickups and/or drop offs must be consistent Monday-Friday.

• Alternate Bus Stop Form

• Shared Custody Bus Pass Request Form

• Student Bus Information Card

• Full-Time & Share-Time Sussex County Tech Student Transportation Form

June Macko
Transportation Coordinator
973.729.2155 x1404
june.macko@sparta.org

Jessica Mastellone
Transportation Assistant
973.729.2155 x1404
jessica.mastellone@sparta.org