How much supervision is there on the bus for elementary school?

[Anonymous]

My DD will be starting K next year and taking the bus. How much, if any supervision is there on the bus? Do the K'ers have to sit in front near the bus driver etc...?

[Anonymous]

I don't know if it varies by schooll, but at our school, the only adult on the bus is the driver and there are no rules about where anyone sits, only a requirement that everyone sits.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks. I'm only asking b/c my DS's private had very strict bus rules. K sits in the front and the older kids (high school) must sit in the back. Also, they have patrols on the bus who work with the bus driver. I figured public probably didn't have any of this--just wondering since DD will go public next year.

[Anonymous]

In MoCo, there are separate buses for elementary, middle, and high schoolers. The bus driver is normally the only adult, but there are 4th and 5th graders on the elementary buses who serve as safety patrols, and a few of the more responsible ones are usually assigned to help the Kindergarteners.

[Anonymous]

The only buses with aides are the ones carrying certain special ed students. The rest of the students are on buses with no aides and they tend to sit with the little kids closer to the front (although the individual bus drivers probably have their own rules).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In MoCo, there are separate buses for elementary, middle, and high schoolers. The bus driver is normally the only adult, but there are 4th and 5th graders on the elementary buses who serve as safety patrols, and a few of the more responsible ones are usually assigned to help the Kindergarteners.

On our bus (MoCo) the K students sit in the front. The patrols walk them to the bus.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you for the info.

[Anonymous]

We have a driver and 1 or 2 patrols (5th graders) who ensure all kids are seated before the bus moves. They take special care of the kindergartners for example, the bus driver will not drop off a kindergartner unless a parent is there to meet them at the bus stop.

[Anonymous]

According to DD there is little supervision on the bus, but there is even less supervision once she gets off the bus. Once she was even late for school, but not because the bus was late.

[Anonymous]

At our school the students are dismissed to line up for buses by grade (K first, then I think 1-3, then 3-5, or something like that), so the younger kids are first in line. They are supposed to fill up the bus front first, so the K kids sit in the front. Usually 2-3 patrols, but no adult supervision other than the driver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:According to DD there is little supervision on the bus, but there is even less supervision once she gets off the bus. Once she was even late for school, but not because the bus was late.

Same in my school in Bethesda. Our bus circle turns into a petting zoo in the morning but the activity is all staff supervised. Kids getting off the bus have a lot of fun playing with the dogs. I have heard a rumor that the principal will not be allowing parents in the circle anymore b/c it get too congested there. It is unfortunate becasue there are only a couple of people who loiter there and create all that congestion.

[Anonymous]

Kids on our buses are well supervised, but the problem indeed begins when they get off.

[Anonymous]

When the students get off the bus they go into a separate line by the door closest to the K classrooms. There are two teachers who supposed to supervise the line. When the bell rings and after all the buses unloaded the children go inside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Same in my school in Bethesda. Our bus circle turns into a petting zoo in the morning but the activity is all staff supervised. Kids getting off the bus have a lot of fun playing with the dogs. I have heard a rumor that the principal will not be allowing parents in the circle anymore b/c it get too congested there. It is unfortunate becasue there are only a couple of people who loiter there and create all that congestion.

We may be from the school school. In fact I am sure we are. Don't complain because the activity is organized by a second grade room parent and the clueless teachers participate in it. I am also annoyed that now we can no longer be in the bus circle because of that.