I can't believe how crappy people are being to OP. My child has once (under my watch) not had me at bus drop off to collect her and simply stayed on the bus and rolled on back to school. She had to sit through the whole next bus route from the next school, ("I had to ride with the wild kids from BLANK school!" no names included) but that is just how it goes. It is my understanding that in Arlington County no child 4th grade or below is allowed to get off the bus unaccompanied. I was appalled by this rule when I first learned it, but came to just deal. It is what it is. I was also late for her bus drop off by a minute or two and had to chase down the school bus to the next stop. This happened recently when I had an appointment a good distance away from home and unfortunately let the time get away from me. I was tuned in and on it one moment and then realizing I'd put myself in a time pinch the next. Schools absolutely are not in the babysitting business, but take a step back and get some perspective. They ARE in the business of all sorts of administrative things related to these kids, buses included. It just seems like common sense to not let a 5 year-old off the bus when the parent is not there to pick them up. Having the kid ride back to school hardly affects the driver. Also, the time I missed my daughter's pick-up, I was quick to sincerely apologize to EVERYONE involved. My daughter especially.

Kind of amazes me how 25 years ago 5 year olds could and did walk themselves home after being dropped off (I know I did) to now being considered in cable of doing so.

She's five. She can walk a block home. It's your job to be there on time, nobody else's. Besides that I find parents who pick up their elementary school kids at the bus stop to walk or even drive them home a block or less are ridiculous to no end. Let your kids be a teeny tiny bit independent and walk home for 5-10 minutes. It's going to do them nothing but good. Seriously...parents picking up their kids at the bus stop and driving them home to the end of the street?!?! Wow...

DD accidentally got on the bus last year (in K) instead of going to aftercare. Bus driver dropped her off and she was wandering the neighborhood. I was at work. Aftercare program called me and by then a neighbor had taken her in. It was terrifying.

this is still going on????

You know, who really cares if the bus driver was wrong? He is the bus driver and not the parent.

Some lessons: Take care of your kid. Teach your kid safety. Don't be a primadona -- you are only the most important person in your own life.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The buses don't automatically return to the school. It would be making a special trip for your kid.

+1
This sends the bus off its normal route and inconveniences the driver. Please don't look at it like this is a real option if you're late.

+1

Yes, inconveniencing many other children and parents, some of whom might now be late to meet a school bus...

Yes, it does. It automatically comes back to school. After he drops off all the children. This is also a place where they park for the night. He has to come back to school.

The principal sent everyone an email a few weeks ago saying the kids will be returned to school when parents are not present.

My lesson is that drivers will make mistakes and I shouldn't rely on the school to enforce their own policy. I should have contingency plan in case the school's contingency plan fails.


But I can't believe all the teachers posting here that they have no responsibility for five year olds in their care. Yes, you do. It's your job to make sure the child is safe when parents are not present. You should be acting in the best interest of the children, not yourselves.

This must not be MCPS, then, because MCPS buses go the central depots, they do not park overnight at the schools. Once the buses leave our MCPS ES, we do not see them again until the following morning. They are on a tight schedule and immediately go from dropping off our kids to their second runs at the nearby ES that dismisses 25 minutes after us. So MCPS' policy about K students wouldn't apply.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here again.

I talked to DD and we made a plan.

a) If I'm not at the stop, she does not get off the bus.

b) If she's off the bus and no one is at home she goes to one of our 4 neighbor's houses.

If your area has a policy regarding parent pickup, the driver was wrong to release her and you should complain mightily.

And do the complaining somewhere other than DCUM.

Anonymous wrote:OP here again.

I talked to DD and we made a plan.

a) If I'm not at the stop, she does not get off the bus.

b) If she's off the bus and no one is at home she goes to one of our 4 neighbor's houses.

If your area has a policy regarding parent pickup, the driver was wrong to release her and you should complain mightily. If there is no policy, then you should have had this discussion with her BEFORE school started, not 2 months into the year.

Either way, lesson learned and all children should know a backup plan just in case.
And please tell me she has memorized a phone number to reach you!

Op the policy in mcps is to bring the child back to school. Call transportation. There was an accident 10 minutes from my house the other day took me an hour to get home. This area is so unpredictable traffic wise a parent cannot have a contingency for every situation.

No op is not me I am the poster of the original post and if anyone is interested I did call the transportation line and when the school mixed up and sent my kid home instead of leaving him on aftercare the bus driver remembered to bring him back to school