Does drop-off get better at Wootton?

[Anonymous]

Drop them off /pick up at falls road and Wootton pkwy

The walk is good for them

[Anonymous]

I’m sympathetic to those without bus service but still live a ways away. The people who drive me nuts are the ones with bus service right from their block and their kids don’t want to ride the bus. It’s gross behavior, barring special circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Most of the HS buses are so packed the driver won't notice. I think this is fine.

It's not fine. Last year our MS had a problem with parents driving their kids to bus stops and completely overcrowding the buses. School caught on and started checking -- if your StudentVue record didn't show you were zoned for that bus, you couldn't get on in the afternoon and your parent was called. Bus driver then knew the kids who didn't belong and refused to let them board in the morning. When they forced their way on to the bus, the bus driver refused to go and the police were called. My kid was late for school more than once because of this nonsense.

Just have your HSer walk or drop them somewhere that is about a half mile away and they can walk the last 10 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things always get better after parents figure out protocols and others opt out of driving their kids.

Technically not allowed, but no one will know if you instead drop your kid at (or have the kid walk to) one of the bus stops. In our case, we found a bus stop that was a fair walk, but less than the walk to school. My kid walked home and I picked her on stormy or really cold days. But if I couldn't make it and it was stormy/cold, she would sometimes take the bus to that location and have a shorter walk home. She was nervous that the bus driver would call her out for riding when she was supposed to walk, so she would also ride it a few times at the beginning of the year, so she was a familiar face when she needed it later on.

Most of the HS buses are so packed the driver won't notice. I think this is fine.

Ah, so that's why the students who do get bus are sitting piled on top of each other, do you know hot it is inside a bus?

Uh, yea, I have two kids who have gone through and still going through MCPS (HS). They have told me about some of the crowded buses. They somehow survived.

The bus drivers do not allow random kids on the bus. My daughter tried to go home with a friend and the bus driver said NOPE - my bus is already too full.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Drop them off /pick up at falls road and Wootton pkwy

The walk is good for them

Thee is literally no where you can stop at that intersection and let kids out safely. Is this a joke?

[Anonymous]

As a private school parent, all that I ask is that you urge your precious children to be on time for the school bus and to board the bus expeditiously. We were on our way to my kid's private school in DC and we must have stopped a zillion times because every time the bus driver was about to take off, another lazy kid would slothfully drag themself out of the house and lumber to the bus. So imagine already having to stop behind the school bus for an inordinate amount of time and then juuuuuust when it is finally getting ready to take off, some random kid bolts out of the house, yelling at the bus driver to wait, only to walk at the speed of an injured snail while dressed in last night's pajamas. And, oh, this happened repeatedly this morning. Where are these kids parents???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a private school parent, all that I ask is that you urge your precious children to be on time for the school bus and to board the bus expeditiously. We were on our way to my kid's private school in DC and we must have stopped a zillion times because every time the bus driver was about to take off, another lazy kid would slothfully drag themself out of the house and lumber to the bus. So imagine already having to stop behind the school bus for an inordinate amount of time and then juuuuuust when it is finally getting ready to take off, some random kid bolts out of the house, yelling at the bus driver to wait, only to walk at the speed of an injured snail while dressed in last night's pajamas. And, oh, this happened repeatedly this morning. Where are these kids parents???

Oh my...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Most of the HS buses are so packed the driver won't notice. I think this is fine.

It's not fine. Last year our MS had a problem with parents driving their kids to bus stops and completely overcrowding the buses. School caught on and started checking -- if your StudentVue record didn't show you were zoned for that bus, you couldn't get on in the afternoon and your parent was called. Bus driver then knew the kids who didn't belong and refused to let them board in the morning. When they forced their way on to the bus, the bus driver refused to go and the police were called. My kid was late for school more than once because of this nonsense.

Just have your HSer walk or drop them somewhere that is about a half mile away and they can walk the last 10 minutes.

What does that even mean though? It's not like MCPS assigns kids to particular bus routes. You're just supposed to pick the one that's closest to you and show up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Most of the HS buses are so packed the driver won't notice. I think this is fine.

It's not fine. Last year our MS had a problem with parents driving their kids to bus stops and completely overcrowding the buses. School caught on and started checking -- if your StudentVue record didn't show you were zoned for that bus, you couldn't get on in the afternoon and your parent was called. Bus driver then knew the kids who didn't belong and refused to let them board in the morning. When they forced their way on to the bus, the bus driver refused to go and the police were called. My kid was late for school more than once because of this nonsense.

Just have your HSer walk or drop them somewhere that is about a half mile away and they can walk the last 10 minutes.

What does that even mean though? It's not like MCPS assigns kids to particular bus routes. You're just supposed to pick the one that's closest to you and show up.

At minimum, MCPS knows who gets bus service and who doesn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Most of the HS buses are so packed the driver won't notice. I think this is fine.

It's not fine. Last year our MS had a problem with parents driving their kids to bus stops and completely overcrowding the buses. School caught on and started checking -- if your StudentVue record didn't show you were zoned for that bus, you couldn't get on in the afternoon and your parent was called. Bus driver then knew the kids who didn't belong and refused to let them board in the morning. When they forced their way on to the bus, the bus driver refused to go and the police were called. My kid was late for school more than once because of this nonsense.

Just have your HSer walk or drop them somewhere that is about a half mile away and they can walk the last 10 minutes.

What does that even mean though? It's not like MCPS assigns kids to particular bus routes. You're just supposed to pick the one that's closest to you and show up.

At minimum, MCPS knows who gets bus service and who doesn't.

I think they just know which general neighborhoods get bus service and which don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Most of the HS buses are so packed the driver won't notice. I think this is fine.

It's not fine. Last year our MS had a problem with parents driving their kids to bus stops and completely overcrowding the buses. School caught on and started checking -- if your StudentVue record didn't show you were zoned for that bus, you couldn't get on in the afternoon and your parent was called. Bus driver then knew the kids who didn't belong and refused to let them board in the morning. When they forced their way on to the bus, the bus driver refused to go and the police were called. My kid was late for school more than once because of this nonsense.

Just have your HSer walk or drop them somewhere that is about a half mile away and they can walk the last 10 minutes.

What does that even mean though? It's not like MCPS assigns kids to particular bus routes. You're just supposed to pick the one that's closest to you and show up.

At minimum, MCPS knows who gets bus service and who doesn't.

I think they just know which general neighborhoods get bus service and which don't.

No, they know this information for each student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Most of the HS buses are so packed the driver won't notice. I think this is fine.

It's not fine. Last year our MS had a problem with parents driving their kids to bus stops and completely overcrowding the buses. School caught on and started checking -- if your StudentVue record didn't show you were zoned for that bus, you couldn't get on in the afternoon and your parent was called. Bus driver then knew the kids who didn't belong and refused to let them board in the morning. When they forced their way on to the bus, the bus driver refused to go and the police were called. My kid was late for school more than once because of this nonsense.

Just have your HSer walk or drop them somewhere that is about a half mile away and they can walk the last 10 minutes.

What does that even mean though? It's not like MCPS assigns kids to particular bus routes. You're just supposed to pick the one that's closest to you and show up.

At minimum, MCPS knows who gets bus service and who doesn't.

I think they just know which general neighborhoods get bus service and which don't.

No, they know this information for each student.

How? Every year our ES asked parents to tell them which bus routes and stops our kids used.

[Anonymous]

I think it is fine to use any bus stop...but you have to do the same thing all the time. If a bus route is over crowded at the beginning of the year, the depot will figure something out but you can not expect unlimited capacity to be waiting for you at random time. We ran into this with delayed opening mornings. Parents who usually drive their kids were suddenly at the bus stop and there was no where near enough room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Most of the HS buses are so packed the driver won't notice. I think this is fine.

It's not fine. Last year our MS had a problem with parents driving their kids to bus stops and completely overcrowding the buses. School caught on and started checking -- if your StudentVue record didn't show you were zoned for that bus, you couldn't get on in the afternoon and your parent was called. Bus driver then knew the kids who didn't belong and refused to let them board in the morning. When they forced their way on to the bus, the bus driver refused to go and the police were called. My kid was late for school more than once because of this nonsense.

Just have your HSer walk or drop them somewhere that is about a half mile away and they can walk the last 10 minutes.

What does that even mean though? It's not like MCPS assigns kids to particular bus routes. You're just supposed to pick the one that's closest to you and show up.

At minimum, MCPS knows who gets bus service and who doesn't.

I think they just know which general neighborhoods get bus service and which don't.

No, they know this information for each student.

How? Every year our ES asked parents to tell them which bus routes and stops our kids used.

They know the student's address, and they know the areas that get bus service.

Your ES may not know which bus route and stop your kid uses, but your ES knows (or should know) whether MCPS classifies your kid as a bus rider or a walker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Things always get better after parents figure out protocols and others opt out of driving their kids.

Technically not allowed, but no one will know if you instead drop your kid at (or have the kid walk to) one of the bus stops. In our case, we found a bus stop that was a fair walk, but less than the walk to school. My kid walked home and I picked her on stormy or really cold days. But if I couldn't make it and it was stormy/cold, she would sometimes take the bus to that location and have a shorter walk home. She was nervous that the bus driver would call her out for riding when she was supposed to walk, so she would also ride it a few times at the beginning of the year, so she was a familiar face when she needed it later on.

Most of the HS buses are so packed the driver won't notice. I think this is fine.

Ah, so that's why the students who do get bus are sitting piled on top of each other, do you know hot it is inside a bus?

Uh, yea, I have two kids who have gone through and still going through MCPS (HS). They have told me about some of the crowded buses. They somehow survived.

The bus drivers do not allow random kids on the bus. My daughter tried to go home with a friend and the bus driver said NOPE - my bus is already too full.

This is why my DD would ride a few times at the beginning of the year. The drivers certainly do not check the address of every student. They do occassionally challenge a new face (particularly on an overcrowded bus). Our MS sent out notices a few years ago that friends could not ride the bus home with friends and would not be allowed to board, so this is occassionally (probably rarely) enforced.