Bus overcrowding

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our middle school is two miles down a hill from our house, and we don’t have a bus. We both work full time and school lets out at 2:30. With the weather being nice, it’s not an issue but I’m seeing some difficult afternoons in our futures. We do have after school clubs starting next month, which will help, but not every day.

I feel like working families should be prioritized for transportation. We had to certify we needed SACC in elementary school, why not this? No car, or no adult available due to work schedule, you get a bus. If not, walk.

Would also be open to paying a sliding scale fee for private transportation (like SACC). This problem needs some innovation to solve.

Both you and your husband MUST leave for work before middle school car line drop-off at 7:00 am? i find that implausible.

It’s the after school pick up that is a problem, if you read my post.

Your kid can stay after for homework club or many of the other after school activities. Or they can walk. Or how about you prioritize your kid on inclement weather days.

Ah yes, the bad parent award goes to me for *gasp* working provide food and a house for my kids.

Privilege really isn’t a good look on you. Some families work, some families don’t have drivers, and then some families prefer to go to Pilates.

I suggest a filtering. Let the FCPS lawyers decide which families should be prioritized. The bus and driver shortage isn’t getting better.

With a shortage of teachers, bus, drivers, counselors, nurses, you really think getting lawyers involved is going to solve those problems. Your suggestion will literally make it worse.

By the way, your kid can miss homework club and take the regular bus home.

If the regular bus were an option, then they’d do that. Really interesting that your response to this is “nothing to see here, nothing to do”. Bus shortages are a real problem for a lot of families. Why not try to come up with a solution?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC told me the bus (MS) was three to a seat with some kids having to sit in the floor in the back of the bus. I don’t know if this is happening in other busses but can’t imagine that is sustainable.

Happened to my twins in MS one year. Talked with higher ups at MCPS who told me the bus wasn't overcrowded (I still have the email, claimed to have communicated with the school Principal). Told the Principal that if one hair on either of my kids heads was hurt in any way shape or form, I would hold them personally responsible, along with the school system because of the overcrowded bus. Got a new route/bus 2 days later.

Another friend followed the bus one morning and counted kids getting on. It was too many and she had proof. Got another bus

[Anonymous]

how is kids sitting on bus floor safe?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our middle school is two miles down a hill from our house, and we don’t have a bus. We both work full time and school lets out at 2:30. With the weather being nice, it’s not an issue but I’m seeing some difficult afternoons in our futures. We do have after school clubs starting next month, which will help, but not every day.

I feel like working families should be prioritized for transportation. We had to certify we needed SACC in elementary school, why not this? No car, or no adult available due to work schedule, you get a bus. If not, walk.

Would also be open to paying a sliding scale fee for private transportation (like SACC). This problem needs some innovation to solve.

Both you and your husband MUST leave for work before middle school car line drop-off at 7:00 am? i find that implausible.

It’s the after school pick up that is a problem, if you read my post.

Your kid can stay after for homework club or many of the other after school activities. Or they can walk. Or how about you prioritize your kid on inclement weather days.

You're an a s s h o l e. Working parents are prioritizing their kids by making sure there's food on the table and a roof over their heads. Sorry we don't have a trust fund.

[Anonymous]

How did the school system underestimate so badly this year?

DD texted that the bus pulled up, informed the kids that she was 110% full so a second bus was dispatched, and then left. I then got a robo-call that another bus would be arriving in 10-15 minutes and let her know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did the school system underestimate so badly this year?

DD texted that the bus pulled up, informed the kids that she was 110% full so a second bus was dispatched, and then left. I then got a robo-call that another bus would be arriving in 10-15 minutes and let her know.

They do it based on prior years data and prior years data is messed up b/c up for the two years after Covid, parents didn't want their kids on the school bus. Of course, now nobody cares about Covid and there is currently a surge, so joke's on them!

[Anonymous]

FCPS bus fleet already larger than Greyhound’s. This is what happens when schools don’t effectively teach math or critical thinking for a generation or two. Simple logistical problems can’t be effectively be solved by highly paid Gatehouse staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our middle school is two miles down a hill from our house, and we don’t have a bus. We both work full time and school lets out at 2:30. With the weather being nice, it’s not an issue but I’m seeing some difficult afternoons in our futures. We do have after school clubs starting next month, which will help, but not every day.

I feel like working families should be prioritized for transportation. We had to certify we needed SACC in elementary school, why not this? No car, or no adult available due to work schedule, you get a bus. If not, walk.

Would also be open to paying a sliding scale fee for private transportation (like SACC). This problem needs some innovation to solve.

Both you and your husband MUST leave for work before middle school car line drop-off at 7:00 am? i find that implausible.

It’s the after school pick up that is a problem, if you read my post.

Your kid can stay after for homework club or many of the other after school activities. Or they can walk. Or how about you prioritize your kid on inclement weather days.

Ah yes, the bad parent award goes to me for *gasp* working provide food and a house for my kids.

Privilege really isn’t a good look on you. Some families work, some families don’t have drivers, and then some families prefer to go to Pilates.

I suggest a filtering. Let the FCPS lawyers decide which families should be prioritized. The bus and driver shortage isn’t getting better.

With a shortage of teachers, bus, drivers, counselors, nurses, you really think getting lawyers involved is going to solve those problems. Your suggestion will literally make it worse.

By the way, your kid can miss homework club and take the regular bus home.

We’re fine without counselors. The ones we had were pro-bullying.

I'm 100% certain your characterization of school counselors is accurate and also that you are fun at parties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS bus fleet already larger than Greyhound’s. This is what happens when schools don’t effectively teach math or critical thinking for a generation or two. Simple logistical problems can’t be effectively be solved by highly paid Gatehouse staff.

Greyhound doesn’t have to have all of the buses coming and going at the same time. The only answer is hire more bus drivers but that’s clearly a problem. I tried to find how much public transit drivers make but I could only find it for the Metrobus. Salary starts at 50,000 dollars a year and they get overtime and benefits. I think the schools are banking on retirees taking these jobs or parents who want to work on the same schedule as their kids. The problem is however that times are hard and both parents need a full time job now. This plan worked in the 70s and 80s when you could make it work on one income or one parent part time, but this has become increasingly difficult to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our middle school is two miles down a hill from our house, and we don’t have a bus. We both work full time and school lets out at 2:30. With the weather being nice, it’s not an issue but I’m seeing some difficult afternoons in our futures. We do have after school clubs starting next month, which will help, but not every day.

I feel like working families should be prioritized for transportation. We had to certify we needed SACC in elementary school, why not this? No car, or no adult available due to work schedule, you get a bus. If not, walk.

Would also be open to paying a sliding scale fee for private transportation (like SACC). This problem needs some innovation to solve.

You must be less than a mile and a half from the school if you don't have bus. Your solution is a coat and umbrella for your kid instead of trying to change the rules at the expense of people who made different choices from you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our middle school is two miles down a hill from our house, and we don’t have a bus. We both work full time and school lets out at 2:30. With the weather being nice, it’s not an issue but I’m seeing some difficult afternoons in our futures. We do have after school clubs starting next month, which will help, but not every day.

I feel like working families should be prioritized for transportation. We had to certify we needed SACC in elementary school, why not this? No car, or no adult available due to work schedule, you get a bus. If not, walk.

Would also be open to paying a sliding scale fee for private transportation (like SACC). This problem needs some innovation to solve.

You must be less than a mile and a half from the school if you don't have bus. Your solution is a coat and umbrella for your kid instead of trying to change the rules at the expense of people who made different choices from you.

Not true. It’s 2 miles. There are not enough busses.

[Anonymous]

There are plenty of buses for the kids who live outside the walk zone. If you are 2 miles from the school, then they made a mistake and you need to call the transportation office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of buses for the kids who live outside the walk zone. If you are 2 miles from the school, then they made a mistake and you need to call the transportation office.

I expect I’ll hear back from them… next year?? It’s a cluster. But thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of buses for the kids who live outside the walk zone. If you are 2 miles from the school, then they made a mistake and you need to call the transportation office.

I expect I’ll hear back from them… next year?? It’s a cluster. But thanks.

Well, with that attitude, nothing’s gonna change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of buses for the kids who live outside the walk zone. If you are 2 miles from the school, then they made a mistake and you need to call the transportation office.

I expect I’ll hear back from them… next year?? It’s a cluster. But thanks.

Well, with that attitude, nothing’s gonna change.

My attitude isn’t keeping them from getting back to me. I have reached out. If this gets resolved I’ll be pleasantly surprised. Apparently my neighbors have been asking for years and have resorted to requesting waivers to get assigned to the bus that stops across from our neighborhood on the main road.