Click here for the application downloads.

Transfer applications may be submitted to the Office of Student Assignment. The student transfer process is guided by Durham Public Schools Board of Education 4132 - STUDENT TRANSFERS .  Please read this policy before completing and submitting a transfer request.

Completed applications must be signed and can be submitted by mail, by fax (560-2414), or in person to:

        Durham Public Schools
        Office of Student Assignment
        511 Cleveland Street
        P O Box 30002
        Durham, NC  27702
 

G. Scott Denton
Executive Director of Transportation
511 Cleveland Street
P.O. Box 30002
Durham, NC 27701
Phone: (919) 560-3822
Fax: (919) 560-3858

Children can’t learn if they don’t get to and from school in a safe and timely manner. That’s where the Durham Public Schools Transportation Services Department comes in. Transportation Services oversees the safe delivery of more than 18,000 students to and from school, 180 days each year.

There are nearly 300 buses in the DPS fleet. They travel four million miles per year. The Transportation Services Department is one of the school district’s largest, with 425 employees. This includes bus drivers, mechanics, administrators and clerical staff.

Bus Stop Information (Where Bus)

What bus is my child supposed to ride and where is he/she supposed to catch the bus?

Please visit the school your child is assigned to attend in order to receive bus stop information.  But stop information is generally available at open houses held before school starts.  If you have not requested transportation for your child, please be sure to sign up by visiting your childs' school prior to August 11 to ensure the best possibility of having an assigned bus stop on the first day of school.

Transportation Services is open from 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.- call 560-BUSS (2877)

Transportation Services staff are available Monday through Friday, during regularly scheduled school days.  The schedule may be modified to accommodate summer schedules, holidays, year-round schools, or other times that all schools are not in operation. 

Transportation staff members answer questions related to:

• Routing and scheduling for all buses.
• Evaluating bus stops for safety/efficiency.
• Coordinating communications regarding accidents.
• Tracking bus status, including on-time arrival, breakdowns, etc.; this function includes proactively calling schools to inform principals of known delays.

Find Out More

• Bus Routes
• School Bus Safety Tips
• North Carolina School Bus Stop Law
• Fueling a Cleaner Environment

School Bus Maintenance

The transportation supervisor or chief mechanic shall organize and carry out a systematic plan of maintenance and preventive maintenance for all school buses on a daily and annual basis. The school system may transport pupils only on buses maintained in safe condition.

Durham Public Schools has a policy that states our intent to reduce unnecessary idling of school buses and other DPS vehicles.  If you see buses idling longer than five minutes, please report this information to DPS Transportation Services at 560-2877.  Following is the policy:

6425 -REDUCED IDLING OF SYSTEM-OPERATED VEHICLES

Children experiencing homelessness should have access to the education and other services they need to ensure that they have an opportunity to meet the same challenging state student academic achievement standards to which all students are held.

Relationships 

• Counseling Services are available to all students to address areas of personal, academic, and social difficulties as well as college preparation and career exploration. 
  Contact: Elementary Schools: Michelle Hedgepeth-Smith; 
  Middle and High Schools:  Kishia Carrington
•  Personal Education Plans are developed by teachers who find that learning or behavioral issues are interfering with student learning in the classroom.  The plans outline specific strategies that should be implemented in the classroom in order to address areas of concern.  The success plan must be reviewed at regular intervals to determine whether the strategies are effective.
  Contact:  School Counselor
• The Student Assistance Program is a school team whose purpose is to provide resources and supports for students that have been identified by teachers and/or parents as having problems that are interfering with the learning process.  The SAP process takes a step-by-step, organized approach to assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating strategies to improve student performance.
  Contact: Michelle Smith
  

Behavior Support 

• Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) is a school-wide system of support that includes proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behavior to create positive school environments.  Individual schools identify a Positive Behavior Support Team that collaborates with the district’s Positive Support personnel to support behavioral and academic success for every student.
  Contact: Mina Forte-Ferguson

Motivation

• Futures for Kids – Futures4Kids is an on-line portal that includes career exploration to guide high school coursework planning and selection.  Electronic 4-year plans are generated for 8th and updated by 9th grader.
  Contact:  Rick Sheldahl

Student and Family Assistance 

• School Social Workers serve as the link between school and home around issues that are impacting student achievement.   The primary focus of the social worker is to ensure that students who have excessive unexcused absences receive the support and follow-up that they need in order to come to school every day.
  Contact: Theresa McGowan
• School Wellness Centers offer medical/physical and emotional well-being services at school-based wellness clinics through a partnership with Duke University Health System’s Lincoln Community Health Center.  The school sites are staffed by medical personnel who, with parental permission, see students to address medical and social/emotional issues that are interfering in the learning process.
  Contact: Rick Lemke
• System of Care is an integrated network of community resources and services which supports collaboration among families, professionals, and the community.  The local system of care integrates the work of education, juvenile justice, health, mental health, child welfare, family court, other community organizations, and families form teams that share the responsibility to ensure that children and families have access to the services and supports they need.
  Contact: Michelle Hedgepeth-Smith
• Homeless Liaison Services are mandated to all students who meet the federal definitions of a homeless student under the McKinney-Vento Act.  Services are provided to ensure equal access to educational opportunities for students whose families are homeless or are in transitional living situations. 
  Contact:  Jacqueline Love

High School Services

• Freshman Academy is a transitional program for students in their first year of high school. These academies provide additional academic and social support and skill-building opportunities to students to ensure they establish a positive beginning to their high school career.
  Contact:  High School Counselor
• The PSAT Test is given to all sophomores and juniors in Durham Public Schools. This test not only provides students with a score report that outlines a specific study plan for the SAT, but it also is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship competition.
  Contact:  Student Services Department at the high school 
  District Contact:  Kishia Carrington
• High School Completion Plan - High School Completion Plan for Durham: Dropout Prevention, Intervention, and Student Recovery is a comprehensive plan for ensuring all students complete high school.  The High School Completion Plan for Durham is organized into five focus areas: 
  
  (1) Student Trends & Dropout Prevention,
  (2) Instructional Reform,
  (3) Student Support Initiatives,
  (4) Parental & Community Leadership, and
  (5) Data Quality. 
  
  Each focus area includes strategies to address specific barriers to high school completion.  The strategies include specific action steps, person(s) responsible, timeline, evaluation methods, and resources needed.
  Contact:  Kishia Carrington
• High School and Beyond Plans – Counselors and Career Development Coordinators work with high school seniors to ensure every student graduates with a clear plan beyond high school.  School counselors and Career Development Coordinators ensure that seniors have mapped out and implemented all the necessary steps to fulfill the student’s plan beyond high school.
  Contact:  Kishia Carrington