Would regional program bus rides actually be short? How long are current CES & regional program bus rides?

[Anonymous]

The model is not designed only to get kids short bus rides. It is also designed to equalize academic opportunities along the east/west divide (given that the county is highly segregated by race and class east to west). So it’s not simply that they put the closest high schools in groups together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The model is not designed only to get kids short bus rides. It is also designed to equalize academic opportunities along the east/west divide (given that the county is highly segregated by race and class east to west). So it’s not simply that they put the closest high schools in groups together.

Thank you for your input MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The model is not designed only to get kids short bus rides. It is also designed to equalize academic opportunities along the east/west divide (given that the county is highly segregated by race and class east to west). So it’s not simply that they put the closest high schools in groups together.

No, that wouldn't make any sense. If it wasn't about shortening and equalizing bus rides, they could just increase the number of spots at existing high quality magnets, which would be both cheaper and a better way to ensure a known, equal quality of programming for all students. The only way the regional model makes sense and is justified is if it gives all kids access to programs within a a short (like 30 minute or less) bus ride from their homes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol, in my new region, WJ HS to Wheaton HS will take 20 minutes right now, at 2:30 on Saturday. That's no morning or afternoon traffic, and no stops, just one HS to another. Now imagine a student is 10 minutes further west of WJ HS. So no, it won't be short bus rides.

This entire thing feels like a lot of money to rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic

30minutes is a short bus ride. Current bus rides are up to 77minutes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new regional model only considers adding in HS to HS buses, so your kid needs to get up even earlier, riding a bus to local HS, and then another bus to the regional program. It’s gonna be logistically a disaster.

Are they really going to provide door to door bussing? Or will it be like the current magnets where there are a few stops in the area but they are not walks ke from every neighborhood. Like my son's stop was at our ES...but we had to drive him there.

Their most recent updates shown in their slide decks only take into account HS to HS transportation. There is no plan or calculation of additional cost if every ES, MS and community centers would require a stop.

So every HS kid will arrive at their local HS with enough time for the magnet kids to take a second bus ride to their magnet school unless they have an alternate way to get to school?? How will they all be supervised?

No, the magnet students would ride an early bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The model is not designed only to get kids short bus rides. It is also designed to equalize academic opportunities along the east/west divide (given that the county is highly segregated by race and class east to west). So it’s not simply that they put the closest high schools in groups together.

Thank you for your input MCPS.

I’m just saying that if you assume that the only point of a regional model is to get kids shorter bus rides (as the OP did), you’re going to be surprised at what high schools are in each region.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The model is not designed only to get kids short bus rides. It is also designed to equalize academic opportunities along the east/west divide (given that the county is highly segregated by race and class east to west). So it’s not simply that they put the closest high schools in groups together.

The regions are not stretched out in any way that would make transportation much harder than any other 6 region map. For example, they didn't make regions to combine west and east schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The model is not designed only to get kids short bus rides. It is also designed to equalize academic opportunities along the east/west divide (given that the county is highly segregated by race and class east to west). So it’s not simply that they put the closest high schools in groups together.

Actually its not as it puts Whitman with DCC schools, which are no where close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol, in my new region, WJ HS to Wheaton HS will take 20 minutes right now, at 2:30 on Saturday. That's no morning or afternoon traffic, and no stops, just one HS to another. Now imagine a student is 10 minutes further west of WJ HS. So no, it won't be short bus rides.

This entire thing feels like a lot of money to rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic

That's assuming that its a direct run from your stop to the school. Most buses have multiple stops all over so it will easily be an hour or more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new regional model only considers adding in HS to HS buses, so your kid needs to get up even earlier, riding a bus to local HS, and then another bus to the regional program. It’s gonna be logistically a disaster.

Are they really going to provide door to door bussing? Or will it be like the current magnets where there are a few stops in the area but they are not walks ke from every neighborhood. Like my son's stop was at our ES...but we had to drive him there.

Their most recent updates shown in their slide decks only take into account HS to HS transportation. There is no plan or calculation of additional cost if every ES, MS and community centers would require a stop.

So every HS kid will arrive at their local HS with enough time for the magnet kids to take a second bus ride to their magnet school unless they have an alternate way to get to school?? How will they all be supervised?

No, the magnet students would ride an early bus.

So every magnet kid arrives early? Are they allowed in the building? Are they plopped in the gym? Are they supervised? Are they free to buy breakfast and coffee from nearby shops or roam the neighborhood?

[Anonymous]

My kid's CES bus, which he caught 3.2 miles from the CES location, took 50 minutes. We drove most of the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new regional model only considers adding in HS to HS buses, so your kid needs to get up even earlier, riding a bus to local HS, and then another bus to the regional program. It’s gonna be logistically a disaster.

Are they really going to provide door to door bussing? Or will it be like the current magnets where there are a few stops in the area but they are not walks ke from every neighborhood. Like my son's stop was at our ES...but we had to drive him there.

Their most recent updates shown in their slide decks only take into account HS to HS transportation. There is no plan or calculation of additional cost if every ES, MS and community centers would require a stop.

So every HS kid will arrive at their local HS with enough time for the magnet kids to take a second bus ride to their magnet school unless they have an alternate way to get to school?? How will they all be supervised?

No, the magnet students would ride an early bus.

So every magnet kid arrives early? Are they allowed in the building? Are they plopped in the gym? Are they supervised? Are they free to buy breakfast and coffee from nearby shops or roam the neighborhood?

No, currently magnet bus has a stop at every ES, MS, HS, public library and several community centers and all directly head to Blair, RM or Poolsville. So kids need to wake up early, but do not need to take transition. Parents need to drive or figure out a way to send their kids to the closest stop, which is typically walking or biking distance given the many options. For the regional model, since only HS to HS bus is considered, you have to find a way to send your kids to the nearest HS early, or they catch an earlier bus in order to catch up the transition. I honestly don't know how logistically it's going to work, or what cost to save. But hey, just be there and sustain for the first two years, and then your kid can drive, as long as the parking spots would be enough...

[Anonymous]

This is an insane plan, that will cost a fortune. What a cluster

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new regional model only considers adding in HS to HS buses, so your kid needs to get up even earlier, riding a bus to local HS, and then another bus to the regional program. It’s gonna be logistically a disaster.

Are they really going to provide door to door bussing? Or will it be like the current magnets where there are a few stops in the area but they are not walks ke from every neighborhood. Like my son's stop was at our ES...but we had to drive him there.

Their most recent updates shown in their slide decks only take into account HS to HS transportation. There is no plan or calculation of additional cost if every ES, MS and community centers would require a stop.

This is infuriating. Is all their talk about the changes increasing convenience and access all lies? I was excited at first about regional programs increasing access for us and others, but we and probably many other families will have to turn down programs if the buses only pick up from the local high school. The spots will only go to more privileged families who can drive their kids back and forth or buy their kids cars (or who happen to be lucky enough to live right next to a high school.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid's CES bus, which he caught 3.2 miles from the CES location, took 50 minutes. We drove most of the time.

I think that people will be pretty angry when this regional system rolls out. Taylor has said he has no idea of what the costs will be, other than costs are likely to go up and then down. I imagine MCPS has no idea the travel times, since they can't calculate the number of bus rides, which will be based on student choice across any given region. And they have no idea what students will choose.