Families may be noticing that their child’s actual bus pickup and dropoff times may be different than what is estimated on the district’s online bus route system.
Because the Fayetteville-Manlius School District is following a hybrid instructional model, all students in the transportation database are not attending school each school day. So when the system develops bus routes and estimates morning pickup and afternoon dropoff times, it is accounting for all students on that route using district transportation, not only the students attending school in person on a particular day.
The times may also fluctuate if families switch their children from one learning model to another (hybrid or fully remote), which could increase or decrease the number of children on a bus.
This results in some inaccuracies on the estimated times the system generates.
“We understand this is frustrating for our families, especially for our parents and guardians who work outside of their homes and need to be present while their child waits for the bus in the morning or is dropped off in the afternoon” said John Cunningham, F-M’s transportation director. “We ask that you give yourself and your child extra time in the morning and afternoon as our drivers make their way through their necessary stops.”
Because of the elementary schools staggered dismissal times, parents and guardians should be home by 3:20 p.m. at the latest.
For a bus driver to drop off an elementary student in the afternoon, they must see a parent or guardian home. If they don’t, the child will have to stay on the bus while the district tries to contact the parent. If unable to contact the parent, the child will be returned to the elementary school.
If a parent or guardian wants to deviate from this policy, they can send an email or a note to the transportation department via their child’s school main office stating that their child is capable of getting into their home without a parent or guardian present, and it is OK for them to be dropped off without someone home, or if an older sibling is present.
In this case, the bus driver will not leave the stop until they are sure the student has entered their home.
Questions or concerns may be directed to transportation@fmschools.org or 315-692-1218.