Wake County school bus delays? (home, middle school, buses)

[radmod]

At a recent orientation for our child's elementary school (entering Kindergarten), we learned that the school day ends at 3:45. However, all the buses for the kids usually don't arrive until half-an-hour later, at 4:15, and the kids can't board until all the buses are there...so the kids just have to hang out until then.

Has anyone experienced this before? I know it's not unusual to have to wait 5-10 minutes, maybe even 15 on occasion, before being actually dismissed, but a regular half-hour wait seems ridiculous. Did we hear the teacher correctly? Is this a problem in Wake generally? Curious about others' experiences. Thanks!

[twingles]

I've not heard of the school waiting till all the buses are there to board them. May be a new policy or may just be the school policy. They all handle dismissal differently.

But yes - elementary schools that dismiss at 3:45 are tier 3 buses - you have to wait for them to drop of kids in high school and middle school and the early elementary schools (of which there are only a few). Once the buses are done with those routes they go to the elementary schools.
And then there are days where drivers don't show...

[Waterboy526]

My child is in elementary school that releases at 3:45pm and it does not work like that, at least at our school. The administration also tweets when the specific buses arrive and leave campus, which helps a lot!

[SFspiderman]

My son's bus usually departs his school about 30 minutes after school ends. Not everyone has to wait for all of the buses...that seems silly.

Of the six buses that serve his school, three usually leave within about 5 minutes of dismissal, another leaves about 15 minutes after, his about 30 minutes, and then another one usually closer to 35 minutes.

And yes, the school tweets when each bus departs.

[lamishra]

at our schools kids just had to wait till their own bus arrived and then they loaded, no waiting for all the buses and parents geta tweet about bus departures.

[radmod]

Okay, then we misunderstood what was going on. Sounds like the teacher meant to say that some students' buses might arrive up to 30 minutes after the official end of the school day, but that if the bus is there, it can leave. And glad to know about the tweets. Still seems like not enough school buses are available system-wide, though. We're surprised about that.

Thanks for the responses!

[TinkaMcKirk]

And people wonder why the carpool lines are insane in elementary school. You have no choice if your kids have any after school activities.

[twingles]

Originally Posted by TinkaMcKirk

And people wonder why the carpool lines are insane in elementary school. You have no choice if your kids have any after school activities.

Yup and if you work, you have to take your kid in the morning because if you leave them behind, it's a crapshoot whether they get there or not. I drive my youngest to middle school because no one is home for her if the bus doesn't come...luckily her school is right on my way to work.

[TinkaMcKirk]

Originally Posted by twingles

Yup and if you work, you have to take your kid in the morning because if you leave them behind, it's a crapshoot whether they get there or not. I drive my youngest to middle school because no one is home for her if the bus doesn't come...luckily her school is right on my way to work.

Yep. BTDT. Now my oldest's bus comes at 6:20am, which is much easier for me. Unless she misses the bus. Then it's pure chaos over here. Next year will be even earlier. Am considering carpooling again.

[twingles]

Originally Posted by TinkaMcKirk

Yep. BTDT. Now my oldest's bus comes at 6:20am, which is much easier for me. Unless she misses the bus. Then it's pure chaos over here. Next year will be even earlier. Am considering carpooling again.

That was us this year with 3 kids going to three different new schools. DS missed the high school bus second day of school as the driver showed up 10 minutes early. Oh, the whims of the WCPSS bus drivers!