Transportation services for Bristol Public Schools are provided by DATTCO, located at 780 James P. Casey Road, Bristol, CT 06010.

For transportation-related questions or assistance, DATTCO can be reached at 860-838-7781.

The GPS functionality of the My Ride K-12 app will not be available until October 2026. For now, the app can only be used to view bus assignments, stop information, and pickup/drop-off times.

My Ride K-12 is Tyler Technologies’ mobile app that allows parents and students to view bus assignments, stop information, pickup/drop-off times, and, when enabled, live bus locations and ETAs. To use the application you will first need to know your student's 7 digit student id # which can be found using the parentsquare app. If you do not have the parentsquare app you can use the link below to sign up.

Getting Started with ParentSquare and PowerSchool for Parents (English)Primeros pasos con ParentSquare y PowerSchool para padres (español)

Using the Parent Square App

1. Open the ParentSquare App
2. Click the 3 dashes in the upper left corner
3. A list of your students will appear. Click on one of your students.
4. At the top of the app (under the student's name), click "Dashboard"
5. Select "Overview"
6. Your student's ID will be at the top of the window (7 digit number)

How to Access the My Ride K-12 Mobile Application

1. Download the My Ride K-12 app by Tyler Technologies from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
2. Once the installation is complete, open the My Ride K-12 app.
3. When prompted to find your school district, search for Bristol Public Schools and select it.
4. You will be taken to the login page. If you do not already have a registered account, select Register.
5. To register, enter your email address, password, and name.
6. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email. Select the link in the email to confirm your registration through the My Ride K-12 website.
7. Log in to the app. To add a student, go to My Students and select the + button. This will open the Add Student screen.
8. Enter your student's 7-digit student ID number.
9. Use the school search bar to enter the name of your student's school. It is important to select the correct school or program. If your student attends a specialized program, there may be multiple options for the same school. For example, West Bristol School has options for both West Bristol School and the West Bristol School LEAD Program. You must select the correct school or program to locate your student.
10. If needed, select Add Another to add additional students.
11. Once you have linked your student, select the student's profile to view their transportation information.
12. To share a student's transportation information with someone else, select Select Action, then select Share.
13. Enter the email address of the person you would like to share the student's information with. They will receive a confirmation email and, once registered with My Ride K-12, will automatically be linked to the shared student information.
14. Keep the app updated by regularly checking for available updates in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
15. Remain logged in to the app to receive district notifications, even when the app is not actively running.

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Bristol Public Schools will provide student transportation under state law and regulation, for all students who qualify. Eligible K-12 students are automatically assigned to neighborhood bus stops. You do not need to request or deny this service. For questions regarding transportation of Pre-K students, please contact Edgewood Pre-Kindergarten Center.

Below are the maximum walking distances for students at each level. Students will generally be eligible for transportation if they meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Elementary School students (K-5) walk up to one mile.
• K-8 School students (K-8) walk up to one mile.
• Middle School students walk up to one and one-half miles.
• High School students walk up to two miles.

The walking distance is the linear measure between the pupil's residence and the school, from the curb or edge of a public road nearest the pupil's residence to the nearest paved access of the school. We utilize the expertise of the Bristol Police Department Traffic Division to identify safe areas for student passage as walkers.

The Board Policy provides daycare transportation in certain circumstances:

• Students must be residents of Bristol.
• The authorized daycare location must be within the student's school boundary and at least one mile away, within the City of Bristol.
• Parents/guardians must fill out a Daycare Transportation form in advance of every school year.
• Daycare transportation must be the same every day of the week.

Transportation will only be approved if the licensed daycare center or private sitter’s residence is within the assigned school district of the parents/guardians’ residence and meets the distance requirement listed above. Each August, students eligible for transportation are assigned stops based on their home address. If alternate arrangements are needed, parents must complete the Daycare Authorization form (link) regardless of whether arrangements were made the previous year. If approved students will be assigned to the closest existing corner stop to the daycare residence.

To improve communication and ensure consistent implementation of transportation updates, bus stop changes will take effect on Mondays and Wednesdays only. 

• Requests submitted between Monday and Wednesday will become active the following Monday. 

• Requests submitted between Thursday and Friday will become active the following Wednesday.

This schedule provides sufficient time to review requests, make route adjustments, and communicate updates to families, schools, and transportation staff, helping ensure a safe and efficient transportation system.

Bus stops are established to serve neighborhoods or clusters of students within a geographical area according to safety guidelines. Individual house stops are rarely created as they are inefficient and lengthen the time the bus is on the road. Students are expected to walk to their assigned bus stop.

There is a ten-minute window before and after a student’s given pickup or drop-off time. For example, if a student is told their pickup time is 8:30 a.m., the acceptable window for the bus to arrive is 8:20-8:40 a.m. Students should be waiting at the bus stop throughout this period. Students must be fully visible to the driver. If a student remains inside the house or in a parked car, the driver may not stop, and the bus will not return for the student.

While waiting for the bus, stand in the designated spot only. Do not run on the road or go into private yards or driveways. Be respectful of all property near the bus stop. When the bus arrives, board and take a seat promptly, facing forward at all times. When the bus drops off, disembark and cross the street, if applicable, without delay.

The lack of sidewalks on a street within the walking distance to a school does not automatically qualify a student for bus transportation. Several streets in Bristol do not have sidewalks, which is not considered an automatic provision for bus transportation. We utilize the expertise of the Bristol Police Department Traffic Division to identify safe areas for student passage as walkers.

For safety reasons, Bristol school buses do not enter cul-de-sacs unless the child has a physical impairment that prohibits walking to the entrance corner. The sizes of cul-de-sacs may not accommodate the wide turning radius of a school bus. Snow clearing and snow buildup during winter also pose safety concerns. School bus backing must be avoided, and traveling in and out of cul-de-sacs is time-consuming and costly.

To ensure safe, efficient, and reliable transportation for all students, pickup and drop-off locations for school bus routes will not be changed for short-term or temporary requests.

Reassigning a student to a different bus stop requires routing adjustments, driver notification, and system updates. This process will take seven (7) business days to complete.

Additionally, temporary changes for one student impact the entire route by altering pickup and drop-off times for all students assigned to that bus. Frequent or short-term adjustments create scheduling disruptions and increase the risk of errors and delays.

If a family believes that their bus stop is located in, or requires students to walk through, a hazardous area, they must complete the Bristol Public Schools Transportation Feedback Form to request a change.

Calling the school, the bus company, or the Board of Education will not result in a stop change request being processed. A request for a bus stop change must be made and approved by the Board of Education. To request a change, or report an issue please fill out the Transportation Feedback form (link). 

Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and all students on special education buses are required to have an adult at the bus stop at all times. The designated person must be visible to the driver. If there is no parent or guardian present upon drop-off, the child will be returned to school or the Bristol Police Department. Older siblings riding the same bus may not stand in for a parent/guardian. It is strongly urged for an adult to accompany any young child at the bus stop, though it is not required for students in grade 1 or above. A child of any age who is uncomfortable getting off the bus may request a ride back to school.

School bus transportation is extended to students on the condition that they behave appropriately. All buses are an extension of the school day, and students are subject to school behavior standards while waiting for and during transportation. Students violating Bus Behavior Policies may have their bus privileges suspended, making transportation the sole responsibility of the parent/guardian. All buses have video devices. School administration will verify claims of behavior problems by viewing these videos. Due to confidentiality rules, parents may not view videos with other students visible.