We care about your children and want to ensure that every family has developed a safe “Return Home Plan” from school, whether your child walks, rides the bus, or is picked up.
The safety of your child is our primary concern. Bus drivers will help kindergarteners and other young children learn to ride the bus. It is very important that you or a designated adult be at the bus stop a few minutes before the drop-off time if you plan to greet your child. In the past, children have been returned to school when a parent/guardian is not present at the bus stop. This was a practice that we used when kindergarten was not full-time and there was midday drop-off. Now that all young children are released at the same time, Transportation is unable to continue this practice because is not possible for bus drivers to track all of the parent/guardian requests for children to be dropped off with siblings, caretakers, friends or other adults. It also requires additional staff time to supervise children when they are returned to school. If the parent/guardian is unable to meet the child at the bus stop for drop-off, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to train their child what steps to take, such as walking in groups with other children or going to a neighbor’s house.
Bellingham Public Schools is unable to assume responsibility for a child who is dropped off at a designated bus stop after school when a parent/guardian is not present. It is not recommended, implied or otherwise, that kindergarteners or other young children are capable of attending to their own needs for extended periods of time. However, it is up to the parent/guardian to decide the maturity level of their child and to make childcare arrangements when the parent/guardian is unable to meet their child at the bus stop.