Transportation

Special Education students will receive a phone call from their child's bus driver prior to school start, informing them of busing information for the year.

Phone: 425-936-1120
Email: busroutes@lwsd.org

Riding the bus

The Lake Washington School District provides transportation services to students who live outside a one-mile radius from their school of residence. However, if the district has assessed the walk routes and found no safe paths within that one-mile radius, exceptions may be made.

Within a school’s boundary:

Elementary students are encouraged to walk up to one and a half miles to school.
Middle and high school students can walk up to two miles.

Students whose walk distances exceed these limits are eligible for bus service. These guidelines are used to establish all walk boundaries for the Lake Washington School District.

Bus routes

Find your information using Skyward Family Access

Bus route information is available in your family’s Skyward Family Access account. It is important for both you and your student to memorize:

Your bus route number
Your bus route creature (for elementary students)
Your bus stop location
Your regular pickup and drop-off times

Parents will be contacted by the driver with route information for special needs students and preschoolers.

Bus routes may change slightly as the year goes on. Please use Skyward Family Access for current route information.

Please note that Wednesday bus drop-off times are 1.5 hours earlier than other days of the week.

We also recommend all students and parents download the bus tracking app that will help give you a live time estimate of when your bus will arrive each day. You can get the app by going to the Apple Store or Google Play and downloading the Versatrans My Stop App on your mobile device. In order to login to the App you will need to have your Skyward Student ID which can be found by logging into the Skyward mobile app or accessing Skyward on your computer. More information is available on the My Stop App page.

Additional bus schedules

If you are looking for Quest or Choice School schedules, please check Skyward.

Route cancellations

Periodic interruptions in our transportation services

Lake Washington School District may experience periodic interruptions in our transportation services due to driver availability. As a result, we may be unable to cover all our routes and/or some buses will be running late. The Transportation Department will communicate with families of students whose routes will be affected each day. Depending on the type of notice you receive you may need to drop off or pick up your child from school. We understand that this may cause inconvenience, and we sincerely apologize for any disruption this may cause to your daily routines.

Use the My Stop App to see when your child's bus will arrive.

If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a bus driver or substitute bus driver, please click on the box below.

Learn about becoming a bus driver in LWSD

Health & Safety

Transportation health and safety protocols

Wellness screening
Parents should evaluate students for symptoms of illness PRIOR to sending them to the bus stop. If their student is sick, the parent would need to keep them home from school.

Safety expectations for students while riding the bus (Student Safety Walking, Biking and Riding Buses (6605))

Cooperate with and obey the driver at all times.
Be courteous, use no profane language – spoken, written, or gestured.
Elementary and middle school students need to ride their assigned bus and get off at their assigned stop, unless they have a bus pass signed by the school (certain routes may not allow bus passes based on available seating).
Keep head, hands, feet, and belongings inside the bus at all times.
Eating and drinking on the bus is not permissible
Windows may be opened six inches; however, close the windows if the driver asks that windows remain closed.
Do not bring animals onto the bus (service-animals excepted).
Keep belongings (backpacks) out of the aisle.
Remain seated while the bus is starting, stopping or otherwise in motion
If assigned a specific seat be the driver, sit in that seat at all times.
Enter and exit the bus safely, crossing only in front of the bus and only with the consent of the driver.

Video Recording

For the safety of our student riders and bus drivers, all in-service LWSD buses are equipped with video recording systems.
All systems adhere to Security Camera Systems Policies 6610 & 6610P
Locations of each device adhere to guidance provided by OSPI and local law enforcement.

Ill student onboard

If a student appears to be ill while onboard the student will be assigned to a specified row.
Driver will call dispatch to notify the school.
The student will be sent to the health room upon arrival.

Keeping students safe when crossing the street to and from the school bus

STOP at the end of the crossing arm. Make eye contact with your driver.
STOP at the edge of the bus just in front of the driver. Make eye contact with the driver.
CROSS after the driver has given you the signal that all traffic has stopped and it is now safe to to cross the street.

(updated 4/29/24)

Emergencies

Transportation during emergencies

Parents always have the option to keep their student home if they believe it is unsafe.

Each winter, Lake Washington School District’s Transportation Department creates "Snow Routes" or routes that are designed to get our students to and from school in the safest manner due to inclement weather. These routes may require your student(s) to change bus stops due to road conditions in your neighborhood.

Families will be contacted via ParentSquare when these routes are placed into effect. Please make sure to use the snow route bus stop when "Snow Routes" are activated.

To find your snow route bus stop location:

Login to Skyward Family Access.
Select “Busing” on the left-side menu. Snow routes will be labeled with “Snow” under the “Days” column.

Please note: It is possible that your “Snow Route” bus stops are the same as your regular stops.

Earthquake
In case of a major earthquake while students are on a school bus, drivers will receive specific instructions via radio. If they are going to school, drivers will continue to pick up students on their routes and deliver them to school. If roads limit travel, students will be transported to the nearest school. If an earthquake hits when buses are transporting children home from school, drivers will return to the school they came from or to the closest school. Children will stay at school until parents or designees arrive. Call your school for more information about its earthquake plan.

Contact Us

Jon Kollman
Director of Transportation Services

Bus stop questions
If you have a question about a bus stop, contact the Transportation Department at 425-936-1120 or busroutes@lwsd.org.

Calls and emails are prioritized and responded to as soon as possible. Please note that the Transportation Department receives a high volume of calls and emails at the beginning of the school year. We appreciate your patience as we respond as quickly as possible.