Not starting off on the right foot!! Sorry for the rant! About This Page:

[Diz]

[ QUOTE ]
she made it home!

We'll see what happens tomorrow!

[/ QUOTE ]

So happy to hear she made it home safely! What did happen today? Did things go smoother?

I have to laugh at bus companies. Our school district only buses if you are 2 miles or more away from school. We live approx. 6 miles from school so my teens qualify for the bus. DS#1 received a bus pass. DS#2 didn't. The reasoning from the bus company: DS#1 lives 6 miles away, but DS#2 lives within 2 miles. I thought we lived all together! Who knew!

Here's pixie dust for smoother bus days!

[kadterp]

Marnie, being another CT mom, I can tell you that this is all normal! Never expect the bus to arrive on time, always expect it to be late at least the first week of school until they get into a routine. The worst are delays for that screws up everything and found that it is easier to drive them myself than to wait for the bus. I remember one time my daughter was getting on the bus with another kid and they let the other kid on and then shut the door and drove away leaving my daughter behind! Dont be afraid to call the school and complain and also the bus company too! My son used to take the bus (DD became a walker in middle school even though it is a mile to it) and I yanked him off for I had problems with the bus driver. I like it now for he has more time in the AM for us to get ready and is home earlier too. Hang in there it gets better!

[Colexis Mom]

Thursday the bus was only 12 minutes late! She's making progress! And she remembered to pick up the girl down the street as well! We'll see how today goes! I have to call this afternoon to get her a bus pass, as I will be driving her to school pretty much from now on, unless I have to travel for work. She'll still get to ride it home, which is okay, as that driver has been doing our neighborhood for years, and is a great guy! I wish he did the PM kindergarten pickup as well, but what can you do! Thanks for the well wishes everyone!

[disneymom9092]

Marnie, I know exactly how you feel. My boys are older now, but I still drive them to school and pick them up. I have had such bad experiences with the local bus company. I lost faith in them a long time ago. I am fortunate that I go to work as soon as I drop them off and then leave here to get them. I Hope that all works out for you. It is so frustrating, especially when it concerns your children.

Dianne

[DrDolphin]

Glad to hear things went better for the drop off.

[muffy'smom]

What a bad way for your daughter to start her first day of school. Hopefully it will get better for you, it usually takes a couple of days to get the kinks out. My daughter has a great bus driver and I always let her know how much I appreciate that she gets Emily to and from school safely.

[IdahoDisneyMom]

What a way to start! How was her day once she got there? Is she liking school other than the bus ride? My DD starts Kindergarten on Tues (9/7) but I teach at her school, so transportation isn't an issue. I'm sorry you got off to a rough start, but I hope you're right and each day it will get a little better!
Stephanie

[paradox]

On my daughter's first day of school they forgot to send her home. I took the day off of work, and was waiting on the front porch for almost two hrs. The school is only 2 miles away. I called the school 3 times, and was told that the first day was very slow and be patient. Well we fianally got a call asking if we were goning to pick our daughter up, because she was sitting in the office crying.
I now pick my daughter up from school every day, and my sister drives her to school every day. I will never put my child on a school bus again.

[dizPlanner]

Our school busses never seemed to be a problem, but we have a different situation. Our subdivision has lots of children, but is over a mile from the school and on the other side of a fairly busy street (although now that roads are through to the school, they do have a light and an adult to help kids cross if they want to walk). So the bus would have three stops and be full - loading about 20 kids at a shot. The bus stop used to be at our intersection but was moved to a corner a block away a number of years ago.

For the junior high kids, the stop is at a different corner about a block away - the bus has a few more stops, but still not many.

My son just started high school - the bus picks up at the same place as the junior high bus. This bus makes more stops, but picks up few kids - most high school kids don't like to ride the bus. The biggest problem is in the afternoon - the bus doesn't leave for over 30 minutes after school is out - the buses have to wait for the bus from the other high school. My son's high school is new and only has 10th and 11th grades this year - seniors get to finish had the other high school. So to provide transportation to the seniors going to the other high school, everyone has to wait until they are bussed over, and then get on the bus to their neighborhood. I've gotten a few calls already this year "Mom, I missed the bus. I'm going to my friends house (lives within walking distance). Pick me up on your way home" Tuesdays are also strange - they have late start (9:10 instead of 7:50), but the buses run at the normal time. So either get to school way early or get there some other way. Usually my son rides his bike that day (fortunately doesn't have band and need his sax that day), stopping at his friends on the way. (Or gets his dad to drop him off at his friends.)

In summary, elementary and junior high buses seem to work well, the high school bus schedule leaves something to be desired.

Karen