Heads up - MCPS eliminating most neighborhood bus stops for programs

[Anonymous]

We received notice today of changes for next year to immersion bus stops, including eliminating all but a few non-school stops. This was not a surprise, because they tried to do it last year but they waited until a week before school started and there was outrage. This year they’re following the regulation and alerting people in June. The notice says that DOT will be publishing regional/countywide bus routes for next school year “in the coming weeks,” which I assume will include other programs like magnets, so FYI if you rely on a neighborhood stop (not a school stop).

[Anonymous]

The updated TPMS routes came out today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The updated TPMS routes came out today.

Any significant change to TPMS magnet buses?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The updated TPMS routes came out today.

Any significant change to TPMS magnet buses?

I'm going to be honest and say I cannot tell. My child's personal route is unchanged but we are in a nearby zone. It might be different the further you get from the school.

[Anonymous]

Not surprising. With the regional plan, you have to get your kid to the local HS and there is no bus as that bus leaves earlier than the regular busses.

[Anonymous]

I suspect this is part of their plan to save money by making buses to special programs so inconvenient for most families that they choose to either drive or opt out of programs. Either way MCPS saves money on buses.

[Anonymous]

One of the many reasons why the regional program model will fail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The updated TPMS routes came out today.

Is there a link you can share? I have a Blair magnet kid and would like to see the changes, since they are the same buses for Blair and TPMS.

[Anonymous]

Anyone able to post links to the new routes?

[Anonymous]

Taylor is the worst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We received notice today of changes for next year to immersion bus stops, including eliminating all but a few non-school stops. This was not a surprise, because they tried to do it last year but they waited until a week before school started and there was outrage. This year they’re following the regulation and alerting people in June. The notice says that DOT will be publishing regional/countywide bus routes for next school year “in the coming weeks,” which I assume will include other programs like magnets, so FYI if you rely on a neighborhood stop (not a school stop).

Where did this notice come from? Is it public?

[Anonymous]

Yup, this is going to be the new normal and then they are going to come up with some spin on it to pretend that it's equitable, when everyone knows that better-off parents will be able to drive their kids to these programs while less well-off kids will have to drop out or never apply in the first place (unless they happen to live in an area walkable to a school, but two-thirds of kids don't.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Taylor is the worst.

But he is making almost $400K. Money equals quality, right?

[Anonymous]

People already in these programs received notices for individual programs.

[Anonymous]

Why are they so focused on the stops being at schools? Often those are not the most central places within the school's boundaries-- they could pick locations that are actually walkable to larger numbers of kids if they tried.