Please note: In the first few days, students should be out at their bus stop at the time indicated for the bus's first stop (example: 8:20am). After watching the bus arrival time for 1-2 weeks, families will be more accurately able to estimate the arrival time. Once the typical arrival time for your stop is determined, please ensure that your student is at the bus stop 5 minutes early in the morning.
Online registration is now closed. If you need to register your child, please
contact
Jen Gleavy in the Business Office for assistance.
Bus Registration in additional languages:
Families were asked to make every effort to register and pay by July 15th. After that time, bus routes are in development and students are not guaranteed a seat (unless they are new to the district). The bus routes will not be adjusted again until mid-September. This is especially important due to the start time change and will ensure a safer start of the school year, especially for our youngest students on the bus.
Students in walker zones may fill out a
Walker Request Form and will be notified shortly before the school year starts if there is an available seat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for Transportation?
How do I know what zone I live in?
If my child is not eligible to ride, what options do I have for transportation?
How do I register and pay for the bus?
How much is the Transportation Fee?
When and how will I be notified of my bus assignment?
Is there one-way or partial year transportation available?
What if I need help paying for the bus fee?
Can children be dropped off at a different stop on the way home?
Do kindergarten students have a separate bus?
What are the expectations about behavior on the bus?
What should my expectation be about bus schedule times?
Who should I contact if I have more questions?
Who is eligible for Transportation?
Eligibility is based on whether you live within a “riding zone” or a “walking zone”. These zones have been established and adopted by the School Committee.
How do I know what zone I live in?
You can find out if you are in a transportation zone by entering your address at the blue button labeled "Bus Registration: Click Here to Register" . If you are not eligible for transportation to Elementary, Middle, or High School, the website registration form will notify you. Otherwise, you will be allowed to register your child(ren).
If my child is not eligible to ride, what options do I have for transportation?
Eligible riders will be given the option for paid transportation first. Should seats become available on certain routes, these seats may be available to “walkers”. Please click here to complete the 2023-2024 Walker Request Form. The form should be mailed with payment to, Westwood Public Schools, 220 Nahatan Street, Westwood, MA 02090, Attn: Transportation. All checks should be made payable to Westwood Public Schools.
How do I register and pay for the bus?
There are two ways to pay: You can pay online with an ACH check (.50 fee applies) or by credit card (fee assessed by the credit card company applies). MasterCard, American Express or Discover are acceptable credit cards. We cannot accept Visa due to the constraints of our payment processor. If you prefer not to pay on-line, you can download the 2023-2024 Bus Registration Form here and mail it along with your payment to the Westwood Public Schools, 220 Nahatan Street, Westwood, MA 02090, Attn. Transportation. All checks should be made payable to Westwood Public Schools.
How much is the Transporation Fee?
The annual transportation fee is $270 per student, for all students, grades K-12. There is an annual family cap of $750.00 for all students K-12. The bus fee will only be pro-rated only for families that enter the Westwood School district mid-year.
When and how will I be notified of my bus assignment?
Once bus numbers are available and uploaded into Aspen, families can check their child's Aspen Account to find out what bus # their child(ren) have been assigned to. Bus Drivers will have a list of all registered riders and only students on the bus list are allowed to ride the bus. Bus Routes will be posted on the District Web Site at the end of August.
Is there one-way or partial year transportation available?
No, the District does not provide one-way or partial year transportation.
What if I need help paying for the bus fee?
All students are eligible for free lunch through the State of Massachusetts. Students who are eligible for Federal Free and/or Reduced Lunch are automatically also eligible for a reduction in their transportation fee. In order to qualify, first register for the bus through the online form that is linked above. Then, submit an application for Federal Free and/or Reduced Lunch. The applications are available at your child's school, and on the Food Service website. Please note that there is a specific page in the Household Information Packet which will allow the Food Service Department to share your information with the Transportation Department for bus fee waiver decisions. All forms should be mailed to the Westwood Public Schools, 220 Nahatan Street, Westwood, MA 02090, Attn: Food Services. Once your application has been processed, you will be notified of your Free/Reduced status. If you think you may not qualify for Federal Free and Reduced lunch, and need financial assistance for transportation due to extraordinary circumstances, please contact the Superintendent’s office at 781-326-7500, ext 1341.
Can children be dropped off at a different stop on the way home?
Students may only ride their assigned buses. Transporting students to an alternative, yet existing,stop on the student’s same route may be granted if done so on a regular basis (example: three days per week). Requests for alternative stops should be made in writing to Scherie Ciarrocchi, Bus Coordinator and sent to Westwood Public Schools, 220 Nahatan Street, Westwood, MA 02090. Transporting students for play dates, lessons, or other reasons is not permitted.
Do kindergarten students have a separate bus?
No. Kindergarten students will be riding on the same bus as grades 1 through 5 and will be picked up and dropped off at designated bus stops. The District requires an adult to be at the AM and PM bus stop for all Kindergarten students.
What are the expectations about behavior on the bus?
Students are expected to behave in a manner that will provide optimum safety of the individual student as well as the safety of other students aboard the bus. A driver's first responsibility is driving the bus. Drivers are not bus monitors and the district does not provide bus monitors on yellow buses. Drivers should and will report safety issues, contact the Police Department, or if problems occur after dismissal, drivers may return a student to school should behavior on the bus so warrant. When a student is reported for violating a safety rule in or around a school bus, school officials will review the situation with the student. Parents may also be notified of the behavior. Depending on the severity of the offense or the frequency of violations, the student may: receive a warning, brief suspension from the bus, or be suspended from riding the bus for the remainder of the school year. Bus fees will not be refunded in these cases.
What should my expectation be about bus schedule times?
Our goal is to maintain the schedules that we provide at the beginning of the year for pick-up and drop-off of students. Given weather conditions, traffic etc., consistency is often times dependent on the condition of the roads in Westwood. Please allow extra time for pick up and drop off.
Who should I contact if I have more questions?
During the year, all transportation-related issues should be reported to our Transportation Coordinator, Scherie Ciarrocchi, schoolbus@westwood.k12.ma.us or call 781-326-7500, x1338. For bus registration questions, including fee waivers and payment questions, you can email busregistration@westwood.k12.ma.us or call 781-326-7500, x1343.
