A Message from Bellingham Public Schools Transportation
 
Dear families,

You are receiving this email because at least one student in your household is eligible to ride the school bus to and from their school. (If you have children attending different schools or levels you may also receive a message regarding walk and bike routes.) 

Welcome back for a new school year! We hope it’s been a great first week. Please read on for important reminders about transportation to and from school, like those shared on page 9 of our Family Handbook and Calendar (Spanish). 

Bus routes 
By now, we hope everyone has found their bus stop locations and times by using the Infofinder tool on our transportation website. Infofinder is available all school year and also shows snow bus stops once we enter the inclement weather season. Enter your street address and you will see the stops near your address. 
 
Please note: If your child has specialized transportation, you should have received that customized information as well. Please call Transportation with any questions.  

Do routes change? 
On occasion,  some routes and times may change to better serve our students as we adjust based on the number of riders. This time of year, we are making lots of adjustments for efficiency, all of which can be seen in Infofinder. After school starts, if there are significant changes to your route, such as moving a bus stop or a pickup/dropoff change of more than 10 minutes, we will use ParentSquare to notify you. Changes, if any, are also updated daily on the Infofinder tool, and the Stopfinder app is also a very helpful tool for many families (see below).  

Ride safely  
Please take a few minutes and watch our “Ready to Ride” video at our transportation webpage to review how to ride safely. The video will also be shared at your elementary school if your student is a new rider.
 
In the morning, please arrive at the bus stop 5 minutes prior to the scheduled time.  

Additional information about riding the bus can be found on page 9 of the Family Handbook and Calendar (Spanish), which was recently mailed to your home.  If you did not receive a copy, you can pick one up from your school.  

Return Home Plan & Stopfinder app 
All elementary families need to complete a Return Home Plan, which is one of the annual forms that can be filled out through Skyward Family Access. We care about your children and want to ensure that every K-5 family has a Return Home Plan from school, whether your student walks, rides the bus, or is picked up. 
 
All families can use the optional Stopfinder app, which allows parents and guardians to accurately track their child(ren)'s school bus in real time. Families will receive a personalized link to this optional app during the back-to-school season. Learn more about Stopfinder at our website. 
 
Riding a different bus (Stop Variance) 
Sometimes a family needs a student to ride a different bus, such as visiting a friend. We begin allowing “stop variances” like this about a month into the school year. We need this time to ensure our routes are balanced for efficiency and capacity. Starting October 1, we are happy to honor a request for a stop variance provided we have space available on the bus. Please send a note to your school requesting the stop variance. If you have specific needs or circumstances, contact us at 360-676-6546. 

Early dismissals 
As a reminder: all schools have early dismissals on Thursdays and additional select dates such as the day before Thanksgiving. Refer to the Family Handbook and Calendar (Spanish) for specific dates.
 
On early dismissal days students' buses also arrive to their stops early: 

• Elementary schools are dismissed at 12:20 p.m. and buses arrive at afternoon stops approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes earlier
• Middle schools are dismissed at 2 p.m. and buses arrive at afternoon stops about 1 hour and 45 minutes earlier
• High schools are dismissed at 1:15 p.m. and buses arrive at afternoon stops approximately 2 hours earlier

 
Thank you,
 
Rachel Hrutfiord
Transportation Director 
Rachel.Hrutfiord@bellinghamschools.org
360-676-6546