Fall River Public SchoolsTransportation
Deborah Carvalho
Director of Transportation Services
Christy Pelletier
Clerk - Fall River School Department
Alexia Gouveia
Transportation Clerk
Fall River, MA 02720
Phone: 508-675-8330 Ext. 31341
Student Transportation Services
Students in grades K-5 - qualify for transportation if the student
lives 1 or more miles from their neighborhood school.
Students in grades 6-8–qualify for transportation if the student
lives 1.5 or more miles from their neighborhood school.
Students in Special Programs – qualify if the student is
attending a program outside their residential school area.
- Information regarding transportation services to all students who qualify will be mailed to the families of these students in mid-August. This information will include bus stop assignments and time-lines.
- Students on IEPs may have different transportation requirements which are not addressed by this transportation information.
- The accommodations made for transportation for a student on an IEP will take precedence.
Bus Tag Protocols:
All FRPS students who are assigned to a bus stop for transportation must obtain and display a current bus ID tag in order to ride the bus home from school. These tags are necessary for various reasons, including:
*Identifying grade level (ability to get off the bus alone or requiring an adult)
*Ensuring only qualifying students are riding (space is limited)
*Assisting monitors in identifying students when returning them to school when a parent is not at the stop
Bus monitors will remind tag less students before they arrive at school that, if a student does not have a tag, they must go to the office before school dismissal to secure a replacement or to call a parent to bring their tag.
* Their child has been issued four total bus IDs, and that in the event they fail to bring one of the four to school, they will not be able to access transportation home at the end of the school day.
* The next time the student arrives at school without a tag for the bus return home, it will be their obligation to arrange alternate transportation.
* No other tags will be issued by the school. The Parent/Guardian will have to contact the Transportation Office at (508) 675-8330 to secure a replacement tag if the tags are lost.
FRPS Transportation Dept.
Find my school by address.
2024-2025 Bus Routes
Bus Company Information
- Amaral Bus Company
(508) 324-0551 - Fisher Bus Inc.
(508) 673-0685 - Tremblay Bus Co., Inc
(508) 675-0551 - Whaling City Transit
(508) 679-0100 - Town Taxi
(508) 673-9999 - Greater Fall River SRTA
(508) 672-6071
Anti-Idling Law
Massachusetts General Law (MGL}, Chapter 90, Section 16A, 310 Code of Massachusetts Regulation (CMR), Section 7.11 and MGL, Chapter 111
"No person shall cause, suffer, allow, or permit the unnecessary operation of the engine of a motor vehicle while said vehicle is stopped for a foreseeable period of time in excess of five minutes."
Penalties range from $100 (MGL Chapter 90, Section 16A) to as much as $25,000 (MGL Chapter 111, Section 142A). Drivers and/or companies can be held responsible and local police have the authority to enforce the law among other officials.
What does this mean for our students and our buses?
School buses must load and leave school grounds within 5 minutes of the first student boarding the bus.
FRPS Transportation Department
- Students should arrive at the bus stop 10 minutes before the scheduled pick up time. The driver is not permitted to wait for students.
- Students must wait for the bus on the sidewalk at the designated bus stop until the bus comes to a complete stop.
- Students are to remain seated until they reach their destination.
- Students will need to board and leave the bus in a single file.
- Students are not allowed to extend hands or objects out of the bus windows.
- Students are not allowed to eat or drink on the bus.
- Students are not to take photos, videos or use Facetime while on the bus.
- Students are not to throw trash or any other objects onto, off of or inside the bus. (This will result in a bus suspension)
- Students must not damage or deface the school bus or private property surrounding school bus stops.
- Smoking, Vaping, Drugs and alcohol are not permitted on the bus. (This will result in an automatic bus suspension)
- Weapons or the ignition of matches, lighters etc. are prohibited on the bus. (This will result in an automatic bus suspension or expulsion from the bus)
- Fighting, vulgarity, distracting and unsafe or aggressive behavior will not be tolerated on the bus.
- Students are expected to be courteous and must follow driver or monitor directions to ensure the safety of the ride.
- Students will never use the rear emergency exit except upon the direction of the driver or monitor.
Returned Bus Students
Effective 12/2/2024:
For safety reasons, students in Grades K through 2 at FRPS must be accepted off the bus at their designated bus stop by a parent, guardian, or authorized adult. Additionally, special education students in grades Pre-K through 5 who require door-to-door transportation must also be received by an authorized adult at their drop-off location.
For Special Education students in Grades 6 through 12, they may be allowed to exit the bus alone only if the Permission Form for Middle School and High School has been signed and returned. This form must be completed and signed each year. If the form has not been completed, then an authorized adult must be home to receive the student off the bus or van.
In the event that a parent, guardian, or authorized adult is not present at the student's designated bus stop or drop-off location at the end of the school day, the student will be transported back to one of the two designated school sites listed below by their school bus or van.
AM PreK students are returned to their school. PM and full day PreK students are returned on a case-by-case basis. Please call the Transportation Department if you have any questions.
All other returned students from Silvia, Kuss, Doran and Morton will be brought to Morton Middle School (Back/Cafeteria Entrance).
Returned students from Durfee, Letourneau, Fonseca, Talbot, Spencer Borden, Henry Lord, Greene, Viveiros, Watson, and Out of District schools will be brought to Durfee High School (Main Entrance).
We would like to inform you that bus students who are repeatedly returned to school due to the absence of a parent or guardian at the bus stop upon arrival will be subject to specific protocols. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Consequences for Returned Students
First occurrence - No action taken
Second occurrence - No action taken
Third occurrence - 48-hour notice will be issued indicating that the student will be suspended from bus services for a period of three (3) days. Additionally, a warning will be provided stating that a fourth (4th) occurrence will result in the School Department filing a report with the Department of Children and Families (DCF).
Fourth occurrence - 48-hour notice of suspension from bus services for one week (5 school days), and the School Department will proceed with filing a report with DCF.
Fifth occurrence - 48-hour notice will be issued stating that bus transportation will be suspended for the remainder of the school year.
Students who receive specialized transportation due to their disability or because of the location of their program and are repeatedly returned, the special education department will be notified and they will reach out to the family on the fifth occurrence.