A Message from Transportation
Dear eligible riders,
Welcome back for a new school year! This communication will help you:
- Figure out when and where your student will catch the school bus.
- Teach (or reteach!) your student how to ride the bus and get home safely.
- Mark your calendar for important dates when school and bus schedules change.
Check our Transportation website and click on “Infofinder Bus Route Locator” for the most current bus stop locations and times. Please double-check your bus stops, routes, and/or times, as they may have changed since last year. We recommend families check routes online now and again just before the first day of school.
We especially encourage kindergarten families to have their student ride the bus on the first two days of kindergarten for kindergarten bus learning opportunities.
Do Routes Change?
On occasion, some routes and times may change to better serve our students as we make adjustments based on the number of riders. Changes, if any, will be updated daily on the Infofinder website. We will use email and text messaging to notify schools and riders of significant changes (i.e. earlier pickup times or a pickup/dropoff change of more than 10 minutes) after the first day of school.
Make sure your family’s contact information is updated in Skyward Family Messenger to receive transportation alerts about bus route changes, along with other important and helpful school information.
Ride Safely
Please take a few minutes and watch our “Ready to Ride” video at our transportation webpage to review how to ride safely. The video will also be shared at your elementary school if your student is a new rider.
In the morning, please arrive at the bus stop 5 minutes prior to the scheduled time.
Additional instructions on how to ride the bus and rules and safety procedures for riding the bus are found on page 37 of the Family Handbook and Calendar, which was recently mailed to your home. If you did not receive a copy of this, you can pick up one from your school.
Create Your Return Home Plan
All elementary families need to complete a Return Home Plan through Skyward Family Access in your annual forms update. We care about your children and want to ensure that every K-5 family has a safe Return Home Plan from school, whether your student walks, rides the bus, or is picked up. The safety of your student is our primary concern. Bus drivers will help kindergartners and other young children learn to ride the bus. If you plan to greet your student, it is very important that you or a designated adult be at the bus stop a few minutes before the dropoff time.
If a parent/guardian is unable to meet their student at the bus stop for dropoff, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to teach their student what steps to take, such as walking in groups with other children or going to a neighbor’s home.
Bellingham Public Schools is unable to assume responsibility for a student who is dropped off at a designated bus stop after school when a parent/guardian is not present. It is not recommended, implied or otherwise, that kindergartners or other young children are capable of attending to their own needs for extended periods of time. However, it is up to the parent/guardian to decide the maturity level of their student and to make student care arrangements when the parent/guardian is unable to meet their student at the bus stop.
If a parent/guardian is unable to meet their student at a bus stop, and the student feels insecure about leaving the bus, then that student will be transported to a designated high school’s main office. Please call district office reception at (360) 676-6400 for assistance in connecting with your student.
Any Questions?
After reviewing this message, please contact us at (360) 676-6546 or RaeAnne.Thon@bellinghamschools.org with any remaining questions. Our automated telephone system will help direct you to the person that can best help you. Please listen to the prompts. Your call is important to us, and please be aware that our call volume is high during the first week of school. Your call may not be immediately answered, but please know that we will respond as soon as we can.
Mark Your Calendar
Tuesday, Aug. 30: Bus service begins for grades 1-12
Wednesday, Aug. 31 and Thursday, Sept. 1: Bus service begins for kindergarten with early dismissal. We have kindergarten bus learning opportunities on these days, since kindergartners will go home earlier than the older kids. We encourage all bus-eligible kindergartners to ride the bus on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 to learn how to be safe and have fun.
Tuesday, Sept. 6: Bus service begins for preschool and Promise Kindergarten.
Thursday, Sept. 8: First Thursday early dismissal for elementary students. Grades K-5 are dismissed at 12:45 p.m., and afternoon buses arrive at stops approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes earlier than their regular time.
Thursday. Sept. 22: First Thursday early dismissal for all schools. Middle schools are dismissed at 12 p.m., elementary schools are dismissed at 12:45 p.m. and high schools are dismissed at 1:30 p.m.
Please see the school year calendar for a complete list of all early dismissals.
Original source can be found here.
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