Jeannie in NJ Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 dd is going to our county technical high school, we live in the city the furthest north of our county and the technical high school is in the southern end of the county. It is at least 30 minutes straight on the parkway with no stops. Anyway, our local high school is responsible for paying dd's tuition and for providing bus transportion for any students that want to go to the vo-tech instead of the high school. It is a very hard school to get into, they only accept 25% of students that apply there and dd is very excited to go there. Most of the students come from further south of us . Anyway I spent all week trying to find out about her bus, the people at the local high school are so rude and really gave me the run-around. I finally got in touch with the vo-tech school which has nothing to do with the buses but they helpfully found me the actual person that arranges for the bus from my town, turns how she is located in the primary school but arranges the buses for the high schools, ok??? She turned out to be very nice and when I talked to her today, she said that so far my dd is the only student from my town to need bus transportation to the tech school, she has not heard that there are any other students. We agreed that it will be quite weird if dd is the only student (the bus driver will be female, they obviously don't want any problems with a male bus driver). I can't drive dd to school and she is really looking forward to going there so I guess we will just have to go with her maybe being the only one on the bus . At least, the bus should stop in front of our house instead of at the stop way down at the end of the street. Dd is wondering if it will be the usual BIG bus, or if they will send a small bus, I said maybe they will send a limo lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Our local ps used a government car to transport students from areas where only two would be picked up. It was just a regular sedan. Perhaps, that's what they'll do for dd? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvmy4blessings Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 This would make me feel very uncomfortable. On the other hand, it could also be a good thing. I would love 30 minutes alone twice a day..there and back! I would make sure she had a cell phone or some way to contact you just in case though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cougarmom4 Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 I would be a little nervous, so I think the cell phone suggestion is a good one. If it were me, I'd want get to know the driver a little bit first--maybe you can arrange a meeting and/or telephone visit prior to the start of school. Then I'd just trust my gut feeling. :001_smile: Maybe you even know someone who wants the job...and they could get paid for driving your dd. I think I'd probably be uncomfortable as the student, too...especially back in my high school days, I would have felt stress at having to carry on a conversation with an adult I hardly knew that frequently! (Of course, as time goes on, it would be more comfortable). I'd send an ipod or mp3 with books to listen to...let her claim to be doing homework during the drive or something! Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 At our school the principal was the one that drove the kids. It was good and bad, the kids had to ride with the principal (scary and stressful), but he also got to know them pretty well and by the end of the first semester they weren't scared of him anymore. Also, our principal grew up local, so everyone knew him or his family, iykwIm, so it wasn't as uncomfortable as having a complete stranger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 On the plus side she won't have to deal with bullies, kids making out in the back, loud noise for that long everyday twice a day, etc. She can take a nap, do her homework, read a book, whatever. It would also give her a chance to have down time in her day after school before homework just on the drive home. As long as they have a female driver (even if the male would never in a million year do anything it helps protect your dd and his reputation if people felt like spreading rumors). Who knows maybe by the end fo the first couple weeks another kid or two with switch from the the regular high school to the vo-tech one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 I'm sure it will work out. They'll probably send a van. It prompted an odd memory for me though -- I went to a private school in California in the 60's and for a few months I was the only student on my particular bus (a van). The (male) driver used to actually pick up hitchhikers. Can you imagine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 (the bus driver will be female, they obviously don't want any problems with a male bus driver). What happens if the female driver is not able to work one day? Will they send another female driver? This would feel weird to me also. I hope you're able to work it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted September 3, 2009 Author Share Posted September 3, 2009 ok it turns our that there may be 4 other students on the bus. But I need to vent about my local school. They are making things as difficult as possible for us. Even tho dd is not going to the local high school, the local high school is responsible for paying tuition to the vo-tech and providing transportation. Wll they have been giving me the run around for the lsat 2 weeks. It finally took a call from the vo-tech school to the local superintentant (sp) and now they are supposly providing the bus, but still as of today can not give me the time that dd will be picked up, they said that the bus company will call me. Also they told me that dd will be picked up not at our house but at the "OFFICIAL" bus stop at the end of our LONG street. When I asked the woman at the local school why dd can not be picked up at our house, she said "Your house is not an official bus stop, the official bus stop is at the end of your street" . She also told me that no other kids will be picked up at that bus stop. Also ALL the buses go right past our house to get to this bus stop. She is just doing what she can to "get even" with me for having to involve the superintentant. I will see if I can get the bus company or driver to agree to stop at our house. Otherwise, I will be waiting with dd every morning for the bus as the bus stop is kinda isolated from other houses. What a petty woman at the local high school. THey honestly can't understand why dd chose the vo-tech to go to instead of their "wonderful" high school that is full of drugs. I can't drive dd to the tech school as it is 30 min. away and I have to get my special needs son off to his school at the same time as I would have to be driving dd. Frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConnieB Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 the local high school is responsible for paying tuition to the vo-tech and providing transportation. What a petty woman at the local high school. THey honestly can't understand why dd chose the vo-tech to go to instead of their "wonderful" high school that is full of drugs. I think those two sentences answer your question about why they are giving you the run around. Sounds to me like they resent that your DD doesn't want to be in their school, because they want the money left at their school, not having to pay it out to someone else. Remember that homeschoolers often get this "attitude" problem from public schools who really don't like when GOOD students leave.....because it leaves them with the troublemakers as the majority! Be glad that your daughter was accepted at the vo-tech and won't be subject to that attitude and will be getting the education she deserves hopefully without the bad influences. You said that the bus company would be calling you to discuss the time for pickup.....this makes sense to me, as they will be the ones making the schedule/route decisions, so I'd bybass the cranky school lady and wait for the bus company to call and THEN discuss the pick up location. The school may have a reason for their decision above making it difficult on you, perhaps liability, complaints they might receive from your neighbors about the noise of a bus stopping in front of their house (the little vans are very quiet, but those big busses make a lot of noise when they stop two houses down from mine) or the ever present "that's the rules and we are incapable of looking at each situation/child individually". (oops, is that my bias showing?). The bus company may not have that same requirement/rules and be willing to accomodate your request if there are no other kids to pick up at the stop. There is a very real chance that the bus company is NOT run by the school district....more and more these bus company's are private business hired by the school district. I'd perhaps also talk to the bus driver, but the risk there is if that driver is sick one day the sub may not know about the private arrangement and think your daughter isn't going to school because she's not at the designated stop. But....there is also the possibility that the bus driver can make the change "officially" so it works out right. The bus company and driver won't have the same bias about your child "snubbing" that high school, so they should be much more friendly about the whole thing....after all they're getting paid BECAUSE she's not going to that high school. So in essence you are the customer paying their bills, it behooves them to keep you happy. They don't want to run the risk of you being unhappy with the bus and choosing to drive her yourself (and obviously they don't know that's not an option). Congrats to your daughter on getting into such a great school....I did vo-tech way-back-when though it was only for 3 hours in the morning, I did the rest of my school time at the high school. Those vo-tech classes prepared me for college and career 1,000% more than all my years in public school combined. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted September 5, 2009 Author Share Posted September 5, 2009 ConnieB, I tried 1 more call to the local high school but the woman still said No,No,No. so after we get to know the bus driver, we will try to get her to pick up dd in front of our house if possible. It may help that dd is wearing a leg brace due to messing up her knee and also adults just love my dd (she is very polite to them and talks to them). Found out that there are either 4 or 5 other students on the bus but dd is the only 9th grader, also found out that the nearest other student to us is about 2 miles away from us. The bus stop near us is very isolated and behind it is an open field that gets northwest winds in the winter, so cold, cold, cold especially at 7:00 am so I guess unless the bus changes to picking her up in front of our house, I will be waiting in the car with dd on cold mornings. (dd is very small and very thin so is cold most of the time). Also her being so small is why I am also concerned about the bus stop being in an isolated area so guess I will wait with her and then race home to get my son ready to go to his special ed program at 7:20. About the vo-tech, at freshman orientation, the principal said that any students that get below a c average will have to take mantatory tutoring and if they don't take their studies seriously or if they get into trouble too many times, they will be sent back to their local school district and that every year, he does have to send students back. so in otherwords Don't get in trouble and don't be a slacker. so hopefully they will not be too many if any troublemakers there. Also all classes are either college prep or honors or ap, nothing lower than college prep. Dd is right now signed up for all college prep except for honors geometry (she was afraid to try any more honors). During the first 3 weeks, the teachers switch the students into other classes if need be. There are also only 156 9th graders so dd should not feel too lost or overwelmed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akmommy Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 I will see if I can get the bus company or driver to agree to stop at our house. Yes, talk to the bus company. When my oldest was in 1st grade I called to ask about changing her stop due to a safety issue and found the bus company and the driver to be very cooperative. Hopefully this will be your experience as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 I used to be a bus driver. The stop may be down the street, but after the first day, I'm sure the driver will drop her at her house. We had a few unique situations too, and they would put a female sub on the run if the main driver was out. They'll probably use a smaller bus/van just for gas and upkeep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 That's fine:-) There was a bus over by my house that was just "waiting" so I asked the driver if everything was ok. He was waiting for a teen (15) and her bf and one month old...on the bus. HMMM. We live in a town where they could walk no more than 1-1.5 miles and probably be home. I thought...no wonder schools need so much $$$. Carrie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama2Three Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I would be very concerned if DD was alone on the bus with just the bus driver. I had an issue with this situation and my DS who was a K'er at the time. I made sure that there was a second adult on the bus (by my insistance) -- if no one else was on the bus, I drove DS to school myself. Even now, I wish I would have demanded a different bus driver and driving arrangement. Granted my DS was much younger than your DD is, but I still would proceed with caution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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