Burlington Schools Add Bus, Adjust Routes to Improve Arrival Times

Burlington Public Schools has made changes to its bus routes to help students get to school with enough time to start their day right.

Director of Operations, Bob Cunha, told the School Committee they've added an additional bus to the high school routes, which has helped ease congestion on routes 11, 7, and 18. They've also updated several routes, including those for Fox Hill and Marshall Simonds Middle School, to arrive earlier. Cunha explained that the intention is to get the first-tier buses to arrive between 7:15 and 7:20 AM, which gives students 15-20 minutes to get breakfast, go to their lockers, and make it to class on time.

The goal is for second-tier buses (most of the elementary schools) to reach schools around 7:55 AM. Tier three buses, which serve Francis Wyman and the high school, should be on the road by 8 AM and arrive between 8:25 and 8:30 AM.

Cunha noted that some routes are currently arriving earlier than planned on good traffic days, but expressed reluctance to push back the times because of the downstream effects to the other bus schedules.

School committee member Meghan Nawoichik reported that the changes at the high school level are well-received. "I have gotten positive feedback recently about students being able to get to school, get to their lockers, eat breakfast... All your hard work is paying off," she said. The transportation team is keeping a close eye on things and gathering data before making more changes to Burlington school bus routes, and Cunha asked for patience as they fine-tune the routes. Here's the latest list of bus routes.

Cunha also addressed issues with the bus tracking app, mentioning that NRT, the transportation provider, is working to fix notification problems. He encourages parents having trouble with the app to contact him directly.

Also at School Committee:

• The Spanish Exchange Program will see BHS students traveling to, and staying with families in, Spain in February and Spanish students coming to stay with Burlington families in March. BHS Students will take classes alongside peers in their exchange country and take trips to experience Spain's varied culture.
• The School Climate Survey is going to be administered in December.
• The subcommittee tasked with planning for the resurfacing of two athletic fields at Marshall Simonds Middle School would also like to discuss field use, in light of the perennial feedback that younger kids are not able to use the fields until too late in the evening. The Subcommittee will gather information from stakeholders and bring a recommendation to the School Committee when the time comes.
• BHS band teacher, Tim Ketterer, has secured a $14,189 grant from the Burlington Education Foundation. The funds will go towards equipment for music production, sound engineering, and film scoring. The new program will be integrated into formal classes and offered as an after-school club at the high school.
• BHS seniors will be holding holiday-themed babysitting nights; parents, be on the lookout for signups.