The TCBDD Transportation Department is made up of highly qualified, professional associates who are passionate about the safety of our students. Because we are the first and last people representing the TCBDD that our students see every day, Transportation Department staff members like to begin and end the day with a smile to help keep a positive and trusting relationship between the drivers, aides, students and families. Our team makes sure every student’s needs are met–whether they ride the bus to and from school or for a field trip. We take pride in our department’s ability to maintain safety while providing a fun learning environment on our buses! If you would like to schedule a test bus ride, please contact our department at (330) 652-1432. We would be happy to meet with you to discuss your student’s needs.
Transportation Department Office
420 Lincoln Way, Niles, OH 44446 | Phone: (330) 652-1432 | Fax: (330) 349-9417
Jennifer Durno
Director of Transportation
[email protected]
Tamara Bailey
Transportation Coordinator
[email protected]
Richard Morgan
Asst. Director of Transportation
[email protected]
Our Transportation Department handles more than 150 students in 14 buses, covering 637 square miles. We travel an average of 1,116 miles per day, totaling 200,880 miles per school year.
- Staffing includes:
- 14 full-time bus drivers
- 14 full-time bus aides
- 2 full-time mechanics
- 3 office staff members
- All buses are equipped with two-way radios, Zonar GPS and DVR systems.
- All buses are inspected by the Ohio State Patrol at least twice per year to maintain the highest safety standards.
Our top priority and focus is always safety first. All of our bus drivers have met the following state requirements:
- FBI and BCII background check
- Pre-employment and random drug and alcohol screens
- Pre-employment and annual physicals
- Required hours of Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training and Ohio Department of Education Driver Training
- Bureau of Motor Vehicle background checks
- Annual in-service training
- Monthly staff meetings
- First aid/CPR and crisis training
Our dedicated transportation staff is proud to meet the needs of the individuals whom we serve.
Bus Rules (Ohio Administrative Code Section 3301-83-08-(C))
- Students shall arrive at the bus stop before the vehicle is scheduled to arrive.
- Students must wait in a location clear of traffic and away from the bus stop.
- Behavior at the bus stop must not threaten life, limb or property of any individual.
- Students must go directly to an available or assigned seat so the vehicle may safely resume motion.
- Students must remain seated, keeping the aisle and all exits clear.
- Students must observe classroom conduct and obey the driver promptly and respectfully.
- Students must not use profane language or gestures.
- Students must refrain from eating and drinking on the vehicle except as required for medical reasons.
- Students must not use tobacco on the vehicle.
- Students must not have alcohol or drugs in their possession on the vehicle except for prescription medication required for a student.
- Students must not throw or pass objects on, from or into the vehicle.
- Students may carry on the vehicle only objects that can be held in their laps. (Equipment such as music instruments, athletic uniforms, etc., which cannot be held by passengers in their seats, shall be stored in the rear of the vehicle [OAC 3301-80-20-J]).
- Students must leave or board the vehicle at locations to which they have been assigned unless they have written parental and administrative authorization to do otherwise.
- Students must not put head or arms out of the vehicle.
- Medications are not to be sent on the bus unless approved through the school nursing staff in proper locked medical bags.
- Please do not send passengers with any dangerous objects, such as glass, knives, firearms, ammunition, explosives, etc.
- All safety vests must be worn under outerwear coats and jackets.
- Transportation staff members are not permitted to leave the bus beyond the loading doors. Please make sure someone escorts individuals to and from the bus.
- Any pickup or drop-off changes with a student’s family member or staff must be called in to the Transportation Department.
- Address changes can take 3-10 days to process to begin transportation
- If a student will not be riding the bus due to illness or other emergency, please contact the transportation office prior to his/her scheduled pickup time.
- If a student misses three consecutive days without notification, the bus will not return until we have received notification from the school and/or nursing.
- If a student is sent home sick, the school nurse will advise the Transportation Department when to resume pickup.
- A student MUST have the same pickup and drop-off location or have a location that would be on the same bus route. A student cannot be assigned two different buses to accommodate pickup and drop-off.
- The bus will only wait three minutes at a stop for the student to meet the bus. After three minutes, the bus will have to move on to keep to its scheduled pickup times for the rest of the students.
- Snow Days will be announced via our SchoolMessenger Alert all-call system and the local news channels.
- Bus times are determined by the bus route. We cannot accommodate work schedules. Families are responsible for making sure an authorized person is able to meet the bus for pick-up and drop-off.
Transportation Spotlights
TCBDD Transportation Department Staff Mission Statements
It is the mission of our highly dedicated team members to make available safe and effective transportation for our special needs children by implementing our specialized training to help them pursue the objectives for a more meaningful and improved life.
Winter, spring, summer, fall,
With love and compassion,
We have the privilege of
Transporting the students
Of Fairhaven School
This is not a Mission Statement, but a statement with a mission.
The wheels on the bus go ’round and ’round and that’s why:
We recognize Fairhaven Transportation is going the right direction.
We recognize that when we open the doors to let our students on the bus, that it is the students that are opening the door to our hearts.
We recognize that when we drive our students to school, it is our students that drive us to be better people.
We recognize Fairhaven Transportation is more than a bus ride.
It is the ride of your life with the privilege to serve others.
We recognize that when the bus stops here at Fairhaven School, that the love and compassion continues.
We recognize that our students are being educated and motivated to excel and succeed in life!