FAQ

Overlake provides four home:school / school:home routes. The routes are 520 Corridor (including Montlake), South Bellevue (including Lakemont and Mercer Island), Sammamish, and Kirkland. We have three zero period routes servicing the same areas, as well as three activity buses.

Overlake draws students from large geographical areas. We attempt to provide bus stops at central locations to accommodate the maximum number of students within this large area.

Yes. The zero period buses have limited capacity. Therefore, we need to be sure there is room for those who sign up for this service. You need to specifically request zero period transportation and certify your student is enrolled in a zero period class if you plan to use it. There is no additional charge for this service.

Yes, any student enrolled in PM transportation can ride the activity bus home as needed. However, please note, Upper School sports practices usually extend beyond the 4:55 PM activity bus departure time.

The activity buses leave at 4:55 PM. When after school activities are cancelled, there are no activity runs. Check the transportation calendar or contact the transportation coordinator with specific questions.

The activity runs are mainly used by MS students. Many of the US practices don’t end until 6:00 or 6:30 PM, when traffic is lighter. In addition, many of the US students drive to and from school. Because of these reasons, it is not economically feasible at this time for us to provide a later activity bus.

Bus enrollment begins in early August for the next school year. However, a parent can sign their student up for bus service at any time during the school year, as long as space permits. Fill out the online enrollment form. Your student’s account will be charged appropriately.

Our drivers check the buses after each Zero, AM, PM, & activity run.

• Zero/AM - If electronics or lunches are found, the student’s homeroom is identified and the items are delivered there
• Activity/PM - If electronics are found, we will contact the parents to let them know they can either
  • pick them up from the Director of Transportation's office that evening
  • or have their student pick them up on the AM route the next day
• If apparel items are found, the driver will leave them at the front of the bus for pickup on the next ride

Our buses are equipped with a program called BusWhere, which provides a visual map of bus locations via GPS. In the event of a potential delay, the drivers alert the Director of Transportation, who then views the exact bus location, assesses the situation, and comes up with an estimated time of arrival at school. The Director then sends an email to all faculty and staff, alerting them of the delay and expected arrival time. The student is not penalized for the delay getting to school.