Bus Information can be found by visiting www.bloomfield.org/MyBloomfield. Login, find the "View Attendance & Bus Route Information" button, login again, find the student you wish to view information for, and click the "Transportation Info" link on the left side. If you have problems getting this information please contact (248) 341-5429 for assistance.
Due to new students enrolling throughout the year, pickup and drop off times are subject to change. We suggest you check bus route information on My Bloomfield (using the instructions above) the day before school begins for the most updated bus information. Any bus changes throughout the year will be updated on the site.
Students need to be at their stop at least 5 minutes prior to pickup time. Please have students outside at their stop (not waiting indoors). This will keep our buses running more efficiently and on schedule. Students should be dressed appropriately for the weather.
HIGH SCHOOL runs are set per board policy and are NOT subject to change. All stops are set so that students have no more than 1/2 mile walk to their stop.
Any requests for bus stop changes must be done by completing a Transportation Request Form. The form should be emailed to jmack@bloomfield.org or faxed to (248) 341-6298. Due to the heavy volume of requests we receive, it may take up to 2 weeks before we can get back with you. Thank you for your patience.
The mission of the Bloomfield Hills Schools Transportation Department is to transport the children of this District safely, in mechanically sound vehicles, to and from school and school activities, with compassion, caring, and courtesy in a safe environment.
The Transportation Department consists of 54 caring bus drivers, a dispatcher, a secretary and a manager. We have 58 buses that are excellently maintained by our mechanics. We have received excellent police inspections for our fleet for the past twenty years. We are very proud of this accomplishment.
We strive for everyone who rides the bus to feel safe and secure and enjoy their bus ride. Have a safe and happy school year!
The Bloomfield Hills Schools Transportation Department earned a PERFECT bus state inspection for the 25th year in a row! This is even more impressive considering that BHS owns their buses and the department has been short staffed. A special thanks to mechanics Rich Hella, Les Dietz, and Ken Weaver!
As students from all over the state get ready for their first day of school, the Bloomfield Hills Schools bus fleet rolled out on test runs, ensuring the first day goes as smoothly as possible. "I believe we have the best bus drivers and mechanics in the state," says Superintendent, Rob Glass. Bloomfield backs that statement with 20 years of perfect bus inspections.
Diane Holden, Transportation Manager of Bloomfield Hills Schools, says that her team's commitment to keeping the buses in perfect inspection condition for twenty years running is impressive. Diane is responsible for ensuring each bus is put through a complete inspection over the summer, so school is able to begin with the least amount of technical problems. Diane and her staff also review each bus route and make changes to optimize efficiency and create the shortest ride possible for each student. It's a task that takes nearly the entire summer to complete.
Kathy Cox was the first bus driver to select her route. Kathy has been a valued employee of Bloomfield Hills Schools since 1988 and has driven this particular route for seven years. After Kathy selected her run, her bus was put through a mirror check and the mechanical team did a final spot check of the bus. During the mechanical check, Kathy noticed her warning lights were not working properly and a mechanic quickly performed the repair before Kathy headed out on her test run.
As Kathy performed her test run, she highlighted the importance of the warning lights. "We try to make the stops on the right hand side, so the children don't have to run across the street to get to the bus door," she said. "There are certainly spots along my route where cars consistently don't stop for my yellow lights or even my red lights. It's a real concern I have every day and sometimes we will ask the police to help out. I tell all of the students to cross in front of the bus because I control that intersection and they'll be safer that way." She worries about the start of school in particular because the students are eager to get to school and motorists aren't accustomed to seeing and stopping for buses. "They get used to not having us on the road over the summer. So, when school starts back up again, we do our best to make sure cars see us in plenty of time to come to a full stop and ensure the students' safety," Kathy said.
Kathy also talks about discipline on the bus and how her strategy is to get to know the children in her care. With her proactive approach, she says she has very few discipline issues and compliments the Bloomfield Hills Schools parents for being so involved and having such high expectations for their child's behavior on the bus.
Diane says that parents often like to meet the bus driver and take pictures of their student with their bus driver on the first day of school. "I'm the first and last person a child sees in their school day. I know I can be the difference between a child heading home in tears or with a smile. If I get to know each one of them, talk to them, and take an interest in their lives, I can hopefully improve their overall school experience," said Kathy. Superintendent Glass says that a bus driver is a key person in a child's life and can set the tone for the day and the school year.
Click here to view Bloomfield Hills Schools on Click On Detroit.
Jane Mack
JMack@bloomfield.org
Manager
248.341.6295
Jill Wilbur
JWilbur@bloomfield.org
Dispatcher
248.341.6293
Sandy Lesniak
SLesniak@bloomfield.org
Secretary
248.341.6292
Emergency contact (after hours):
248.941.3842
Curious about a late bus? Need transportation information? Follow @BHSBuses on Twitter!
What other factors are involved in establishing where the school bus stops?
A
There are many factors which should be taken into consideration when school administrators establish the placement of school bus stops. The basic legal factors are spelled out in MCL 257.1855, but the primary concern is visibility of the bus to other traffic and the consideration of stopping distances necessary for other motor vehicles in order to accomplish safe loading and unloading of the children. In general, state law requires 400 feet of clear and continuous visibility on a highway or roadway where the speed limit is more than 35 miles per hour, and 200 feet where the speed limit is less than 35 miles per hour. There is no state law which specifies a maximum distance between stops.
Q
Isn't the school district required to transport my child?
A
No law specifies the maximum distance a student may walk to the bus stop.
A
There is no maximum riding time in the law for children in kindergarten through grade twelve. Child care licensing regulations establish a maximum riding time of 60 continuous minutes for the transportation of preschool children.
(Source: Michigan Department of Education)
Update as of 9:17 p.m., 4/23/18: The WHMS phones and internet are also restored.
Original Post: We are pleased to report that nearly all connectivity to phones/internet has been restored with the exception of WHMS. Crews are still working on the WHMS lines and hope to have them operational soon. At this time, since our website is back up and fully functional, we will post any future updates to www.bloomfield.org.
Thank you for your patience and support!
Our phones/internet are down due to a fiber issue. Thank you for your patience while we work to solve this issue. In the meantime, we will not be able to be reached by telephone or email this morning, 4/23/2018. Thank you very much.