TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

MODES OF TRANSPORTATION FOR CHOICE PROGRAMS

Guilford County Schools has increased the number of choice programs offered, resulting in a growing demand for more transportation.  To optimize the transportation system under strain and demands of growth, the department has identified several modes of transportation to increase access and system inefficiencies.  The Transportation Department will make a reasonable effort to provide transportation to students attending choice programs within the eligible feeder zones. 

The transportation modes listed describe what transportation may look like for students attending specific choice programs.  Parents do not have the option of choosing which transportation mode they will use.  The Transportation Department will determine which transportation modes are used for a specific program.  Factors used to determine which transportation modes will be used include, but are not limited to program location, student ridership, staff availability, etc.  Transportation modes are subject to change without notice. 

If more than one mode of transportation is used to transport students to/from a program, parents should be prepared to receive service through any of the modes presented. 

1. Regular Transportation

• Students are assigned to neighborhood stops based on their transportation address and will have a direct run to/from school. 
• The Transportation department uses yellow buses and third-party contractors to provide transportation services for students. 
• Requests for multiple stop locations dependent upon the day of the week or other considerations will not be accommodated.    

2. Magnet Shuttle Transportation

• Students are assigned to neighborhood stops and shuttle points based on their transportation address.  In the mornings, students will be taken to a shuttle point where they will transfer to the specific bus that will transport them to their assigned school. 
• In the afternoons, the process is reverse.  Students are transported to a shuttle point from their assigned school where they will transfer to the specific bus that will transport them home. 
• Shuttle points are supervised by Transportation employees, who will also assist with directing students to the correct bus. 
• Choice bus routes are longer than traditional bus routes because students are spread over a larger geographical area.  Route times vary and can range from at least 90 to 150 minutes each way. 
• Current shuttle point locations are Andrews, Dudley, Page, Smith, and Western High Schools. 
• The Transportation department uses yellow buses and third-party contractors to provide transportation services for students. 
• Parents may also opt to drop-off and pick-up at the magnet shuttle locations. 
• Requests for multiple stop locations dependent upon the day of the week or other considerations will not be accommodated.   

3. Community/Express Stop Locations

• Students are assigned to community/express stops based on their transportation address and will have a direct run to/from school. 
• Community and/or express stops are generally located at GCS properties but may be located at non-GCS properties if the stop time interferes with the normal traffic pattern of the property.   
• Community/express stops are not supervised by Transportation Staff.  Parents should plan to arrive at least ten (10) minutes prior to the scheduled stop time.  If a student arrives after the bus has departed, the student may not be left at the community/express stop location and parents will have to transport to school.
• There is a ten-minute arrival window (each way) based on the scheduled stop time.   
• The Transportation department uses yellow buses and third-party contractors to provide transportation services for students.
• Requests for multiple stop locations dependent upon the day of the week or other considerations will not be accommodated.   

4. Home School Shuttle Transportation

• Students are assigned to neighborhood stops based on their transportation address.  Student will be transported to his/her attendance zone home school (middle or high), where under Transportation Department supervision, they transfer to the specific bus that will take them to their assigned school. 
• The Transportation department uses yellow buses and third-party contractors to provide transportation services for students.

• Requests for multiple stop locations dependent upon the day of the week or other considerations will not be accommodated.   

5. Public Transportation

• GCS is proud to partner with the Greensboro Transit Authority and High Point Transit to provide services for interested families.  GCS students can ride free on school days only if they present and scan their One Card when boarding.  For more information on services available to GCS students, click here for more information on the Greensboro Transit Authority or here more information on High Point Transit.      
• GCS students can ride free to/from school and extra-curricular activities on school days only. 
• This option is available to any GCS student who has a valid One Card.  Families may choose this option at their discretion. 

6. Non-Transport Zones (Transportation Not Provided)

• Non-Transport zones are often referred to as “walk zones”. 
• In accordance with North Carolina State law, GCS does not guarantee transportation for students that reside within a school’s established non-transport zone.    
• Local Board of Education policy allows the Transportation Department to establish non-transport zones within one and one-half miles around a school based on walkability and cost factors. 
• Once established, the Transportation Department will not provide transportation within the non-transport zone.  The non-transport zone applies to all students within the designated area regardless of age or grade level. 
• There are several schools in GCS that have non-transport zones.  For a list of those schools click here.