Does drop-off get better at Wootton?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Once things settle down in a few weeks, there will be a lot of kids who don't ride the bus home in the afternoon due to extracurricular activities etc., By then most bus drivers will probably have some additional room in the afternoon. As for assignment to bus stops, we had so many in our neighborhood and lived between two. My kids would pick the stop with the driver they liked or the bus they had friends on. No one was assigned to a specific bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yesterday was really bad but today as soon as I turned onto Wootton Parkway from Falls Rd, the line started which is a mile long. This was 20min before the bell and that’s how long it took me to go that 1 mile. Not sure how bad it is on the other side coming from 28.

They have no security directing traffic and there is only one way in and all the walkers cross the same turn the drivers need to turn in from both sides. Since it’s so backed up and pedestrians obviously have the right of way, there are just kids jumping out of cars and crossing the parkway all over the place.

This can’t be a normal daily occurrence. Tell me it gets better! We have no bus option.

Nope, that entrance is a nightmare. Trying getting there really early but 20 minutes before the bell isn't enough to account for the traffic, lights, bottleneck there.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like you are coming from Cold Spring - drop off at the end of North Commons and they walk down the path. Or leave your house at 7:10

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem with Wootton is that there is only one road for approach, and you can't even turn away if you drop your kid off on the parkway away from the school.

Drop your kid off before an intersection where you can turn away from the parkway.

This is not just a Wooton thing. I can think of 5-6 schools that have the same issue but don't seem to have as big of a problem as OP describes.