Transportation

School BusFor approximately 80 percent of Maine students, the school day begins and ends on the school bus. It is a place that sets the stage for daily learning as well as a place where safety is the first priority. For parents, it is about deciding how their child will travel to and from school. For students, it is a place to cultivate friendships and prepare for the school day.

Today’s school buses include technological advancements that have made them safer, more fuel efficient, more durable, and more environmentally friendly.

Maine Department of Education school transportation provides information to schools and works with the Legislature to ensure safe and efficient transportation for school children. At the Department, school transportation deals with policy, operations, programs and training to track data and report trends in school transportation.

School transportation is about planning over the life cycle of the fleet. To ensure that schools deliver safe and efficient transportation, Maine DOE school transportation works with state school superintendents, Legislators and the Governor. We collaborate with state and federal agencies that include: Maine State Police, Maine Department of the Secretary of State, Maine Department of Transportation, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and the Maine Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Managements’ Maine Emergency Management Agency. On the federal level, the Maine DOE works with U.S. Departments of Transportation, Education, Justice, and Homeland Security. Based on State laws and standards and federal laws and guidelines, we collaborate with these organizations to:
 
  • Provide school transportation safety and security information for schools
  • Establish practices for efficient school transportation operations
  • Develop procedures and regulations to ensure a safe transportation system
  • Direct state transportation programs
  • Track and report transportation data
School Transportation supports and contributes to the mission of the Department through Strategic Priority 4:  Ensure student and school safety, health, and well-being.