FAQ

Q -

Who is eligible to ride Blake school buses?

A -

Blake students in kindergarten through twelfth grade may ride Blake buses. Pre-K students are discouraged from riding the bus and should seek the Lower School Director to discuss your child’s abilities to manage a bus ride on a daily basis. Blake Transportation does not maintain a static district boundary but does limit the distance our school buses travel. Historically, (with the Hopkins Campus as the center) Blake buses travel as far north as Plymouth, Brooklyn Center and North Minneapolis, as far west as Orono, Mound and Chanhassen, as far south as Eden Prairie, Bloomington and Richfield, and as far east as the Minneapolis/St. Paul border. The Blake Transportation Office strongly encourages new families who haven't ridden Blake buses to call our office to determine route availability in your neighborhood.

Q -

What is the difference between door and shuttle bus services?

A -

Door bus service involves picking up your student at his/ her home. Blake Transportation assigns a specific pick up time for your home location and will make every attempt to pull as close as safely possible to your doorstep. This is Blake Transportation’s highest level of bus service and is designed to provide the most convenience for your family. Shuttle bus service involves picking up your student at a centralized location. In this scenario the daily transportation responsibility is shared between Blake Transportation and your family. Multiple students may be picked up at a single shuttle pick up location. Shuttle locations are chosen based on potential rider density within communities as well as safe, adequate access to the location by Blake families and the school bus. Whenever possible shuttle pickups will be assigned pickup times late in morning routes, assuring shorter bus rides for larger groups of students. However based on the route’s logistics, additional door or shuttle stops may occur after the centralized pick up.

Q -

I signed up for door service. Will the bus pull into my driveway?

A -

The Blake Transportation team is committed to picking up your child at your doorstep. Three factors - safety, legality and timing - contribute to the final decision on whether the bus will pick up your child in your driveway or along a private drive. The decision to enter private property is made in August when routes are created and test-driven by Blake drivers. Even if we agree to a daily door step pickup, day-to-day weather conditions, traffic delays, road construction or other issues may require your child to meet the bus at the nearest public roadway from time to time. The Blake dispatch office will make every attempt to communicate these service changes in advance.

Q -

How long will my child be on the bus?

A -

Blake's network of bus riders live throughout the western suburbs of the Twin Cities – spreading across upwards of 600 square miles. While timely, efficient service is our goal for all of our riders, some students will be on the bus for longer periods of time than others. The general rule applied is that we will offer service to families whom we can transport to or from school in an hour or less. We strongly recommend families who have not ridden Blake buses before to contact our office prior to signing up for service.

Q -

How long will the bus wait before you leave my stop?

A -

Drivers are instructed to wait one minute past the scheduled pick up time before departing for the next stop on the route. Riders are strongly encouraged to be ready and watching for the bus 5-10 minutes ahead of your scheduled pick up time.

Q -

My child is participating in an after school activity, will Blake buses take me home afterwards?

A -

Blake Transportation does not offer door service to students participating in afterschool activities. However, we do offer campus-to-campus shuttle services. From the Hopkins Blake Campus, we provide shuttle buses to both the Wayzata Highcroft Campus and Minneapolis Northrop Campus. This service is fee-based and can be purchased per season or per activity. Buses depart at 5:45pm each evening.

Q -

My child would like to be dropped off at different destinations in the afternoon. Is this possible?

A -

Yes, when you purchase the door service option you may select multiple pick up and drop off locations. The Transportation team will attempt to provide service that meets all of your needs. Just be sure to communicate the location and schedules as early as possible so we can work the additional stops into existing routes.

Q -

Can my child ride a different bus to go home with a friend?

A -

If your child needs to be dropped at a different stop, a bus pass must be issued. Passes can only be issued with authorization from the child's parent or legal guardian. Contact your child's school at least two hours prior to the scheduled pick up or drop off and they will issue a bus pass to your child directly. The rider is responsible for providing the bus pass to the driver. Riders without bus passes may not ride a different bus or be let off at a different stop.

Q -

My child only needs to ride the bus half the time. Will I receive a discount?

A -

No, families who sign up for busing are expected to pay the full year costs of the service.