Transportation Services

Is my student eligible for transportation, and how do you determine our bus route? 
Student Transportation Eligibility is based on the School Committee Policy: 

• Grades K - 8: Students living more than one and one-half miles from school.
• Grades 9 - 12: Students living more than two miles from school.

It is not necessary to sign your child up for student transportation services each school year. You will be provided with bus eligibility and bus routes or the locations of School Traffic Supervisors when you:

• register your child at the PIC
• when your child moves from elementary to middle school
• when your child moves from middle school to high school
• if you move to a new address within Waltham
• if your child no longer requires specialized transportation

For safety and security reasons, each student is picked up and dropped off at the same location. School bus stops are based on safety and routes are created for maximum efficiency. Routes may change based on student enrollment and eligibility as enrollments vary each school year. School bus routes for the upcoming school year are posted by the last week in August. Specialized transportation is provided on vans to students receiving special education services and require curb to curb service or attend school outside their home school district, or locations that are not serviced by yellow school buses. Specialized transportation routes are created by the transportation vendor and communicated to the student's parents or caregivers, and the school district. Parents or other adults are not allowed to board a school bus or impede its progress in any way.

What time should my child be ready for the bus? 
For special transportation vehicles, your child should be ready 5-10 minutes before or after the time provided to you by the bus company. For regular buses please refer to the start time of the routes posted. Please understand weather conditions and road construction may cause delays in service. 

Do I need to be present for drop off? 
All Kindergarten, grade 1 and grade 2 students must be accompanied by an adult at pick up and drop off times.  Students in these grades that are assigned to bus routes will be given a red tag to attach to their backpack, making it easy for the bus driver to identify them.

What happens if I am not present for drop off for my Kindergarten, grade 1 or grade 2 student? 
If the bus driver does not see an adult at the drop off for Kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2 students, the student will be brought back to their school after the route is completed. The school administration will call the home and If a parent or guardian cannot be reached at this point the child will be transported by police car to the Waltham police station and the parent or guardian will be called by the Waltham Police Department. It is crucial that any changes to the student's emergency contact information is provided to the school department so that if needed, the information can be provided to the transportation vendor.  

What time does my child need to arrive at the bus stop? 
It is recommended that students arrive at bus stops 5 to 10 minutes early at the starting time of the route for the first few days of school.  

The bus goes right by my house. Why can't it stop at my address? 
School buses pass by many students’ homes on their way to school or other stop locations. Bus stops are placed at centralized locations that can be safely accessed by a significant number of students to minimize the time and length of the route, thereby reducing fuel costs and wear and tear on buses. Locations of bus stops cannot be customized to meet every individual need and still be part of an efficient and economical transportation system. When determining bus stop locations, the district does not take into consideration factors associated with individual family or parental situations. Such concerns are expected to be resolved by the family, parent, or guardian, not the school district.  

How do I request that a school bus stop be added or changed? 
If you feel there is an extraordinary safety circumstance that would justify a reevaluation of the bus stop location, please send your concerns to your school principal as the bus stop in question may have already been evaluated and approved as an authorized bus stop. Allow 10 days for careful consideration and review of your request and keep in mind the submission of a bus stop change request does not obligate the district to make the change. School bus routes for the upcoming school year are reviewed and are posted by the last week in August, therefore, bus stop changes are not made during the first month of school except to accommodate new students moving into the district. If the bus stop change is approved, parents or guardians of students will be notified of the changes and the start date. Please note that bus drivers are not allowed to make bus stop changes without approval from the school district.  

Who do I contact with transportation concerns or complaints? 
For specialized transportation please call the bus company if it is running more than 15 minutes late or if your child is not going to attend school that day. Contact the bus company if you have concerns about a driver, vehicle, or monitor. For non emergencies, please send an email and include as much detail as possible to transportation@walthampublicschools.org or leave a message on the transportation phone line at 781-314-5422.  

Why is my child not assigned to a regular school bus? 
Your child may be assigned to a van if they are attending a program that is held at a school outside their home school district, if the address cannot be serviced by yellow school buses, or if the vehicle is not permitted on the property. 

Who do I contact if I have a question or concern about my child's transportation provided via their IEP ? 
Contact the Special Education Department at 781-314-5530 regarding issues that the bus company has not resolved, persistent tardiness, issue with the driver, concern with the route or length of time your child is on the vehicle. Student's assigned to special transportation vehicles are picked up and dropped off at the same location.  

How are students transported to Minuteman High School? 
The Minuteman Bus will depart Waltham High School at 7:30am. Minuteman students should refer to WPS Bus Routes to take a WPS bus to the High School, then transfer to the Minuteman Bus. Please check the most recent posted bus routes for any updates to this service.

What happens when there is a 2 hour delay to the start of school? 
Messaging will be sent by phone and email from the Superintendent's Office with information. Transportation pick up time will be 2 hours later than scheduled time and morning preschool programs are cancelled.  

What happens when Waltham Public Schools are closed but the school my child attends is open? 
Transportation is not provided to out of district schools when Waltham Public Schools are closed.  

Does the late bus service run on early dismissal days? 
Yes. The late bus leaves WHS between 3:30pm-3:45pm. Please be sure that students are outside the building at the designated pick up locations. The only early dismissal day the late bus does not run is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and there are no late buses the last 3 days of the school year. 

Who to contact...

• If the bus or van is late or didn't show up: the transportation company
• If your child missed the bus or van: your child's school
• For items left on the bus or van: the transportation company
• To file a complaint about the bus or van: your child's School Principal
• To request a change to a bus stop: your child's School Principal
• If your child's transportation needs have changed: your child's School Principal
• With questions about out of district transportation: the Special Education Department
• With questions about private school or Minuteman transportation: the Transportation Office

Transportation Companies 

• JSC Transportation Services 
  • (781) 272-8555 
• Eastern Bus Company 
  • 215 Lexington Street 
  • (781) 790-0878

The School Department needs the cooperation of both student and parent/guardian to insure proper behavior and safety while riding school busses. Only on rare occasions has it been necessary to deny bus privileges to students for improper behavior.  For your information, the policy for behavior on school busses is listed below.

Reports of misconduct while waiting for or leaving the bus will be investigated by the school principal or his/her designee. Poor conduct on school busses will result in notification from the bus company to the principal. Upon receipt of a written or verbal complaint from the bus company, the principal (or designee) will utilize this procedure:

1. First Offense: A letter shall be sent to the parents, from the principal of the school the student attends, advising the parent of the misbehavior.
2. Second Offense: Bus privileges may be revoked for a two-week period and parents shall be so notified by the principal of the school the student attends.
3. Third Offense: Transportation privileges may be taken away from the student for the remainder of the school year and the parents shall be so notified by the principal of the school the student attends.

• Waltham High School & Waltham Valor High School
  • 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM
• Kennedy & McDevitt Middle Schools & Parochial Schools: 
  • 7:55 AM to 2:30 PM
• Elementary Schools: 
  • 8:42 AM to 3:00 PM
•  

LATE BUS SERVICE FOR WHS, KENNEDY & MCDEVITT Leaves WHS approximately 3:35 PM – 3:45 PM from the main entrance of the school building.

Late Bus Routes service the high school along with both middle schools and the stops are listed on each of the buses covering late runs. Students should tell the driver which stop they will access when boarding the bus as stops on the route will be made depending on the ridership.

• Late bus service is not provided on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and on Step Up Day
• Late bus service during WHS finals week is only provided to middle school students

• Driver & monitor training materials provided by vendor

The Student Program is a program offered to middle and high schools to assist students with obtaining reduced rate passes.

Eligible students must be between the ages of 12 and 22 and enrolled in a Massachusetts middle school, junior high, or high school in order to qualify.

To request a student MBTA pass complete the online request form. Your pass will be available for pick up in your house office or middle school main office approximately 2-3 school days from when your order was placed.

Students have the option to use the S-Card for "Pay As You Go" discounted fares (50% discounted rate) or add a monthly pass to the cards at Fare Vending Machines at a price of $30 a month. Please note that the S-Card monthly student pass is valid for bus, subway, Express Bus, but NOT Commuter Rail.

Students with Stored Value cards can add value at any MBTA sales device (e.g., vending machines, retail sales locations, etc.).