Belmont Public Schools is changing its high school and middle school bus service area for the 2026-27 school year, shifting service toward students who live farther from campus.
Historically, there hasn’t been bus service to the Winn Brook Elementary area, due to its close proximity to the Middle High School campus, Superintendent Jill Geiser said in a memo to parents. There is an additional area in the southern part of town that will no longer be eligible for service this fall.
“We tried to open up more access for those that lived further away, that was the idea,” Geiser told The Voice.
Belmont’s transportation contract with Doherty’s Garage includes six buses, with a maximum capacity of 330 students. Bus registration is currently full, according to the district’s website.
Geiser said while the district’s goal was to increase accessibility to the buses, there will be some families that lose access this year.
“We understand that some families will lose access to transportation as a result of this new routing; however, the current wait list includes many students with no practical walking route to the Middle/High school, and as a district we are prioritizing making transportation available to those students who live the furthest from school,” Geiser said in the memo.
For some families, the bus ride may be short, but it adds a layer of comfort and safety for kids to get to school. Students do not have parking access on school grounds, but there are bike racks.
“If you’re like my family and live a 30-minute or more walking distance to school with some hills, the safest ways to get to the high school are taking the bus, being driven by a parent, driving yourself (if you’re old enough and have access to a car), or walking,” parent Suzy Feinberg said in an email to The Voice. “Of these options, the bus is my favorite because it’s safe, and convenient to parents.”
A prior bus service map sent out by the district in the spring would have cut Feinberg’s street, meaning she would have needed to find her daughter an alternative way to get to school every day. Though the new service area includes her address, Feinberg said it’s only part of the equation.
“The fact that I personally now have access to the bus service does not mean much when looking at the bigger picture,” she said.
Fee Increases
This year, bus fees increased to $530 per student. All students in middle and high school who register for the bus are required to pay the fee, as well as any students in elementary school who live less than two miles from their neighborhood school. Elementary students who live more than two miles from their school do not have to pay a fee.
Families are able to apply for a fee waiver if there is financial hardship, according to the district.
In 2023, the bus fee was $450 per student. Though the cost has continued to increase, Feinberg, whose daughter is a rising junior at the high school, said the bus is still likely the safer — and perhaps more affordable — option for parents.
“Given the options, I would pay higher bus fees if it meant more kids would have the bus access that I currently enjoy,” Feinberg said.
