Transportation

• MAC-WES Bus Routes Morning 2021–2022
• MAC-WES Bus Routes Afternoon 2021–2022
• Middle High School Grades 5–12 Bus Routes Morning 2021–2022
• Middle High School Grades 5–12 Bus Routes Afternoon 2021–2022

It is a Federal Mandate that anyone riding the school bus must wear a mask at all times. Failure to wear a mask is the loss of bus privileges. Students will have assigned seats for the school year. There are no changing seats or alternative bus stops due to COVID restrictions.
 
If you have any questions regarding the bus routes or you do not see your child’s bus stop please email Michelle Rapoza. Please include your child’s name and address. 
 
Students should be outside 15 minutes before their normal pick up time. Bus times may vary for the first two weeks of school as students and drivers become familiar with their stops.
 
Thank you for your patience as we begin another COVID school year and be safe!

Michelle A. Rapoza, 
Director of Transportation

Transportation Sign Up documents are located below for the new upcoming school year 2021-2022, for students entering grades 7 – 12. Bus fees and sign ups are required if you would like your students to ride the bus. There will be no alternating addresses or bus changes for the new school year.

• Transportation Fee Waiver Request Form
• Grades 7 Through 12 Students Bus Passes SY2021-2022
• Letter to Parents
• Transportation Fees, Athletic Fees, Pre-School Tuition, Extended Day Tuition & Student Activity Fees
• Transportation Form - Everyone must return this form by Friday, August 6, 2021
• Transportation Request for Fee Waiver
• 2021-2022 Massachusetts Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals

If you do not see your address or a location close to your address please email Michelle Rapoza or call Holly Moreau at (508) 636-1140.

Reminder, students will only be allowed one address for a.m. and p.m. pick up.

Students will be assigned a seat the first day of school. That seat assignment will be for the school year. There will be no changes or emergencies allowed for the school year. If you have an emergency, students will need to be picked up at the school.

If you have any questions please contact Michelle A. Rapoza.

Please have children outside Wednesday morning 15 minutes prior to their pick up times. Please be patient as the pick up and drop-off times may vary 15 to 30 minutes before or after the scheduled times. Thank you for your patience!

For students requiring transportation that has been arranged with Bristol Aggie, the Bristol Aggie bus will pick up students at the Westport Elementary School at approx. 7:17 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Please have your child at the school no later than 7:10 a.m. to ensure the bus does not leave earlier than 7:17a.m.

If you need more information regarding Bristol Aggie, please contact the school directly.

There will be no alternative addresses allowed for the 2021-2022 School Year.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has issued a guidance on how schools can handle bus transportation for the upcoming school year. The guidance is subject to change based on COVID-29 trends and medical research. The DESE release stated the following guidelines that they feel will support safe school bus operations this fall.

• Masks
  All staff and students on the bus, regardless of age, are required to wear masks at all two times. Exemptions for students due to medical and/or behavioral reasons – and associated protocols – are further described later in this guidance.
• Ventilation
  Keep windows open at all times during operation, unless not possible due to extreme weather conditions.
• Seat Assignments
  Students should be assigned to a single bus and a particular seat.

Passing any bus or van with their lights on or their stop signs out is a minimum $250.00 fine!

Everyone knows to stop when a school bus is loading and unloading passengers, but what you may not know is that if you don’t stop, you could get a ticket of up to $250. That fine can go up to $2,000 and a suspended license of up to a year for subsequent offenses (MGL 90-14)

Any issues that happen on school buses with students should be discussed with building principals not with bus drivers!

Macomber

• Kindergarten, first, and second grade parents will drop-off and pick up students on the Osborn St. side of the Macomber School.
• Staff will be outside to receive and dismiss the students. At pick up time, parents will line up in their vehicles where staff will take the newly issued tag number and release the student to you. Parents will form a line in the same area they dropped off in the morning.
• Students will not be released to anyone that does not have a tag. If you do not have a tag you will be asked to park in the parking lot and enter the building to get authorization to take a child home.
• All parent/guardians picking up student’s must have ID’s ready to show staff members before students will be released.
• New student pick up notes must be sent to school for the new school year, last years arrangements are no longer valid! The note must list who will be picking up the students. (Do not list grandmother, aunt, etc. please list persons full name)
• Pre-school parents will drop off and pick up outside the Main Office entrance area of the Macomber School.

Elementary

• Parents are to drop off students in the mornings no earlier than 8:15 a.m., as there is no staff on duty to receive students prior to 8:15 a.m. Please drive into the center parking lot where staff will receive your child.
• Parents are to form a line along side of the main road that enters to the WES. Parents are to remain in their vehicles until parent pick up begins. Parents will be issued a numbered tag. Once all buses have left the bus area, staff will begin calling students which staff will then begin loading cars. Please do not call your child to your vehicle. Staff will direct you to a safe area to load your child.
• There is no parent pickup in the building after 2:35 p.m.
• New notes must be sent to school for all parent pick ups. Parents are not allowed in the foyer area.
• Due to the traffic for the new school, please do not arrive before 2:20 p.m. to line up! This will create traffic issues for Middle High School staff leaving and create an unsafe roadway.

Middle and High School

• All students should be dropped off and picked up around the back of the building.
• Please pull all the way around the new school and staff will be there to assist you to the drop off area. This will be the same direction for parent pick up at the end of the day. 
• Students are not to be dropped off or picked up in the front of the New Middle High School.  This area is for bus drop off and pick up only!
• Students are not allowed to ride school buses to friends houses for any reason unless it is an emergency!

Student Conduct on Buses

Students conduct on some buses have been an issue for the last month. Please take the time to review the following bus rules with your child/children to avoid write ups by the drivers. It is not the responsibility of the driver to constantly reprimand children while driving. It is the child’s responsibility to follow the bus rules and the drivers responsibility to drive the bus. Please help us out and review the rules!

Students should be seated according to grade level with the lower grades being seated closest to the driver.

Bus Rules

• Unsafe boarding/departing
• Possession of an unsafe, dangerous/illegal item
• Failure to remain properly seated
• Tampering with or damaging property
• Throwing object at or from the bus
• Loud talk or yelling
• Physical/verbal assault or intimidation of others including the driver
• Failure to ride in assigned seat
• Consuming food/drink
• Other behavior that endangers the safety, well-being of others
• Failure to obey the bus driver

Bus Stop Reminders

Students in grades 3 and above can be dropped off at their stops without an adult being present!

Students in grades kindergarten to second grade, must have an adult present in order for the student to be dropped off at their stop. If no adult is present the student will be returned back to their school.

Cell phones will not be allowed to be used on school buses for Macomber & Elementary School students, they may have them in their backpacks. If students are caught with their cell phones out and using them, students will be written up.

Bus drivers have also been instructed to separate all children by grade. If parents or guardians wish to have their children sit together, a note must be sent in to their appropriate schools. Siblings that sit together must follow school bus rules, if not they will not be allowed to continue to sit together and will be ask to sit in their age appropriate seat assignments.

If you have any questions, please contact your school building principal.