Student transportation safety is a shared responsibility between the Colleton County School District and the South Carolina Department of Education. School buses used primarily for the transportation of students who live more than 1.5 miles from school are owned and maintained by the state. Vehicles used primarily to transportation students for extracurricular activities are owned and maintained by the school district. School bus routes are managed by the school district according to state law and approved annually by the state. School bus driver training standards and certification is administered by the state.
The Colleton County School District, Office of Student Transportation, oversees the administration of the school district portion of the student transportation safety program locally. The Office of Student Transportation is responsible for employing professional bus drivers, bus monitors and transportation administrative staff responsible for the safe transport of our students daily.
The Office of Student Transportation operates 52 general education route buses and 13 special needs route buses covering 88 individual bus routes for 9 schools daily. Route school buses transports approximately 3,100 students daily covering an area approximately 1,056 square miles wide. Route school buses average 7,900 miles daily adding up to approximately 1.4 million miles a year. Extra-curricular activities and athletic teams are transported on the district's 9 activity vehicles.
All buses operated by the Office of Student Transportation are equipped with digital two-way radios, “real-time” GPS and digital camera systems. These tools provide digital communication, location tracking, and high definition audio/video surveillance to ensure the safety and security of our students.