Frequently Asked Questions

  • Frequently asked questions:

    • Q. Can students new to the district (or my school) ride the bus without a bus assignment?
    • A.  No.  Parents must wait until the child appears on a roster. 
       
    • Q. What if parents want another stop, i.e. daycare or afterschool?
    • A.  Parents can request an alternate stop from the transportation webpage. Please know that this is something that must be completed through CMS Transportation.  Individual schools DO NOT complete requests for new or alternate stops.  All requests need to be entered in the "Alternate Stop Request Form". (PARENTS TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO DO THIS ON THEIR OWN-DAYCARES CANNOT COMPLETE THIS.)
       
    • Q. How can parents inform transportation about an unsafe stop?
    • A.  Parents can request a review of their stop from the transportation webpage, using the  "Unsafe Stop Review" link on our webpage. Again, this is something that CMS Transportation must complete, NOT the school.
       
    • Q: What if I need to have my stop changed for some reason?
    • A: In order to change a bus stop or request a new one, you must go to the CMS website and complete the Alternate Stop, Unsafe Stop, or Change in Request form.  These are then submitted electronically.  The site is https://www.cmsk12.org/Page/1  Look for the transportation link at the bottom of the site.  Depending on the time of year, this could take several days to two weeks to be approved before they can actually be assigned to the bus and begin riding.  Once you have submitted the change of information, please contact the school in about 3 days to verify if it has been approved.
       
    • Q:  What if I need my child to ride to a daycare center that is being served via a CMS bus?
    • A: If you have registered your child at a daycare service that CMS provides transportation to, you will need to go online at the CMS website and request that stop in the section titled Alternate Stop.  Your child's daycare service cannot do this for you.  This only applies to daycare services that CMS provides bus transportation for, not daycare vans.  Failure to request the daycare stop will mandate that the driver take your child to the assigned home stop.  The sooner this is completed, the sooner your child will be able to ride the bus to that daycare.
       
    • Q: Can my child be left at the bus stop without an adult present to meet them?
    • A: Unless the child is 4 years old or younger and in the pre-k program, they will be dropped off at their assigned stop with or without an adult being present.  Please allow 5-10 minutes on each side of the scheduled bus pick up and drop off times, especially at the beginning of the year.
       
    • Q: What if I need to change my transportation for a period of time, such as to a car rider?
    • A: A written note must be sent into the child's teacher explaining the change in transportation.  This will be signed off by an administrator.  We do not except changes for transportation over the phone.
       
    • Q:  Can my child ride another bus home with a friend?
    • A:  Based on CMS Transportation, if the child is not officially assigned to the bus, they may not ride home with a friend on another CMS bus.  This is due to overcrowding and liability concerns.
       
    • Multiple Transportation Methods:
    • From time to time, you may request that your child be a bus rider on one day and possibly a car rider on another day.  In order to ensure that your child gets on the appropriate mode of transportation and arrives home safely, it is extremely important that you communicate in writing with your child's teacher if an alternate mode of transportation is to be utilized beyond the regular method.  Please keep in mind that teachers are not checking emails on a regular basis during the school day, as they are providing instruction to our students.  Therefore, we ask that all changes involving transportation be sent to the teachers attention first thing in the morning.  Additionally, if your child is assigned to ride one mode on specific days and another on specific days, please ensure that this is communicated to the teacher as well.  For example, it is possible that your child may ride the bus home on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but then be a car rider on Tuesday and Thursday.  In cases such as this, it is the parent's responsibility to ensure that the student and the teacher know the specific schedule for afternoon dismissal.  Providing the classroom teacher with a calendar or written documentation will ensure that the child goes home the correct way each day.