So frustrated with FCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child rides a handicapped bus to a special ed program. The bus driver usually calls us sometime the Sunday or Monday before school starts. It is maddening b/c I am juggling two other school schedules (and no bus for either of the other two) and I absolutely have to be home for dropoff and pickup. So I get the frustration with the bus schedules. It is hard to juggle several kids trying to go several places and parents' work schedules.

Yes, but OP is talking about a non special needs seventh grader riding the same bus as the majority of the other kids in the neighborhood.

OP, on a side note, for your kid's sake please don't take him to the bus stop unless it is raining that day. Let him walk the whole way by himself. No one, I mean no one, will have their mommy with them that morning.

The MS bus stop is where you start making the break to let your kid become independent.

Elementary age kids walk to the bus stop in my neighborhood. Are there places where people are still walking their 4th, 5th and 6th graders to the bus stop?

Yes. We walk our older ES kids to bus stop and chat with the other moms. It's a social thing. Eome communities stil have SAHMs, not every place is DIWK

[Anonymous]

BUS schedules ALWAYS come out about 1 week before school starts in FCPS they are mailed to your house. This is how it has always been. Sorry it is frustrating but just move on and enjoy the rest of your summer. Everyone is in the same boat and having to wait.

[Anonymous]

The bus schedules are not necessarily mailed to your house. It varies by school.

I've had kids in multiple FCPS schools over the past 25 years, and it's always been frustrating. You simply have to ask neighbors. The new school hours for this year are posted on the FCPS website, so compare notes with neighbors, do some math, and make your guesses about the bus schedules.

[Anonymous]

Yes, as the others have said, this is not a school issue. The bus schedules are developed/provided by the Transportation Office, and the schools have little-to-no control. Getting frustrated with the school or repeatedly calling/visiting the school to get a bus schedule isn't going to help you get the information any faster. The schedule will be available when it is available.

FCPS is a huge system and individual schools do not have control over all elements of how they are run. Bus schedules is just one example of that. Therefore, please don't get frustrated with the school or its staff; they can't do anything to fix the "issue."

[Anonymous]

Middle schools and high schools have essentially swapped bell schedules for next year. Find a neighbor with a child who was in high school last year, and ask what time their child had to be at the bus stop. I'm not sure why you are making this such an ordeal. There are 3 weeks until school begins. Perhaps you should try to put yourself in the shoes of those who are building these schedules, stuffing the packets, mailing them, etc. They are working hard to get you the information, but they want to make sure they are getting you the correct information for your benefit. There are a lot of people working overtime right now to get these things hashed out, many of whom are parents and understand your concerns, and they want to get it right (or as close to right as possible) the first time. The amount of work that goes into planning for the beginning of a school year is huge and goes beyond just bus schedules, please try to be patient and understanding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child rides a handicapped bus to a special ed program. The bus driver usually calls us sometime the Sunday or Monday before school starts. It is maddening b/c I am juggling two other school schedules (and no bus for either of the other two) and I absolutely have to be home for dropoff and pickup. So I get the frustration with the bus schedules. It is hard to juggle several kids trying to go several places and parents' work schedules.

Yes, but OP is talking about a non special needs seventh grader riding the same bus as the majority of the other kids in the neighborhood.

OP, on a side note, for your kid's sake please don't take him to the bus stop unless it is raining that day. Let him walk the whole way by himself. No one, I mean no one, will have their mommy with them that morning.

The MS bus stop is where you start making the break to let your kid become independent.

Elementary age kids walk to the bus stop in my neighborhood. Are there places where people are still walking their 4th, 5th and 6th graders to the bus stop?

Yes. We walk our older ES kids to bus stop and chat with the other moms. It's a social thing. Eome communities stil have SAHMs, not every place is DIWK

I SAHM and happily send my 3rd and 5th grader off on their walk to school without me. Whatever works for you!

[Anonymous]

OP, I think you're crazy for asking for a bus schedule since spring for next year's school year! If you needed to know that early, ask a neighbor. And if you don't have a neighbor to ask that, it might tell you something!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child rides a handicapped bus to a special ed program. The bus driver usually calls us sometime the Sunday or Monday before school starts. It is maddening b/c I am juggling two other school schedules (and no bus for either of the other two) and I absolutely have to be home for dropoff and pickup. So I get the frustration with the bus schedules. It is hard to juggle several kids trying to go several places and parents' work schedules.

Yes, but OP is talking about a non special needs seventh grader riding the same bus as the majority of the other kids in the neighborhood.

OP, on a side note, for your kid's sake please don't take him to the bus stop unless it is raining that day. Let him walk the whole way by himself. No one, I mean no one, will have their mommy with them that morning.

The MS bus stop is where you start making the break to let your kid become independent.

It's going to be weird when my daughter starts middle school. I can't see sending her off to wait alone at the bus stop at dawn. Our neighborhood has a lot of creeps, and no kids within a mile who go to her center school.

[Anonymous]

In the meantime, you can at least estimate the bus schedule. Start with when classes begin and calculate how long it would take the bus to get to school from your house and add 15-30 minute cushion.

[Anonymous]

School closes all summer, so everything gets done last minute. Plain and simple. If school was year-round, bus schedules would be out months in advance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School closes all summer, so everything gets done last minute. Plain and simple. If school was year-round, bus schedules would be out months in advance.

Not true. Offices are open all summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, as the others have said, this is not a school issue. The bus schedules are developed/provided by the Transportation Office, and the schools have little-to-no control. Getting frustrated with the school or repeatedly calling/visiting the school to get a bus schedule isn't going to help you get the information any faster. The schedule will be available when it is available.

FCPS is a huge system and individual schools do not have control over all elements of how they are run. Bus schedules is just one example of that. Therefore, please don't get frustrated with the school or its staff; they can't do anything to fix the "issue."

Agree and I agree with all of the other posters who say this is normal and it doesn't come out until the week before school starts.

This is outside of your circle of influence and you really need to let it go -- you are stressing yourself over it and you are making yourself an annoyance to other people who have no control over the situation either. Try to look at the bright side: if this is the biggest problem you are facing this month, things are pretty good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think you're crazy for asking for a bus schedule since spring for next year's school year! If you needed to know that early, ask a neighbor. And if you don't have a neighbor to ask that, it might tell you something!

If the school can't tell Op what the bus schedule is, yet, why do you think that "the neighbor" knows?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think you're crazy for asking for a bus schedule since spring for next year's school year! If you needed to know that early, ask a neighbor. And if you don't have a neighbor to ask that, it might tell you something!

If the school can't tell Op what the bus schedule is, yet, why do you think that "the neighbor" knows?

Neighbors will know approximately when the SH and MS came last year. The HS time is the best bet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think you're crazy for asking for a bus schedule since spring for next year's school year! If you needed to know that early, ask a neighbor. And if you don't have a neighbor to ask that, it might tell you something!

If the school can't tell Op what the bus schedule is, yet, why do you think that "the neighbor" knows?

Neighbors will know approximately when the SH and MS came last year. The HS time is the best bet.

She can ask neighbors to contact her when they know the scheduled times after they go to the Open house.