School buses

CarMc

Hi,
We've just moved from Dublin to Kildare so don't have any experience with school buses at all,

My daughter got a place in the local school but I couldn't get a place for my son, his class was full. The nearest school I could get him a place in is 5km away which isn't too bad but school traffic is terrible and I have to get them both to school on time.

Are there school buses for primary school children? How do I know if there is one for his school? Do I ask the school themselves? Am I too late into the year to apply now?

Any help would be appreciated - feeling lost & confused!

jlm29

There’s definitely school buses for primary school children. But I’d imagine buses work on demand- Do other kids from your locality go to the further away school? If there’s not many kids in the area going to the school, there might not be enough kids to warrant a bus? They’re often run by private companies, in my area anyhow.
I’d say if you ring the school they’d be able to point you in the right direction.
Otherwise you could hang around the school and ask the bus drivers if you meet them!

strawberrie

Check out the school transport section on bus eireann website.

https://www.buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=522

CarMc wrote: »

Hi,
We've just moved from Dublin to Kildare so don't have any experience with school buses at all,

My daughter got a place in the local school but I couldn't get a place for my son, his class was full. The nearest school I could get him a place in is 5km away which isn't too bad but school traffic is terrible and I have to get them both to school on time.

Are there school buses for primary school children? How do I know if there is one for his school? Do I ask the school themselves? Am I too late into the year to apply now?

Any help would be appreciated - feeling lost & confused!

CarMc

Thanks, there are loads of buses parked up locally every morning but I think they are all for secondary schools but I might take a walk up and check or ask the drivers!

My son started in the new school on Monday and there are no buses there at drop off or pick up but every other school I pass have one or more buses pulling in, maybe there’s no demand ? - I’ll check with his school and I’ll check that link out too for BUS EIREANN,

Thanks so much for the replies, really appreciate it

jlm29

Could your daughter get a bus while you drop your son? Just in case there’s no bus for your son, that might be an option!

CarMc

jlm29 wrote: »

Could your daughter get a bus while you drop your son? Just in case there’s no bus for your son, that might be an option!

Yes she can walk to her school it’s so close but she starts after him so I’d have to leave her home alone if I did that and she’s only 9 - she has started walking home though so that helps.

My main concern is that I’m working from home now but won’t be forever and I’m not sure how I’ll get him home then - might be an option of local bus or cycling maybe ? Just thought a school bus would be easier and safer so I’m just hoping one exists

jlm29

CarMc wrote: »

Yes she can walk to her school it’s so close but she starts after him so I’d have to leave her home alone if I did that and she’s only 9 - she has started walking home though so that helps.

My main concern is that I’m working from home now but won’t be forever and I’m not sure how I’ll get him home then - might be an option of local bus or cycling maybe ? Just thought a school bus would be easier and safer so I’m just hoping one exists

Fingers crossed. We live really close to our local school. My kids don’t go there, but I’ve noticed the school bus passes our gate at around 8.45 (they don’t start until 9.15), so I thought maybe a bus for your daughter could work also, but it seems crazy to put her on a bus just for the sake of it! Look into breakfast clubs etc in the area also, lots of schools around whets I live have a service attached to them where kids can be dropped early by parents and then dropped to school by the service.
School runs are a logistical nightmare

jrosen

Have you called the school and asked them? Our primary has about 3 buses that run.