WHAT PARENTS CAN DO DURING THE NYC SCHOOL BUS DRIVER STRIKE

UPDATE: As of January 16, 2013, there is a NYC school bus driver strike in effect. According to the NYC Department of Education, a majority of yellow bus service to public and private schools in New York City is disrupted at this time. To check your child's specific bus route, and for updates on the strike and bus service progress, visit schools.nyc.gov/offices/transportation/default, where you will be directed to status updates and bus route information. It's essential that all students currently using yellow bus service have alternative transportation to and from school during the strike. Information regarding alternate methods of transportation during the strike can be found below and are provided by the NYC Department of Education. 

MetroCards

• All students who currently receive yellow bus service may receive a MetroCard.  These MetroCards are being made available at your local school and should be requested through each school's general office. Schools will distribute student MetroCards beginning Tuesday, Jan. 15. 

• Parents of pre-school and school-age children with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) requiring transportation from their home directly to their school as well as parents of general education children in grades K-2 may also request a MetroCard for the parent or guardian to act as the child's escort to school. Parent MetroCards will be distributed beginning Wednesday, Jan. 16. These cards can be used on subways beginning Wednesday, Jan. 16 and on buses beginning Thursday, Jan. 17. 

Transportation Reimbursement 

• The DOE is offering reimbursement for actual transportation costs (subject to DOE guidelines) for students in grades K-6 who receive yellow bus service from home or a school bus stop and live in areas where public transportation is not readily available.

• Parents who drive their children to school will be reimbursed at a rate of 55 cents per mile. 

• Parents who use a taxi or car service to transport their child to school will be reimbursed for the trip upon completion of reimbursement forms that includes a receipt for provided services.

• Requests for reimbursements should be made weekly on forms that will be made available on the DOE website and in each school's general office. 

Route Finder 

• It's possible that some bus routes will continue to operate during the strike.  There's a route finder on the DOE's web site here, that will show the status of all bus routes to each school. This tool will be updated daily at 7am, and when updates become available, beginning this Wednesday, Jan. 16. 

Class Materials

• In the unfortunate event that students cannot get to school, the DOE will be posting materials online for every grade and core subject so that students can continue their learning at home during the strike.
   

For additional information about what to do now that a bus driver strike has been officially declared, please call your school, or 311 the Office of Pupil Transportation at 718-392-8855. 

If you have any other questions or concerns regarding your child's education, please don't hesitate to contact Nick Rolf in Speaker Quinn's office. He can be reached by telephone at 212-442-5765 or by email at nrolf@council.nyc.gov.