Transportation
May 5 is Ohio’s School Bus Driver Appreciation Day.
The professionalism of the many Ohio school bus drivers is why the school bus remains – by far – the safest way for students to get to school. More than 18,000 school bus drivers in Ohio transport more than 1.2 million students over 170 million miles each year. At the same time, the school bus safety record is unsurpassed, greatly exceeding that of automobiles, airlines, and even passenger trains.
To qualify to become a school bus driver in Ohio, an applicant must complete pre-service training and certified on-bus training, pass a driving evaluation and obtain a commercial driver license. In addition, drivers must pass pre-employment background and drug screenings. Drivers are required to be recertified every six years.
The Ohio Legislature designated the first Monday in May as School Bus Driver Appreciation Day to “increase public recognition of the important function that school bus drivers serve in safely transporting children to and from school.”
About
Tracy Sprague Marcum, Transportation Supervisor
Sherry Smith, Secretary
Address:
Oak Hills Transportation Department
6465 Bridgetown Road
Cincinnati, OH 45248
Phone: 513-574-2161
Email:
Oak Hills Local School District transports students in kindergarten through Grade 8 who live two miles or more from their home school. Transportation is based on your residential address.
The Transportation Department determines routes, bus stops, assigns drivers for classroom and/or athletic field trips and plans for inclement weather. We currently have 44 drivers, 15 bus aides and 10 crossing guards that work to keep our students safe every day!
Our department transports: 1,833 public school students, 633 parochial school students and 315 specialized students, with a total of 2,781 students every day of the school year.
We have three mechanics that service our 41 school buses, district vans, maintenance vehicles and lawn equipment throughout the district.
All students are required to be at their bus stop five minutes before the scheduled pick up time. We will not wait for students who are not at their stops. This is for the safety of your children.
Bus Passes and Rules
Bus passes for the 2024-25 school year will be mailed on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2024.
Special Needs Children
Oak Hills Transportation provides services for 315 special needs children. Parents must notify the Transportation Office if their child will not be riding the bus that day. One of the mechanics is “on duty” at 5:30 a.m. to take calls. Parents can also call the office number 574-2161 to report a child not riding at any time.
Field Trips
Contact Sherry Smith at [email protected] or Tracy Marcum at [email protected].for information concerning field trip times, available dates and cost. All approved paperwork should be completed and received by Transportation Office at least 15 days in advance of the trip. All classroom field trips must be between the hours of 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. That is leaving school at 9:00 a.m. and returning to your building by 2:00 p.m.
Caregiver Information
Transportation is based on a student's home address (the address the school district has on record). If a family needs a child transported to a caregiver, the family must first qualify from its home address before the Transportation Department can consider a caregiver pick-up or drop-off. The caregiver's address must also qualify for transportation, and must be on an established bus route. We are unable to reroute our full-sized buses for caregiver transportation if we do not have a bus in the area.
Please note that to be picked up or dropped off at a caregiver's address, your child must be dropped off at the same address five days per week -- no alternating days between caregiver, home or shared parenting residences unless it is five days per week. If you have questions, please call the Transportation office at 513-574-2161.
If your child needs transportation to a caregiver, please email the Transportation office a permission letter giving us permission to pick up, drop off or both at the caregiver's home. Please include the caregiver's name, address and the contact number of both the caregiver and the parent.
If you have questions, please call or email Transportation Supervisor Tracy Sprague Marcum, 513-574-2161, or [email protected].
