Episode 5: Waiting on the bus

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In this episode we talk about school buses with an incomparable parent leader. Celia Green is currently the President of the New York City's Citywide Council on High Schools and the First Vice Chair of the Chancellor's Parent Advisory Council.


We covered a lot of information so here is a run-down:

  • If you have a problem on your bus, report it to the Office of Pupil Transportation by sending an email to PupilTransportationTeam@schools.nyc.gov or by calling (718) 392-8855.  And hold on to your complaint number!
  • If you get a bus assignment, pay attention to the route number, not just the bus company name because there might be a lot of buses from that company that pass your house but are not your child's route, and the bus on your child's route might not have the bus company name on it.
  • Parents to Improve School Transportation is an organization that has long advocated for bus routes that are shorter, safer, sensible, and stable.
  • Other parents working on busing issues include the Busing Committee of the Citywide Council of District 75 and the Citywide Council on special education.  Current contact information for those councils can be found here.
  • Who operates the buses?
    • The Office of Pupil Transportation within the Department of Transportation sets the routes.
    • The bus companies hire and vet all the staff and are responsible for making sure that staff receive adequate training.
    • Bus assistants who are responsible for the children while they are on the bus used to be called "matrons."
    • Optional training for bus assistants is offered by schools by their principals.
    • There are four bus-driver/assistant training schools in New York State.
    • The only accountability mechanism the DOE has is to issue a violation, which comes with a fine.
    • Bus companies have used multiple names elude accountability.
    • Most school districts in New York own their own buses.
    • You need a lot of land to park buses.
    • Currently there is no bus contract.  This is unusual.
  •  Who takes the bus?
    • Pupils as young as one year old and as old as twenty-one.
    • Many children with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for special services take the bus.
    • Children who reside in temporary housing are entitled to take the bus to maintain continuity with their school community if they have to move under a federal law called McKinney Vento but that doesn't always happen.
    • Probably as many as 75% of routes run in the summer.
  • What's it like on the bus?
    • Climate control has been an issue for years.
    • Breakdowns are an issue.
    • The staff are not always well trained to work with children.
    • The buses are often late, especially in the first week of school and parents have to choose between taking their kids to school and going to work.
  • What might make things better?
    • A new contract or new system where the city owns the buses.
    • More accountability for climate and timeliness.
    • More training in child development for bus assistants.
    • Favorable working conditions for bus drivers and assistants.
  • COVID-19
    • Previously a bus might take kids to four different schools.
    • Now we want cleaning in between each leg of the trip, which would mean more routes.
  • Further reading

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