School Bus Routes

[Anonymous]

In another posting I was reading about the frustrations of the long bus rides and children not getting home until 4:30 or later. Our ES is a 9:15 to 3:55. We are the third bus stop in the AM and the 2nd to last in the afternoon. Why does the county not reverse the route for the afternoon rides so the the same kids do not have to 30-35 plus minutes bus rides each way? Another ES school in southern VA which one of my children attended did it that way so it was fair for all the kids. I know this is not feasible for all routes, where there is more distances involved. Currently, the whole bus route is within a mile and half of the school (we are on the school zone border) so they are not really saving much in the way of gas. My children get off the bus at 4:40 usually-the school is less than 1 1/3 miles away. They love the school but hate the long bus rides. I work FT so I cannot drive them back and forth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In another posting I was reading about the frustrations of the long bus rides and children not getting home until 4:30 or later. Our ES is a 9:15 to 3:55. We are the third bus stop in the AM and the 2nd to last in the afternoon. Why does the county not reverse the route for the afternoon rides so the the same kids do not have to 30-35 plus minutes bus rides each way? Another ES school in southern VA which one of my children attended did it that way so it was fair for all the kids. I know this is not feasible for all routes, where there is more distances involved. Currently, the whole bus route is within a mile and half of the school (we are on the school zone border) so they are not really saving much in the way of gas. My children get off the bus at 4:40 usually-the school is less than 1 1/3 miles away. They love the school but hate the long bus rides. I work FT so I cannot drive them back and forth.

The last thing any school district wants is to add complexity to a bus route that could result in an accident.

[Anonymous]

If they reverse the routes, kids would end up on the opposite side of the street. This isn't feasible, or safe, on many streets in Northern VA.

I am one who has a child who gets off the bus around 4:45pm most days. Lately, it is getting dark when she gets home, and that is not a safe situation at all.
But there is nothing we can do other than tolerate it.

[Anonymous]

My child is also in the same boat.

[Anonymous]

If the bus started the afternoon route in the same manner and along the same stops that they ran the morning route, it would not be on the wrong side of the street and the first kids on the bus in the morning would then end up being the first to their homes in the afternoon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the bus started the afternoon route in the same manner and along the same stops that they ran the morning route, it would not be on the wrong side of the street and the first kids on the bus in the morning would then end up being the first to their homes in the afternoon.

So what you're saying is that your school does reverse the bus route on the way home and you wish they didn't?

Our bus route is the same AM and PM. The stops occur in the same order. Last one on is the last one off.

[Anonymous]

First ones on the bus in the mornng are the last ones off in the afternoon.