Yellow school buses will roll on September 8, the first day of school this year. If your children are among the 150,000 who ride the bus, or if you have a special needs child who is transported in a “mini-wagon,” you can expect a letter confirming the bus route and pick-up time by August 29th. That’s according to an official from the Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT) who spoke at a workshop in Brooklyn last week amid promises that the Department of Education will do a better job communicating with families this year

OPT has come under fire in recent years because of budget-cutting measures that affected many of the city’s children. Students from multiple schools now share the same bus, bus routes were consolidated and lengthened, students with special needs were required to provide medical documentation to qualify for a seat in a "mini-wagon" and bus service was stopped altogether for 7th and 8th-graders who previously got it in the outer reaches of Staten Island and the Rockaways.

The school system’s special needs children – 60,000 of whom ride smaller mini-wagons -- have often gotten subpar service, according to Maggie Moroff, special education policy coordinator at Advocates for Children.

“In past years we have heard from too many families about children not picked up at all and missing hours, sometimes days, and sometimes more, of critical school time,” she said. “We heard from parents about students with limited travel time requirements on the bus for way too long. And we heard plenty of other horror stories about conditions on the buses and support services not provided.”

This year OPT vows to do better.

“We are making a big effort to communicate with parents about how the OPT system works, what they should do when there’s a problem and what documentation, including medical documentation, is needed to match the right bus service to each child,” said Ed Jacobsen who led the Aug. 2 workshop along with Ruth DiRoma of the Brooklyn Parent Center.

Parents – and advocates – had lots of questions and concerns.

“We were pleased to see the DOE making efforts to inform parents of their rights and giving them information about how and who to call and what to specify when things don’t go as planned,” Moroff said. “It was disheartening, however, to hear it acknowledged that the more noise a parent makes, the more seamlessly things will go.”   

You can see a list of questions and answers, as well as helpful resources for parents, after the jump.

What information does OPT need from the family to provide busing?

To process a busing request, OPT needs the student’s name, 9-digit OSIS or ID number, date of birth, school location, family or guardian’s name and contact information and home location – including an apartment number.

What if no OPT letter arrives on August 29th or has incorrect information?

Call the school and OPT Customer Service line. If you have moved or changed schools, call the new school.

What are the rules about pick-up and drop-off? 

Students are expected to be at the bus stop (or in front of their home if they have door-to-door service) before scheduled pick-up time. Bus driver will only wait about 90 seconds.

If no registered adult is present at the drop-off location, students will not be let off the bus without signed permission. They will be taken to the end of the route while the company contacts the parent. The student may be taken back to school or to the police precinct.

Can different drop-off locations be arranged?

OPT will try to accommodate requests including organizing a different drop-off location after school a few days a week if needed for child care – but not for after school programs.

What if student needs a temporary or permanent bus schedule change?

Talk to the school if a temporary or permanent change is coming up as the system can take time to adjust. Routing is done by a borough team and it is a complicated process. Any change in student location or schedule affects all the students on the route so parents may not always find the bus schedule convenient. A temporary change might include if a parent is going to pick up a child at school or if a student is sick or out of town. (If a student is not on bus for three days in a row, the bus will stop coming.) A permanent change could include if a student moves home or school and needs a new route.

Students living in shelters or transient housing have a right to stay in school and get busing. The school, OPT and the parents need to work together to make necessary arrangements.

What if the bus is late?

If a bus is late, call OPT Customer Service line (see contact list below) which will contact the bus company by radio. Bus drivers are not allowed to talk on cell phones, particularly without an ear-piece, though the reality is they often do. Try to exchange cell phone numbers with the driver or bus attendant – just in case.

Who is responsible for busing?

In general, a service problem will be addressed by OPT and a discipline problem will be addressed by the school.

What happens on a school bus is the school principal’s responsibility. Buses that carry students from more than one school are the responsibility of all principals so they need to work together to address issues.

If there is a major problem, schools can call a meeting with the busing team.

Can bus drivers or attendants handle discipline issues?

Bus drivers and attendants are not allowed to discipline children. They receive CPR and first aid certification and some training about serving students with special needs. While they may be able to answer questions about routes or schedules, for other kinds of problems, contact the school and/or OPT Customer Service line.

What are the student’s rights?

The student’s IEP defines what busing services OPT will provide. Parents, with the guidance of school staff, need to provide medical documentation that specifies on the IEP the busing services that will meet the student’s needs. Those may include special equipment or services such as an air conditioned bus, seat belt, assistance from a para-professional or special equipment (like a hydraulic lift for a wheelchair) or limited travel time.

How long can a bus ride last?

Students can legally spend up to 90 minutes on a bus within one borough – in each direction -- or up to 115 minutes if traveling between boroughs. If “limited travel time” is specified as medically necessary on a student’s IEP, he should get assigned to a short route or a bus that makes fewer stops.

Does OPT offer translation services?

Spanish speakers are always available. For other languages, the DOE will provide translators upon request.

How can I guarantee good service?

OPT has contracts with private bus companies and keeps track of their service records. Is the specified route followed? Do students get picked up and dropped off on time? Transportation can be affected by weather, traffic congestion or mechanical failure but if there is a consistent problem, tell the school and OPT. There is no GPS in buses yet (they are working on that) so if OPT doesn’t get told about problems, they can’t make the vendor accountable. Be the “squeaky wheel” that shares problems you or your child encounter.

More questions? Check out these links

The Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT)

Customer Service Agents are available Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at (718) 392-8855 and PupilTransportationTeam@schools.nyc.gov

Ed Jacobsen, OPT training workshops: Phone: 718.482.3797 ejacobs2@schools.nyc.gov

Door-to-Door special education busing

Stop-to-School general education busing

Parents to Improve School Transportation (PIST) An advocacy group seeking school bus routes that are: shorter, safer, sensible and stable.

Legal Aid of NYC tips for NYC parents about busing