Harwood: Updated bus info. posted has new, fewer routes
August 10, 2024 | By Lisa Scagliotti UPDATE Aug. 26: REVISED back-to-school bus routes are now posted here and effective starting the first day of school, Aug. 27. School officials remind families that completing the returning student registration ensures that First Student knows each student's transportation plans. As of late last week, registrations were completed for only 75% of students. Questions? Contact: Dan Sargeant, First Student manager at Danial.Sargeant@firstgroup.com.
UPDATE Aug. 19: Bus routes for the 2024-25 school year are now posted on the HUUSD website.
The school district website huusd.org/bus-routes now has detailed bus schedules posted. Screenshot
A memo to families of students across the Harwood school district alerted parents this week that new – and fewer – bus routes will be announced ahead of the start of the 2024-25 school year.
The reason for the changes? Not enough bus drivers to continue staffing the existing routes, according to school officials.
“We are writing to inform you of some necessary route changes that the district and First Student will need to make for the upcoming year due to short staffing of bus drivers,” the memo states. The bus route revisions were made, they said, “to minimize the district-wide impact to families.”
Two key points: Some roads will no longer be served by school buses and the changes are spread out to cut routes in each of the district’s towns serving all of the schools.
The school bus routes page on the Harwood Unified Union School District website, HUUSD.org now has been updated with detailed morning and afternoon bus routes. Parents and guardians will also receive an announcement via email once that information is on the website, school officials said.
The first day of school is Tuesday, Aug. 27, for most students. At Harwood Union Middle/High School, only seventh and ninth graders attend on the 27th; all students at Harwood will attend starting Aug. 28.
In this initial notification, the district shared the list of the roads in each town that will no longer have school bus service, broken down by school:
Brookside Primary School: Twin Peaks Road and Sweet Road both in Waterbury, and Camel’s Hump Road in Duxbury
Warren Elementary: Upper sectio of Lincoln Gap Road in Warren
Moretown Elementary: Moretown Mountain Road above Howes Road in MoretownFayston Elementary: Kew Vasseur Road in Fayston, southern section of German Flats in Fayston, Route 17 above German Flats Road
Waitsfield Elementary: Route 100 south of Fiddler’s Green in Waitsfield and Long Road in Waitsfield
Harwood & Crossett Brook: Twin Peaks Road and Sweet Road in Waterbury; Camel’s Hump Road in Duxbury, upper section of Lincoln Gap Road in Warren, and Kew Vasseur Road in Fayston
Gregg Hill Road in Waterbury is closed to through traffic due to a culvert collapse and washout from the July 10 storm near the southern intersection with Vermont Route 100. Photo by Amy Keller
Special Note: Waterbury | Gregg Hill Road
The southern access to Gregg Hill Road from Vermont Route 100 remains closed to through traffic due to a culvert washout from the July storm. Until that section of road is repaired, First Student bus service will adjust its pick-ups and drop-offs for all bus runs — morning and afternoon for both elementary and middle/high school students.
“We intend on operating Gregg Hill Road transportation as we would during mud season and pick up at both ends of Gregg Hill Road,” explained First Student Manager Danial Sargeant.
On Monday, Aug. 26, the school district website with route information was updated to reflect the adjustments for Gregg Hill Road given the road closure.
Schedule for Gregg Hill Road stops:
Brookside Primary pick-up: 7 a.m. at the north end and 7:05 a.m. at the south end.
Brookside drop-off: 2:50 p.m. at the north end and 3 p.m. at the south end.
Crossett Brook and Harwood pick-up: 7:55 a.m. on the north end and 8 a.m. at the south end.
Drop-off for Crossett Brook and Harwood: 3:55 p.m. at the south end and 4 p.m. at the north end.