Milton schools say bus wait list cleared after route adjustments
Summary
District officials told the school committee they removed about 70 students from the bus wait list by increasing capacity on existing routes and adding stops; families will get notice and the district cautioned that winter ridership may push some buses toward capacity.
Milton — School district officials reported Nov. 5 that they exhausted the student bus wait list and placed more than 70 students onto existing routes without adding vehicles.
Superintendent John told the committee the district used a two‑phase plan that increased capacity on existing buses and adjusted stop patterns: "We have placed over 70 students getting everybody who applied on time for a bus pass off the wait list and on a bus," he said. The district said those placements were done in mid‑October and completed this week.
The district is notifying families now about their new stops and also sending a message to all bus families that routes will be fuller in the winter months. Superintendent John emphasized the district reviewed legal capacity limits before making the placements: "The number of students we have on each bus does not exceed the legal capacity," he said.
Why it matters: The change affects families who had been waiting for transportation and may affect seating availability for current riders. The district said it did not add buses or staff to resolve the wait list; rather, it adjusted routing and onboard capacity within legal limits.
Next steps: District staff will continue information outreach and will account for late applications and new moves in the next planning cycle. Officials said students who missed an initial application deadline remain part of a separate consideration for future planning.
