Living walking distance to school vs taking a bus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Question re: busing... we're about a 20 minute walk from ES. There's a bus stop in our neighborhood about a block away that I see many kids on our street use. This seems like a good option for days when the weather is too cold/hot, or rainy/windy, or if I had a work meeting during walk time, etc... but on nice days (work schedule permitting) it seems like it would be more pleasant to walk.

Will we be able to sign up for the bus, but somehow notify/opt-out on the days that we'd prefer to walk? Or can we say we want to use the bus from Dec-Mar, but that we will walk in the fall/spring?

Sign up depends where you live… in MCPS there is no sign up, you just show up for the bus if you want it. On the back end, you do need to tell the teacher how your kid is getting home (in ES).

[Anonymous]

We're 1.5 miles away and right outside of the walk zone as well. It would be great to give my upper elementary kids the independence and freedom to walk home, but 1.5 miles is just too far. I also agree with the PP that said being walkable to middle/high school is more important with all of the early and late activities and meetings. Plus being able to hang out with friends after school.

[Anonymous]

Walking way better. By self? Seventh grade.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the house.

[Anonymous]

Walking better.

[Anonymous]

Rather than picking a house based on the school, we already lived in the neighborhood and I thought if the ES is halfway decent my kids can go there and we can walk. My grown children still reminisce about walking to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question re: busing... we're about a 20 minute walk from ES. There's a bus stop in our neighborhood about a block away that I see many kids on our street use. This seems like a good option for days when the weather is too cold/hot, or rainy/windy, or if I had a work meeting during walk time, etc... but on nice days (work schedule permitting) it seems like it would be more pleasant to walk.

Will we be able to sign up for the bus, but somehow notify/opt-out on the days that we'd prefer to walk? Or can we say we want to use the bus from Dec-Mar, but that we will walk in the fall/spring?

Sign up depends where you live… in MCPS there is no sign up, you just show up for the bus if you want it. On the back end, you do need to tell the teacher how your kid is getting home (in ES).

Thanks... FCPS in our case. If anyone has experience in Fairfax about how this is handled (either the formal "rules" or how it works in practice, if that deviates), would appreciate hearing your experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're 1.5 miles away and right outside of the walk zone as well. It would be great to give my upper elementary kids the independence and freedom to walk home, but 1.5 miles is just too far. I also agree with the PP that said being walkable to middle/high school is more important with all of the early and late activities and meetings. Plus being able to hang out with friends after school.

This is what I had growing up. Independence to walk up the street to the bus stop in elementary and 5 min walking distance from MS/HS. I think that's ideal if you're planning on staying for the long haul.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question re: busing... we're about a 20 minute walk from ES. There's a bus stop in our neighborhood about a block away that I see many kids on our street use. This seems like a good option for days when the weather is too cold/hot, or rainy/windy, or if I had a work meeting during walk time, etc... but on nice days (work schedule permitting) it seems like it would be more pleasant to walk.

Will we be able to sign up for the bus, but somehow notify/opt-out on the days that we'd prefer to walk? Or can we say we want to use the bus from Dec-Mar, but that we will walk in the fall/spring?

Sign up depends where you live… in MCPS there is no sign up, you just show up for the bus if you want it. On the back end, you do need to tell the teacher how your kid is getting home (in ES).

Thanks... FCPS in our case. If anyone has experience in Fairfax about how this is handled (either the formal "rules" or how it works in practice, if that deviates), would appreciate hearing your experience.

You need to pick one. You can’t expect the teacher to keep up with how your kid’s getting home today vs tomorrow vs next week.

[Anonymous]

We live a 5 min walk from Elementary and 8 min to Middle School.
Pros for walking - my 4th grader can walk himself home. Lots of kids in our neighborhood so the walk to school is very social and I catch up with mom friends. When there are concerts or activities, we don’t have to look for parking.
Sometimes with activities we are back and forth 2-3 times in one day. Being so close, it’s unlikely we’d be redistricted to another school.

Pros for bus - Our school gets out at 3:45, so bus kids often get home at 4:15-4:30pm. If you have a flexible work schedule that may mean you save the cost of aftercare. Kids get focused social time with neighborhood friends on the bus - and having neighborhood friends make play dates and carpools easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question re: busing... we're about a 20 minute walk from ES. There's a bus stop in our neighborhood about a block away that I see many kids on our street use. This seems like a good option for days when the weather is too cold/hot, or rainy/windy, or if I had a work meeting during walk time, etc... but on nice days (work schedule permitting) it seems like it would be more pleasant to walk.

Will we be able to sign up for the bus, but somehow notify/opt-out on the days that we'd prefer to walk? Or can we say we want to use the bus from Dec-Mar, but that we will walk in the fall/spring?

Sign up depends where you live… in MCPS there is no sign up, you just show up for the bus if you want it. On the back end, you do need to tell the teacher how your kid is getting home (in ES).

Thanks... FCPS in our case. If anyone has experience in Fairfax about how this is handled (either the formal "rules" or how it works in practice, if that deviates), would appreciate hearing your experience.

I’m not in FCPS but I think generally you just register for K and they’ll take kids including your within proximity of each other into confederation when forming stops.

Also you don’t have to notify the bus driver of your plans each day (like if your kid is sick, or you pick up early because a doctor’s appt, or you decide to walk home, etc.). That would be an awful lot for the driver to keep track of.

[Anonymous]

Sorry for typos, but hopefully the above still makes sense!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question re: busing... we're about a 20 minute walk from ES. There's a bus stop in our neighborhood about a block away that I see many kids on our street use. This seems like a good option for days when the weather is too cold/hot, or rainy/windy, or if I had a work meeting during walk time, etc... but on nice days (work schedule permitting) it seems like it would be more pleasant to walk.

Will we be able to sign up for the bus, but somehow notify/opt-out on the days that we'd prefer to walk? Or can we say we want to use the bus from Dec-Mar, but that we will walk in the fall/spring?

Sign up depends where you live… in MCPS there is no sign up, you just show up for the bus if you want it. On the back end, you do need to tell the teacher how your kid is getting home (in ES).

Thanks... FCPS in our case. If anyone has experience in Fairfax about how this is handled (either the formal "rules" or how it works in practice, if that deviates), would appreciate hearing your experience.

You need to pick one. You can’t expect the teacher to keep up with how your kid’s getting home today vs tomorrow vs next week.

She can pick the default of bus rider, but should be able to email the school when dismissal plans change. Obviously it would be annoying if it was constant, but on a nice day when OP has time, she should be able to email (we have a specific address for attendance/dismissal stuff at our school) and ask her kid to be released as a walker.

And if she is changing up the arrival then the school doesn’t need advanced notice of how her kid is getting there.

[Anonymous]

We are walkers but 5 min! I agree with other poster wish I had put more emphasis on things I wanted in a house rather than being able to walk to school.

However on days kids are running behind I am so thankful we don’t have to rush to catch the bus! My kids can walk out the door 5-10 min before school starts and be there on time! My middle schooler is a bus rider now and it’s a pain to miss and then have to drive.

It’s also sooo nice being able to walk for school events. Never have to fight for parking. Or if your kid forgets something such an easy trip (if you work from home like me)

I did have friends young kids learning not so good things from older kids on the bus. But that could have been a one off.

That’s said, I’d love to have that extra 30-40 min on the end of the day. I’m always running to get to school in time for pickup!

[Anonymous]

If you work, I think the bus gives you more time without needing before/after care. However, on days when the bus gets delayed by traffic, it can be a hassle.