First Day Of School RANT

Angela I don't know what to do but him being late to school daily is UNACCEPTABLE I just don't know how I'm going to assure that doesn't happen.

I'm just seeing red right now and I wish like hell that Clint could drive him there and save all this hassle.

As I remember, buses often run late the first week of school. New schedule and all... Not that it's okay but things should straighten out.
When I was a kid, I had a 45 minute bus ride to and from school. We lived at the end of the school boundry way out in the country.

Wow I'd be making a call to your superintendent or someone high up in the school. When I was in middle school my bus driver used to make us late for school. One (angry) call to the school fixed it. Turns out she wasn't following her route but going out of her way to pick up her friend's kids.
So give your school a call. Start with the transportation director and if that gets no results go over his/her head to the superintendent. If calls don't work, make an apperance. Get the other kid's parents to do the same. They'll eventually do something because they don't want to deal with parents who care when they are angry heh

It seems like the buses are all running late the first day or 2 of school. It should get better. I don't get the 2 bus thing. My whole life you lived in the school district and if you were over a mile away from school you had a bus stop that was near your home. The bus picked up all the other kids in the neighborhood then straight to school. One bus came around 6:30 for high school, 7:00 for middle school, and 8:00 for elementary.

Bobbi perhaps that's true, but you'd think they'd aim to be early so that they'd be on time if anything.

Heather, I'm tempted. Boy am I tempted.

Ryan, they told us there were people on the bus to help him to the other bus. I got a call from another school saying he was there not at HIS school. WHERE Were these people that are to help him on the bus?

What happens on the way home? Does he get lost again in another neighborhood and some pervert finds him? They should DIRECT BUS THESE LITTLE ONES TO SCHOOL NO SWITCHES. I'm so angry right now.

I'm GLAD he wasn't upset. I'm GLAD he remembered the emergency phone numbers but I'm PISSED he had to use them at all.

Welcome to the wonderful world of school. Buses are late. Kids are late. It happens, especially at the first few weeks of school. Some kids aren't out on time, the bus isn't sure of the stops, or the route yet.

I would hold off on the calls. Just remember- your son isn't the only one on the bus, there are other stops that have to be made, and until the bus gets the pattern down, things happen. You can't expect it to be on time the first day of school.

Now, if it continues to be an issue after the 3rd week, then call. I had 1 year where the kids bus was supposed to be at our house at 8am. Around mid-November, it started coming a bit earlier, because of snow, so I had the kids out side at 7:50 every morning. Some days, she'd get there at 7:50 (we were the first stop), other days, she didn't get there until 8:20. There were days I had to call the bus garage because she never showed up -at all-, and they would have to wait until the elementry school kids were dropped off, and send her back to pick the kids up.

By Christmas break, it had gotten so that we were waiting outside for the bus for up to an hour some days, with me sending them outside at 7:30 to make sure they didn't miss it. I finally got fed up, wrote a letter to the school bus garage about the unprofessional, constantly late, sometimes forgetful bus driver. I gave a copy to the driver herself, and one to the bus garage, and saved a copy in case I needed it.

The first day after Christmas break, the bus was on time- and was -never- late again.

In the mean time, though, you need to just wait it out. They simply will not be on a set schedule yet. There are always going to be parents in the first few days or weeks who need to reassure younger children that it's all right to get on the bus, which takes time. Or to talk to the bus driver. Or to make sure the older kids watch the younger one.

1 minute extra at each stop can really slow the bus down.

UGH, luckily I don't have to rely on the bus to get my kids to and from school. I drive them both ways, faster and easier by far.

It's the first week of school and things happen, I'd still be upset but give it a few more days and it should get smoother.

Wow, Jennifer, I know I would be mad too, if it was my son, who had to go through this. I agree with Heather, making a call to the people in charge might help, and going to the assistants won't do much, you have to reach out to those, who can actually do something about the situation.

I too had to ride two busses to school, when I was younger, and at one time I had to spend about 1 1/2 hours on the bus just to get home. It is not a lot of fun that's for sure.

I grew up 6 miles or 10 minutes from town and had to ride the bus an hour each way. That's just how it works when they have to stop so often. I know with my niece that they change the route each year so the first ones who ride an hour get to be the last ones on and ride 15 minutes the next to try and make it as fair as they can. I used to do my homework on the bus. Some kids had activity books, or listened to music - I had some great bus friends that I looked forward to talking with every day on the bus. It can be a good way to make friends in a setting where you can talk. For me, it was a lot less brutal place than the playground for socializing, since I wasn't good at sports.

My niece had to change buses at the high school and she did just fine with that - she was very proud of her ability to manuever the system. And I agree with Bobbi - late is to be expected the first week with new routes, kids not being at the right stops, kids not out at the road because they're not up early enough... all kinds of just back to school glitches that should resolve themselves quickly.

Just pray that no one harasses him, because that's a much harder issue. My niece loved riding the bus, and then some high school boys started picking on her, and my brother was so fed up that they drive her to school and pick her up every day now. The minor irritations will fade quickly. Just hope the bus driver maintains control of the bus and lets the kids know they have to behave and show respect for each other.

I do hope things get straightened out soon. I just found out why he went to the wrong school and cleared that up, so that's one issue down.

Sherrie, I hope no one bothers him too that was a concern as well. All the kids in our neighborhood were so kind to him and they even helped him stay warm. I'd like to hope maybe one of them would look out for him if he should get harrassed.

I'd be mad too. A lot can happen while a kid waits for twenty minutes.

On the other hand - it is the first week of school, it will most likely get much smoother from here on out. If no improvement by next week - I'd make that call to the Superintendent of Schools.

I am sorry the first day didn't go off with out a hitch. Our school never is on time either..It varies what time it shows up.

Jennifer, he is taking a school bus, not public transportation? Living in cities most of my life I have rarely had to depend on school buses and never even heard of having to change buses before. I did have to take public transportation buses (we got student tokens at a highly discounted rate) in junior high and high school. I walked about six or seven blocks to the bus stop and then again to my school. I didn't even know WDC had "school buses" until I drove past one of their lots as an adult.

Your son is in elementary? I cannot believe they expect elementary students to change buses to get to school! Simply amazing! I think that is way to young. I am so sorry you had so many problems. I hope the situation improves.

I never heard of multiple buses for schools..

I didn't see this when it was first posted, if they lost my kid the first day id had a bus drivers head on a stick how dare they send him to a different school. I sure hope this had straightened out for you are things going better now?