Transportation

 ** Reminder: Due to reduction in staff and more students assigned to routes, students will no longer be able to ride home with friends.

 ** On Half Days of School the bus drop off time will be 3 3/4 hours earlier than normal drop off time. 


There will no longer be individual bus stops within the city of Chelsea; however, areas around Old US 12 will continue to have group stops. City students can walk to the nearest school location and take a transfer bus to their school building. All students must be in their bus line at the school transfer sites by 7:35 a.m.

All students are required to be at their bus stop 5 to 10 minutes in advance of bus arrival time. All rural stops are picked up and delivered in the same order, i.e., first on in the morning, then first off in the afternoon. In fairness to all students this policy is enforced to help keep the routes as short as possible. Crossovers are prohibited on many roads within the school district and students must board the bus on their side of the road.

Parents are reminded that due to safety requirements for bus stops or route directions, not all youngsters are picked up at their driveway. Rural routes may now have hub stops. Parents are expected to transport their students to and from bus stop locations. To help the bus driver seeing your child(ren) at the bus stop in the mornings when it is dark out, we recommend having your child(ren) to use a flashlight to let the driver know that are out at there.
A parent or designated adult (or 6th grade or older sibling or babysitter) must meet all kindergarten and first graders at the bus stop. Parents or designated adults are expected to provide for the safety, supervision, and shelter for students at all bus stop locations.

All students will be picked up at their assigned stop and delivered back to that same stop unless a parent or guardian indicates need for a second permitted riding location. 

AM transfers will be dropping off at all schools and doing direct transfers to the other school buildings. Students should be in position to board at any school at 7:35 a.m. to go to another school. Remember only buses are allowed in the bus area around Chelsea High School, Beach Middle School and North Creek Elementary during drop-off and pick- up times.

PM transfers will continue to take place at Beach Middle School. Home buses are scheduled to leave Beach between 3:15 p.m. and 3:20 p.m. Following the PM transfer, students may ride a bus to another school. Please note afternoon home buses tend to run later the first couple weeks of school as students learn which buses to board. Please be patient during this learning period and please be on time to meet the bus so as not to delay the other students. To assist your child with their transfer, be sure they know their home address and bus number. All young students and new students should have their address, parent contact information, and bus information available on their back packs or in their planners.

Questions may be directed to our office at 734-433-2274. All transportation forms can be obtained at the bus office or on the Chelsea School District website. Forms can be returned directly to the bus garage between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., by e-mail, or fax (433-2217).

We wish each and every one of our Chelsea students a safe and happy 2023-2024 school year!

Sincerely, Transportation Staff 

Due to current staffing levels and increased ridership, bus seating is limited. As a result, students are generally expected to ride only their assigned bus. Riding home with friends may not be available unless prior approval has been granted and arrangements have been communicated in advance with the school or the Transportation Department.

On half days, bus drop-off times will be approximately 3¾ hours earlier than the normal afternoon schedule.

At this time, individual bus stops within the City of Chelsea are no longer available.

Group stops will continue to be used in areas around Old U.S. 12.

City students will walk to the nearest school location and ride a transfer bus to their school building.

All students participating in transfers must be in their bus line at the school transfer site by 7:35 a.m.

• Students should arrive at their bus stop at least 10 minutes before the scheduled arrival time.
• Rural routes operate in the same order each day (first on in the morning, first off in the afternoon) to keep routes as efficient as possible.
• For safety reasons, road crossovers are prohibited on many district roads. Students must board the bus on the same side of the road as their stop.

For safety and routing reasons, not all students are picked up directly at their driveway. Some rural routes use hub stops, and families are responsible for transporting students to and from the bus stop.
To help drivers see students during darker morning hours, we recommend students carry a small flashlight to signal they are present at the stop.
A parent or designated adult (or a sibling/babysitter in 6th grade or older) must meet kindergarten and first-grade students at the bus stop. Families are responsible for providing supervision, safety, and shelter at all bus stop locations.

Students will be picked up and dropped off at their assigned bus stop unless a parent or guardian has requested and received approval for a second permitted riding location.

Morning Transfers (AM):
 Transfer buses will drop students at all schools and provide direct transfers between buildings. Students should be ready to board by 7:35 a.m.
 Please remember that only buses are permitted in bus loop areas at Chelsea High School, Beach Middle School, and North Creek Elementary during drop-off and pick-up times.
Afternoon Transfers (PM):
 PM transfers continue to take place at Beach Middle School. Home buses typically depart around 3:20 p.m.
 Students may transfer to another school following the PM transfer.
Please note that during the first few weeks of school, afternoon routes may run later as students learn their buses. We appreciate your patience during this adjustment period. To avoid delays for other students, please be on time to meet your child’s bus.

To help your child navigate transfers successfully, we encourage families to ensure students know:

• Their home address
• Their bus number
• A parent's contact number

Younger and new students should carry this information in a backpack or planner.