Citywide Programs Bus Transportation

Centralized express pick-up and delivery points will be established under general guidelines outlined below. There may be unique circumstances in certain areas of the city that will result in a greater distance ratio between home and pick-up point.

• Bus stops will only be established at the entrance to neighborhoods/multi-neighborhoods, on main thoroughfares, or at centralized locations within those neighborhoods.
• Bus stops will be located up to 1.5 miles from a student's residence for Secondary School aged students and .5 miles for Elementary School aged students.
• Students must be registered for transportation to be assigned to a school bus. Only Students assigned to a school bus and school bus stop will be allowed to utilize that bus and stop.
• Only students enrolled in the specific citywide program or school will be eligible for out of zone transportation. Hardship eligibility exceptions must be approved by Student Leadership and the Building Administrator.
• Bus service will only be provided to and from a student’s primary residence or daycare provider. Transportation will not be provided to non-school sponsored afterschool activities.
• Split custody – Students will only be assigned to one bus stop based on their registered home address or daycare provider. On days/weeks the student requires transportation to their other parent’s residence, a permission note must be sent to their home school. Students will utilize the closest existing bus stop to their other parent.  A second bus stop will not be created to accommodate this service and there must be an available seat on the alternate bus.
• Bus stops will only be created for regular everyday riders. One bus stop will be established for each citywide program/school student to utilize. Changing bus stops weekly or during the week to be transported to alternate locations will not be allowed.
• Students residing within their home school's non-transportation zone will use their home school as their bus stop. If a student did not attend the citywide or academy program, they would still be obligated to get to their home school without bus transportation.
• Some programs may have a limited geographic transportation eligibility zone. Check with your student’s school for eligibility details.

This transportation delivery system presents several advantages as listed below:

• The judicious placement of centralized school bus stops allows students to spend less time on school buses.  
• Pick-up and drop-off times can be established with more certainty and regularity.
• Specific school bus stop and bus assignments helps to maintain a safer environment for students.  

Student enrollment in individual citywide programs/schools will determine the locations of the bus stops in the citywide express route system. Identification of the bus stops will be established after the completion of student enrollment in the citywide programs.

• All citywide bus routes are revised, and bus stops re-evaluated, for centralized placement each summer due to the enrollment of new students and graduation of others.
• Transportation Bus Stops will not be established without proper notification. Allow a minimum of 5 to 10 business days for any bus stop change requests.
• Student transportation information will be available through each student’s ParentVue account at least one week prior to the start of each school year.

Accurate transportation request/registration information is essential to providing the best transportation services possible to all Virginia Beach City Public School students. Please be sure to notify your student’s school how your student will arrive and depart each day.

• Transportation information changes such as moving, changing a student’s request from driving to riding, etc., must be submitted through each student’s school. Allow 5 – 10 business days for any change requests to be processed.

All bus stop change requests must be made in writing using the bus stop change request form. The form, and the criteria that will be used to determine the need for change, can be found at https://dms.vbcps.com/Forms/BusStopChangeRequest

• If you believe you have a valid bus stop change request after reviewing the Change Request Form criteria, please Accept and Agree to the criteria to continue to the Bus Stop Change Request Form. Once the form is submitted, it will be forwarded to the VBCPS Transportation Department. You will receive an email confirming that the form has been received. Please allow 5-10 business days for your request to be reviewed and addressed.

• Requests to add, move, or modify bus stops for students who have already been assigned to an available bus stop, will be reviewed by the transportation team for final disposition. No change requests will be reviewed until after the fourth week of school. Please allow 5 - 10 business days for processing.