Frequently Asked Questions
I am new to Westchester and will be registering my child in the School District. Is my child eligible for bus service? What is the cost?
There is no additional cost to you for your student’s bus service. Bus Transportation is available to those in Kindergarten through 8th grade who meet the below residency requirements, and to those enrolled in Early Childhood. We apologize but bus transportation is not available to students in Pre-Kindergarten (PFA).
Residence Eligibility: Your student’s eligibility for transportation depends on your residence. If you reside in a different area of Westchester from where your child's school is located, meaning he/she has to cross one of the "hazardous" roads to go to school (Mannheim, Roosevelt, and/or Cermak Roads), school bus service is available. Unfortunately, if you reside in the same area as your child’s school, we cannot provide bus transportation to and from school (The only exception is if your student has special needs and qualifies for door-to-door transportation).
Upon registering your child, your school secretary should provide you with your child's bus information. If not, please contact the Transportation Coordinator.
My child goes to a sitter before and after school. Can the bus pick-up/drop-off my student near his sitter’s house?
As long as the babysitter’s address is eligible for bus service (see above), we can arrange transportation for your child. Please notify the school with any changes at least three days prior to schedule your child to a route closest to the sitter’s address.
What time is my student’s pick-up and drop-off time?
Your child’s transportation information is always available to view in Home Access Center under the “Registration” section. You can also either call your student’s school secretary, or the transportation secretary for your child's pick-up and drop-off information. To request a route schedule, please email: [email protected]. Please make sure your email address is on file for your student; to ensure safety, we will not provide bus schedules to unlisted emails.
I am moving/need to change my child’s bus stop. What do I need to do?
Any changes in transportation must be arranged at least three days prior to the needed change. This will allow us to notify the school, teacher, and bus drivers. Please call your school’s secretary or the Transportation Coordinator. If you are making an address change, you must first notify the school to update our records.
Today is Early Dismissal. What time will the bus drop off my student?
1st through 8th Grades: Students will be dropped off 3½ hours earlier than their usual drop-off time. (e.g., if your normal drop-off time is at 3:40 PM, your early dismissal time will be approximately 12:10 PM.)
Early Childhood, Kindergarten, & Door-to-Door Students: Your child’s bus driver will hand out a bus schedule 2-3 days prior to Early Dismissal tailored to that specific Early Dismissal day. If you still need the updated schedule, please call or email the Transportation Coordinator. Please refer to the Student Calendar to determine if your AM or PM student will be attending school on the Early Dismissal day.
If you need to make any special accommodations on early dismissals, please contact your school’s secretary as soon as possible.
I have a kindergarten student and I’m running late to the corner. Can my other child pick him up? We live near the corner. Couldn’t my kindergartner just walk home?
We require all Kindergarten students to have someone waiting at the corner every day. If a parent or guardian is unable to be at the corner, a sibling who is at least a 6th grader or older may pick up your kindergartner from the corner. We encourage you to inform the bus driver ahead of time if someone else will be picking up your child from the bus stop. If you are not going to arrive in time and no one will be at the corner, please contact the school immediately.
I ran late to the corner for my Kindergartner’s drop-off and missed the bus. Where can I pick up my child?
Due to time constraints, our school buses may not be able to go back to previous corners to drop off students.
AM-Kindergarten drop-off: If you missed the drop-off for your AM-Kindergartner, your child will stay on the bus through the PM-Kindergarten pick-up and will be taken back to school with the afternoon students at 12:30 PM. You must sign out your child in the WPS Office.
PM-Kindergarten drop-off: If you missed the bus for your PM-Kindergartner at the end of the day, your child will be taken back to school at the end of the route and you must sign out your child in the WPS Office. Buses cannot go back to previous corners for parents who may be running late.
If you are not going to arrive in time and no one will be at the corner, please contact the school immediately. Staff members are unable to stay after hours with students. If a child is taken back to the school and is not picked up by the end of the day, students may be taken to the Westchester Police Department.
My child wants to go to her friend’s house after school. If I call the school and let them know, can she go on the bus with her friend?
Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate bus changes for playdates or going to a friend’s house. Last minute changes are only to assist those in last-minute, urgent, family situations. If you have any questions, feel free to contact your school’s secretary.
My child needs to be picked up from school, instead of taking the bus home today. Who should I contact?
Please contact the school secretary as soon as possible to allow enough time to notify your child's teacher. Due to last minute changes, teachers may not receive your child's bus change in time. If your child boards the bus, he cannot get off until their assigned bus stop location.
My student is eligible for door-to-door transportation, but he is not going to school today. What should I do?
We appreciate a call ahead to let us know your student will not need bus service that day. Each bus route is timed carefully to accommodate our door-to-door students and any delays may cause disruption to our routes.
If your student has a pick-up time prior to 8:00 AM, please notify the bus garage at (708) 450-2714.
If after 8:00 AM, please call the District Office at (708) 450-2700.
You must also contact your student’s school to notify of your child’s absence. Our bus drivers cannot relay your message to the school and your child absence may be marked as "unexcused."
My son participates in after-school clubs and sports. Is there a bus that will take him home?
Both WMS and WIS have a late bus available on certain days when clubs and activities are taking place. The late bus schedule is available in the Student Handbook. The late bus transports students to the closest school to their residence, not your student’s usual corner.
There is no additional cost to you for your student’s bus service. Bus Transportation is available to those in Kindergarten through 8th grade who meet the below residency requirements, and to those enrolled in Early Childhood. We apologize but bus transportation is not available to students in Pre-Kindergarten (PFA).
Residence Eligibility: Your student’s eligibility for transportation depends on your residence. If you reside in a different area of Westchester from where your child's school is located, meaning he/she has to cross one of the "hazardous" roads to go to school (Mannheim, Roosevelt, and/or Cermak Roads), school bus service is available. Unfortunately, if you reside in the same area as your child’s school, we cannot provide bus transportation to and from school (The only exception is if your student has special needs and qualifies for door-to-door transportation).
Upon registering your child, your school secretary should provide you with your child's bus information. If not, please contact the Transportation Coordinator.
My child goes to a sitter before and after school. Can the bus pick-up/drop-off my student near his sitter’s house?
As long as the babysitter’s address is eligible for bus service (see above), we can arrange transportation for your child. Please notify the school with any changes at least three days prior to schedule your child to a route closest to the sitter’s address.
What time is my student’s pick-up and drop-off time?
Your child’s transportation information is always available to view in Home Access Center under the “Registration” section. You can also either call your student’s school secretary, or the transportation secretary for your child's pick-up and drop-off information. To request a route schedule, please email: [email protected]. Please make sure your email address is on file for your student; to ensure safety, we will not provide bus schedules to unlisted emails.
I am moving/need to change my child’s bus stop. What do I need to do?
Any changes in transportation must be arranged at least three days prior to the needed change. This will allow us to notify the school, teacher, and bus drivers. Please call your school’s secretary or the Transportation Coordinator. If you are making an address change, you must first notify the school to update our records.
Today is Early Dismissal. What time will the bus drop off my student?
1st through 8th Grades: Students will be dropped off 3½ hours earlier than their usual drop-off time. (e.g., if your normal drop-off time is at 3:40 PM, your early dismissal time will be approximately 12:10 PM.)
Early Childhood, Kindergarten, & Door-to-Door Students: Your child’s bus driver will hand out a bus schedule 2-3 days prior to Early Dismissal tailored to that specific Early Dismissal day. If you still need the updated schedule, please call or email the Transportation Coordinator. Please refer to the Student Calendar to determine if your AM or PM student will be attending school on the Early Dismissal day.
If you need to make any special accommodations on early dismissals, please contact your school’s secretary as soon as possible.
I have a kindergarten student and I’m running late to the corner. Can my other child pick him up? We live near the corner. Couldn’t my kindergartner just walk home?
We require all Kindergarten students to have someone waiting at the corner every day. If a parent or guardian is unable to be at the corner, a sibling who is at least a 6th grader or older may pick up your kindergartner from the corner. We encourage you to inform the bus driver ahead of time if someone else will be picking up your child from the bus stop. If you are not going to arrive in time and no one will be at the corner, please contact the school immediately.
I ran late to the corner for my Kindergartner’s drop-off and missed the bus. Where can I pick up my child?
Due to time constraints, our school buses may not be able to go back to previous corners to drop off students.
AM-Kindergarten drop-off: If you missed the drop-off for your AM-Kindergartner, your child will stay on the bus through the PM-Kindergarten pick-up and will be taken back to school with the afternoon students at 12:30 PM. You must sign out your child in the WPS Office.
PM-Kindergarten drop-off: If you missed the bus for your PM-Kindergartner at the end of the day, your child will be taken back to school at the end of the route and you must sign out your child in the WPS Office. Buses cannot go back to previous corners for parents who may be running late.
If you are not going to arrive in time and no one will be at the corner, please contact the school immediately. Staff members are unable to stay after hours with students. If a child is taken back to the school and is not picked up by the end of the day, students may be taken to the Westchester Police Department.
My child wants to go to her friend’s house after school. If I call the school and let them know, can she go on the bus with her friend?
Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate bus changes for playdates or going to a friend’s house. Last minute changes are only to assist those in last-minute, urgent, family situations. If you have any questions, feel free to contact your school’s secretary.
My child needs to be picked up from school, instead of taking the bus home today. Who should I contact?
Please contact the school secretary as soon as possible to allow enough time to notify your child's teacher. Due to last minute changes, teachers may not receive your child's bus change in time. If your child boards the bus, he cannot get off until their assigned bus stop location.
My student is eligible for door-to-door transportation, but he is not going to school today. What should I do?
We appreciate a call ahead to let us know your student will not need bus service that day. Each bus route is timed carefully to accommodate our door-to-door students and any delays may cause disruption to our routes.
If your student has a pick-up time prior to 8:00 AM, please notify the bus garage at (708) 450-2714.
If after 8:00 AM, please call the District Office at (708) 450-2700.
You must also contact your student’s school to notify of your child’s absence. Our bus drivers cannot relay your message to the school and your child absence may be marked as "unexcused."
My son participates in after-school clubs and sports. Is there a bus that will take him home?
Both WMS and WIS have a late bus available on certain days when clubs and activities are taking place. The late bus schedule is available in the Student Handbook. The late bus transports students to the closest school to their residence, not your student’s usual corner.
If you would like more information or have any questions about the late bus, please contact your school’s secretary.
Have more questions? Please contact the Transportation Coordinator at (708) 450-2714 or via email: [email protected].
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Need to cancel your student's door-to-door bus today?
Before 8:00 AM, Bus Garage: (708) 450-2714
After 8:00 AM, District Office: (708) 450-2700
