Important Information for the 2011-2012 School Year

 
Transportation Policy
Transportation
The policy of the Centennial School Board in regard to the walking limits to district schools for the school year is as follows:

  • Secondary Schools - 1½ miles
  • Elementary Schools - 1 mile
  • Kindergarten - ½ mile


These limits are well within the State established walking limits. Bus transportation to school will be provided for those students living beyond these limits or in areas designated with Hazardous Routes.


 

There are a number of changes to the Bus Routes for the 2011-2012 School Year:

Construction at the Davis Elementary School site continues and students from this zone will continue to attend McDonald-Davis Elementary School (2nd-5th grades) and Stackpole Elementary School (Kindergarten & 1st grades).  Additionally, Leary Elementary School has closed and all students are rezoned to attend the newly renovated Willow Dale Elementary School.
 
We have also completely revamped our transportation routing system this year to streamline our routes and reduce ride times on the vehicles.  We are also transitioning our fleet of vehicles to the larger 77-passenger platform to provide more seating on the vehicles - this transition will continue in the years to come.
 
The most significant change this year is the consolidation of bus stops throughout the district for all students.  The new consolidated bus stops are located at corners that provide the best coverage for neighborhoods, regardless of school of attendance, and will remain static from year to year.  This results in greater efficiency, more timely arrivals at the schools we service, as well as consistency of bus stop locations in subsequent years.  These adjustments are a pivotal part of the success of the elementary school consolidation and we look forward to your cooperation and understanding as we move forward.
 
The bus schedules are now posted and you should review the schedules for your school(s) frequently over the coming weeks as adjustments are made for new registrations and changes in programs, etc.  We will once again be mailing post cards with each student's bus information home - this will show the bus number, bus stop location, and pickup and dropoff times for each student.  Students must go to the bus stops listed on the post cards (to avoid overloaded vehicles) - if you feel there is a closer bus stop, please contact the Transportation Department via email to request changing to another established bus stop.  We will not be adding bus stops to any routes unless there is an error involving a documented Hazardous Route.
 
Once the post cards are mailed, we suggest that parents/guardians take a few minutes to go with their child(ren) to the new bus stops to ensure students know where they will be waiting for the bus in the mornings and where they will debark in the afternoons.  While many of the stops remain unchanged from previous years, those students whose bus stops have changed should be familiar with the new location in relation to your home.
 
 
 
Basic information for the upcoming year:
 
Students should be at the bus stop, orderly and prepared to board, a minimum of five (5) minutes prior to the scheduled arrival of the bus.  Please remind your child(ren) that if they are late, it makes everyone else late, too!

The posted bus schedule times are approximate times and subject to unforeseeable changes due to weather, traffic signals and congestion, road maintenance and other circumstances.  However, under normal circumstances the established times are accurate as posted.  As schedules change for additions or deletions of bus stops, the posted bus schedules will be updated.  As these schedules are updated, we will notify the community via the e-Alert system, as well as notification to the schools involved in the changes.

Additional basic information regarding the scheduling is as follows:

  1. Schools which involve "transfers" (where students must switch vehicles before arrival at their final destination) will have the pertinent transfer information at the top of the appropriate schedule pages.
  2. Students requiring specialized transportation will find their routing information towards the bottom of the page for each school's set of schedules (students with special needs, etc.).
  3. AM Session MBIT students will board Bus No's. 57 and 73 at the back of William Tennent High School by 7:20 a.m. and return to WTHS on Bus No's 71 and 77 departing MBIT at 10:30am.   PM Session MBIT students will be shuttled from William Tennent at 11:10am on Bus No's 71 and 77.  Archbishop Wood students attending PM Session will be picked up at 10:30 a.m. by Bus 5 in front of Wood's auditorium.  All PM Session students will be returned to their home areas via  transfers at Klinger Middle School (Bus 38) and Log College Middle School (Bus 35), as well as WTHS for those involved in athletics or attending Office Hours (Bus 73).  Departure time from MBIT is 2:25 p.m. (see MBIT PM schedule).
  4. Archbishop Wood students living in the Southampton area only will board the William Tennent buses and transfer to a shuttle bus at the William Tennent High School's rear platform which will leave WTHS at 7:15 a.m. for WOOD (Bus-81). In the afternoon B-57 will board Southampton students in the rear driveway of Wood and depart at 2:25 p.m. Students on B-57 be dropped off in the Burgundy Hills subdivision or will transfer to Klinger buses for further transportation home.
  5. The Centennial School District's "No School" Number is 753. This number is applicable to all students including pupils transported under Act 372 and all students attending Special Education/Special Needs Schools. This number, "753", when announced, means that no Centennial School District transportation will be provided that day. However, some non-public or non-profit private schools may remain open and parents desiring to assume transportation for that day should listen for those individual school numbers. Parents desiring information about transportation provision or routes may call (215) 441-6000 x 11062 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. daily.
  6. If Centennial School District is operating on a 2-hour delay, then all students will be picked up by their regularly scheduled vehicles 2 hours later than their normal pickup time - for both public and non-public school students.  Public School Kindergarten students will attend both AM & PM Sessions with a modified Midday Kindergarten Schedule (modified schedules to be posted by mid-October).  AM Session MBIT students are to ride their regular vehicles into William Tennent High School and await the start of their regular PM classes.
Questions about bus schedules?  Please email Wayne Robinson, Supervisor of Transportation at robiwa@centennialsd.org