Kids 2 doors down get the schools bus but we're too close?

[Avonlady1001]

So, I just found out the girl 2 doors down gets the school bus to school but we're too close. The cut off is next door. School is a 10 minute walk. We're in the suburbs on Long Island so it's not like 2 doors down is a mile...

Has anyone been in this situation? Can I fight it? Can I win? Where do I start?

DD5 is starting Kindergarten in the fall, so I'm new to this. I never thought I'd want her on the bus at this age, but w/ baby #3 coming this winter, having her picked up/dropped off in front of my house would be very convenient!!

Thanks for any advice anyone can give...

 

[happygirl]

I would see if she can get on at the neighbors.

 

[Donaldswife]

Could she possibly get on and off the bus with the girls who live two doors down since the bus already stops there anyway?

 

[Jennasis]

Yikes. When I was in school (Longwood school district, back in early 90's) we lost our bussing one year. The cut off was just a mile or so from me, so we had to walk. My BFF and I carpooled with her momin the morning and walked home in the afternoon (10th grade). This lasted for 3 months and then we had a budget revote where we got bussing back.

I honestly don't know if there is a way to fight it. Could you go to the school and ask if your daughter would be allowed to walk to the stop? Seems like they are saving money on MILEAGE not on number of students picked up. Hopefully they'll have room for your daughter. Good luck!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I would petition the bus company and the school for a request? Not sure.

If the bus is full to capacity, you are going to have a hard time getting her on the bus. If they are not full, you could have the advantage by saying your dd is walking to a stop, as pp said.

That really stinks. Good luck with the cause.

 

[krcit]

I had the same situation. In fact, oldest dd didn't get the bus, middle one did and youngest ds didn't I called and complained and was basically told to go pound sand. We have a K center and it is on a busy road. There are no crossing guards there at K drop off time. It's ridiculous.

 

[design_mom]

You can go to the district transportation office or the school board to discuss it.

A couple of years ago the school board declared our neighborhood a walking area because we are within 1 mile of the school as the crow flies... But the actual walking route was longer than a mile, crossed a busy road (no crossing guards), and went directly next to the train tracks. A few neighbors and I went to the school board with photos of my concerns. They reconsidered. I think they were trying to save money on the bus routes and nobody actually looked at the alternative walking route. They just looked at a map and said, "They can walk."

If there is room on the bus that stops down the street, maybe they will let your child ride from that stop. If the bus is full, they might not...bot it doesn't hurt to ask.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

You can fight it, you just need to measure your end of the driveway to the school every way you can think of (for example, there are two ways out of my neighborhood). Our school district went down to the state minimum for busing (2 miles) and our entire neighborhood didn't make it, except the private school kids and one public school girl whose mother fought it because they were like .1 mile off. Her neighbors on either side did not make the cut.

 

[luvmy3]

Are you friends with the neighbors? If so I would fill out the forms that allow your child to be dropped off at another residence other than your own (usually for daycare reasons) and put your neighbors address (with their permission). I would do it for my neighbor if they were in your situation.

 

[FergieTCat]

It must be a Long Island thing.

Way back in the day, I went to school in the Northport School District. I just missed the cut-off for getting a bus to junior high. The walk was just shy of 1 1/2 miles. I either walked or my mother drove me to school. Today, it would take me at least 20 minutes to walk that far.

 

[missypie]

They have to draw the line somewhere. In our neighborhood, the east end of the street gets to ride the bus and the west end doesn't. But you can always pay for your kid to ride. You might want so check into paying a small annual fee.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

They have to draw the line somewhere. In our district, though there is a "2 miles away or more gets the bus" policy, once they enter a neighborhood, they allow all the kids in that neighborhood onto the bus.

It can't hurt to ask. They may not be able to make an exception for you because if they did, they'd have to make it for all the kids 2 houses away from the boundary line, then 2 houses away from the new boundary lines, and so on, and so on...

If not, I like luvmy3's suggestion.

 

[daughtersrus]

For us, the limit is 1 1/2 miles from door to door walking the shortest distance. When they built the school in our subdivision a few years ago, everyone tried to fight it. It's close to 2 miles if you drive it but if you walk through a large park that borders the school, it's less than 1 1/2 miles.

We can elect to pay for bus service if there is room on a bus route that is passing our house.

Some suggested using an address with a bus for daycare purposes. Here, that won't work. If your home address doesn't qualify for transportation, you do not get free bus service~ period.

Our state (IL) does have safety laws (train tracks, no sidewalks...) so even those that live within 1 1/2 miles from school would qualify for transportation in these areas.

Also, children with special needs would qualify for transportation no matter how close they live.

The cut off has to be somewhere. If they give you service for free, the house two doors from you could want service as well since you're getting.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

We are in a similar situation but I think most kids can take the bus for elementary. The circle widened out for Middle School. We were actually just at the cutoff but I usually drive DS in the mornings (it is on the way to work) and he walks home most days anyhow. Some kids that do not have bus service get on at our stop. I would think that may be your best bet. To see if your DD can get on at the house a few doors away.

 

[KATHINOWA]

my children get the bus for elementary school but our next door neighbors do not. we write letters stating that they go home with the neighbors each day so they can take the bus. everyone gets the bus for kindy and 1st so i don't think the bus driver realizes they shouldn't still be on the bus. also when they go in on the first day, they get a sticker that says what bus they came in on so the teachers know what bus to send them home on.

i would get in touch with the transportation office at your district and see what can be done. especially with a new baby coming they might be understanding.

 

[Avonlady1001]

Thanks, everyone! I will see if she can get on at the neighbors. We're not "friends" but we're friendly. My DD & the little girl there play in the backyard "together" (outside at the same time talking thru the fences LOL). As far as I know, that girl, my DD 7 the girl next to me who also doesn't get the bus are the only school age kids on the block.

I had no problem walking or driving...until I found this out. I just assumed no one here got the bus.

And as far as getting something for "free", well, I pay the same amount of ridiculously high taxes that they do...so free doesn't even come close.

I get the cutoff has to be somewhere, just doesn't seem right that if I lived next door, she'd get it, kwim? Seems silly to me.

 

[luvmy3]

For us, the limit is 1 1/2 miles from door to door walking the shortest distance. When they built the school in our subdivision a few years ago, everyone tried to fight it. It's close to 2 miles if you drive it but if you walk through a large park that borders the school, it's less than 1 1/2 miles.

We can elect to pay for bus service if there is room on a bus route that is passing our house.

Some suggested using an address with a bus for daycare purposes. Here, that won't work. If your home address doesn't qualify for transportation, you do not get free bus service~ period.

Our state (IL) does have safety laws (train tracks, no sidewalks...) so even those that live within 1 1/2 miles from school would qualify for transportation in these areas.

Also, children with special needs would qualify for transportation no matter how close they live.

The cut off has to be somewhere. If they give you service for free, the house two doors from you could want service as well since you're getting.

That must make it very difficult for working parents whose address doesn't qualify for the bus.

Thanks, everyone! I will see if she can get on at the neighbors. We're not "friends" but we're friendly. My DD & the little girl there play in the backyard "together" (outside at the same time talking thru the fences LOL). As far as I know, that girl, my DD 7 the girl next to me who also doesn't get the bus are the only school age kids on the block.

I had no problem walking or driving...until I found this out. I just assumed no one here got the bus.

And as far as getting something for "free", well, I pay the same amount of ridiculously high taxes that they do...so free doesn't even come close.

I get the cutoff has to be somewhere, just doesn't seem right that if I lived next door, she'd get it, kwim? Seems silly to me.

I was thinking the same thing when I saw that comment. Transportation isn't "free" for any student/family.

I hope it all works out

 

[Planogirl]

This happened to us. I can see the bus stop for the middle school from our house but we were just inside the line. You have to live two miles or more from the school to ride the bus and we were just a smidgen less.

I had no problem with the distance but I had an 11 year old that had to cross very busy streets with areas with no sidewalks. I tried to talk to the school officials but they weren't sympathetic. I admit that I lost my temper but luckily I found a local service that I could pay to transport DS. It still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[LMC]

This happened to my sister/niece. When the bus dept got out their trust map, they looked at the location of the house to the school they way the crow flies. However, niece would have to walk down the block the opposite direction on a street/sidewalk, then round the corner and go back on a busy highway WITHOUT sidewalks to get to school. BUT, the neighbor at the end of the block qualified because the way the crow flies, her house lied just outside the mileage limit. Now how is a kid suppose to walk thru peoples fenced yards, all kinds of wood (and I mean thick woods) to get to school they way they proposed. Ridiculous.

 

[ksjayhawks]

You can try, but I doubt if you will get to use the bus unless you pay a transportation fee. You can't just walk down to the bus stop and get on unless you qualify for free transportation--usually the drivers will have a list of who can ride.

The cutoff has to be somewhere and as pp's said, if you get it, then the next person will want it and so on (granted there are no kids in those houses right now). If you have a new baby coming, it might be worth it to pay the fee to have your child ride the bus and you not have to worry about taking the baby out in winter or if baby is fussy, asleep, etc.