Types of Buses and Uses
The Clark County School District has used all four types of school buses at one time or another.
Type A - This school bus is a conversion bus constructed utilizing a cutaway front-section vehicle with a left-side driver’s door. The District currently operates five propane powered type A school buses. These buses are equipped with wheelchair lifts for students that require them.
Type B - This school bus is constructed utilizing a stripped chassis. The entrance door is behind the front wheels. The District has used this type of bus in the past, but no longer uses them.
Type C - A Type C, or conventional, school bus is constructed utilizing a chassis with a hood and front fender assembly. The entrance door is behind the front wheels. This type also includes the cutaway truck chassis or truck chassis with cab with or without a left-side door and with a GVWR greater than 21,500 pounds. The District currently uses a large number of these buses mainly for Special Needs students as the large majority are outfitted with wheelchair lifts.
Type D - A Type D, or transit-style, school bus is constructed utilizing a stripped chassis. The entrance door is ahead of the front wheels. The District mainly uses these style buses for General Education transportation, but some may be used for Special Needs when outfitted with a wheelchair lift. Transportation is a necessary entitlement for students with disabilities to provide access to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), as established by federal statute, in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
All buses in the fleet can service corner stops. However, to ensure access to confined areas such as apartment complexes, cul-de-sacs, or gated communities, the District utilizes buses manufactured with specific modifications to provide service at the closest accessible curb. The buses utilized for this portion of service have shorter overall length, wheelbase, and additional securement options. The standard transit buses are forty feet in length, while the specialized buses are thirty feet.
All of the specialized units are equipped with wheelchair ramps, flat flooring, and securement tracks. The added equipment allows for customization of services to meet the needs of every student as designated by their Individualized Educational Program (IEP). Children with special transportation needs range from three and half years to twenty-two years of age. This population of children have varying types of disabilities such as orthopedic, emotional, intellectual, and mobility challenges, and/or other health impairments.
In an effort to fully accommodate the growing early childhood bus riders, the District also began purchasing buses in 2009, fitted with an integrated Child Safety Restraint System (CSRS). The system is a five-point harness seating platform that best accommodates infants and smaller students. The District currently provides curb-to-curb services to approximately 13,000 children with special needs. This population continues to grow by 3%-5% annually. The school bus is considered an extension of the classroom. Transportation staff works diligently with the Student Services Division, to incorporate the school bus into the instructional day. A few examples of instruction-based services are the community-based instruction, sheltered job sites, orientation and mobility training, and other such daily shuttles and services. With the large size of the District, one of the major concerns is the length of run times. Transportation personnel have defined practices and made changes in the routing process so that students are not on the bus longer than one hour. The automated routing system allows for constant review and compliance of established routes.