Department Info
Tamara Centers - Transportation Supervisor
Office: 760 East Fourth Street Franklin, Ohio 45005
Phone: 937.743.8670
Welome to a new school year!
As your child benefits from one of the finest public educations in Ohio, our job is to make sure that all students who are eligible for bus service receive a safe and pleasant ride to and from school. We want your child’s entire school day, including the morning and afternoon bus rides, to be as enjoyable as possible.
To help with that, we have included a few basic guidelines as well as the most frequently asked questions and answers about our school bus service. We want to make sure your child starts the day right and ends with a smile; please let us know if we can help in any way.
You are encouraged to go to the Franklin City Schools website to the Transportation Department tab and download the “MyRide” Parent App which allows you to track your student on their bus. It is easy to use and there is a step-by-step guide to walk you through the process.
Please call 937-743-8670 or email me at tcenters@franklincityschools.com with any questions or comments.
We look forward to a great school year. Thank you for entrusting us with transporting your students.
Sincerely,
Tamara
Frequenly Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why has busing service been reduced for 2025-26?
Due to the failure of the levies in November and May, the district has had to reduce expenses. One thing we have done is move to the state minimum standards for busing. Those are:
- No high school busing.
- Students in grades K-8 who live inside a two-mile walking radius of their building will not have bus service.
- Students can be assigned a bus stop up to a half (½) a mile from the residence.
Are there any exceptions for high school busing?
Per the state standards, we will continue to transport these high school students:
- Those students attending the Warren County Career Center and Miami University (Early College Academy) will be transported to those campuses from Franklin High School, but students are required to get to FHS on their own.
What about transportation for special education students?
Special education students who have transportation written into their IEP will be transported.
Is there transportation available from the YMCA program at Schenck and Hunter SafeCare?
Yes, the district will be providing transportation from the YMCA program at Schenck and from Hunter SafeCare.
How do we know if our Kindergarten student will be attending AM or PM?
Busing is based on the registered home address and only one (1) address for pick up and drop off per student. Manchester Road will be the dividing line between the AM and PM boundaries. Addresses north of Manchester Rd will be in the AM session and addresses south of Manchester Rd will be in the PM session. Manchester Road itself will be in the AM session.
Students using a sitter/daycare provider for before and after school care must be in the same boundary/session zone and this will be the 1 address. There will not be splitting of days such as M-W-F to/from the sitter and T-Th to/from home.
Kindergarten students must have an authorized adult at the bus stop to receive them off the bus. If there is not an authorized adult at the bus stop then the student will remain on the bus and be taken back to the school. Adults must show a photo id to the driver, if requested, for the safety of the student. If anyone other than the parent or guardian will be getting the student off the bus they must be on file with the school.
Are students permitted to have friends ride the bus with them?
No, only students registered to each bus are allowed to ride to and from their assigned bus stop.
I cannot see my child's bus stop from the house. Are there state laws that set the standards for bus stop locations?
No law requires a parent to see the bus stop from home. Students in Ohio may be assigned to a bus stop up to one-half mile from their home and we encourage parents to accompany their child to the bus stop whenever possible. This teaches the child safe habits of walking to and from the bus stop and may give the parent peace of mind. Bus stop locations are determined by each district’s board of education.
Are sidewalks required for my child to get to his/her bus stop?
Many students walk alongside of roadways to reach their bus stop and in some instances no sidewalks exist. While we understand this may be of concern in some situations, the Department of Education does not promulgate bus stop placement. Issues relating to where a child’s bus stop is located and safety concerns along the way to the bus stop must be addressed with the district in which you reside.
I make my child wait inside of my house until the bus is at the stop. I have heard this not allowed-is this true?
Ohio law requires children to be waiting at the bus stop prior to its arrival. Bus drivers count the students at the bus stop before they load and as they get on the bus to ensure all children are safely on board. If students are not waiting at the bus stop the bus driver cannot count them and cannot be certain the students are all safely on board. Waiting at the bus stop before the bus arrives further ensures that no one chases after the bus – this is a very dangerous thing to do. Many districts also instruct their buses to not stop at locations where no students are waiting.
