General Information
The district’s transportation operations are managed by the central office staff and include student transportation services to the district’s schools, out of district schools and vocational schools. Extra-curricular and athletic transportation services are typically coordinated by the advisers and athletic department, respectively.
Should parents/guardians have any concerns regarding the district’s transportation services, all inquiries should be relayed to the School Business Administrator at 973.334.8280.
Subscription Busing Program
At the September 9, 2021, Board of Education meeting, the Board approved the creation of the subscription busing program. The subscription busing program’s goal is to provide an option to students that normally would not qualify for mandated transportation as defined by N.J.S.A. 18A:39-1 et seq., and Board of Education policy 8600.
The subscription busing program involves the following parameters:
- Annually, the Board of Education will approve the transportation routes for mandated students per N.J.S.A. 18A:39-1 et seq.
- Eligible students for the subscription busing program shall be defined as students residing in Mountain Lakes not eligible for mandated transportation services per N.J.S.A. 18A:39-1 et seq.
- In the event that the approved transportation routes contain unused seats, the unused seats will be made available through the subscription busing program
- Unused seats shall be defined as the number of seats on the operating bus, minus mandated students, minus four (4) seats to be held for mandated transportation students that move to the district after the school year begins
- The number of subscription busing program seats will be limited to the number of unused seats
- The subscription busing program will not modify the efficient operation of the approved route, to include additional stops, times, etc.
- Participation in the subscription busing program will commence with an annual subscription busing application completed by the parent/guardian
- In the event that the number of applications exceeds the number of seats designated for subscription busing, a random drawing will be held to assign the seats to the applicants in the order of the drawing
- Siblings attending the same school will be given equal prioritization without the need for multiple applications
- Parents/guardians will be responsible for the annual subscription busing fee in the event that a subscription busing seat is made available pursuant to the selected application
- For the 2022/23 school year, the subscription busing fee is anticipated to remain flat at $700 per student for the full 180 service days
- The annual subscription busing fee will be due prior to the first day of service and refunds will only be issued in the event the student transfers out of district
- In the event that the district needs to transition to virtual education, a refund will be calculated and provided to parents/guardians consistent with number of days of virtual education
- Should the number of mid-year mandated student enrollments exceed the four seats reserved, subscription busing services may be terminated to a student in the reverse order of the drawing results or application submission date/time
The subscription busing program for the 2022/23 school year will operate under the following estimated timeline:
- 6/24/22 - Notification to parents/guardians of availability of subscription busing application
- 6/24/22 - Subscription busing application opens
- 7/18/22 - Subscription busing application closes
- 7/25/22 - Drawing for subscription seats (if necessary)
- 8/1/22 - Notification of selected applications
- 8/22/22 - Notification of bus pass information (if applicable)
- 8/30/22 - Deadline for subscription busing fee
- 8/31/22 - First day of subscription service
Subscription Busing Application
Please complete this application if you are interested in applying for subscription busing. Applications must be completed by 7/18/22.
Waiver for Student Transportation
Last updated 8/9/2022