Students from Kindergarten through 6th Grade who live in Manhattan may be eligible for free yellow school bus service, depending on their age and home address. The service is provided, scheduled, and operated by the New York City Department of Education’s Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT).
Eligibility
The OPT determines student eligibility based on grade level and distance from The École’s Elementary & Middle School Building (115 East 22nd Street):
- Kindergarten through 2nd Grade: Eligible if they live more than 0.5 miles but less than 5 miles from school. Kindergarten students must be at least five years old by the first day of school.
- 3rd through 6th Grade: Eligible if they live more than 1 mile but less than 5 miles from school.
Routes and Stops
Over the past five years, the OPT has provided three bus routes for The École, serving downtown, the Upper East Side, and the Upper West Side. You can find the sample routes here.
Please note that under OPT policy, the school bus may arrive at school up to 30 minutes before the start of the school day and depart up to 30 minutes after the end of the school day.
The school may request additional stops if the proposed stop is at least 0.25 miles from an existing one and the total route remains within a 5-mile radius of the school.
Ridership Flexibility
Parents may choose how often and when their child rides the bus. You may select specific days of the week and morning, afternoon, or both.
Please note: The yellow school bus is only available at regular dismissal time in the afternoon. It is not available following After-School activities. Students enrolled in After-School programs must be picked up by a parent or caregiver after their activity ends.
Kindergarten Riders
- Morning Drop-Off: Kindergarten students are dropped off between 7:40 a.m. and 8:10 a.m. at the Elementary & Middle School Building and are escorted by a School Life Assistant (SLA) through Madison Square Park to the Maternelle Building.
- Afternoon Pick-Up: At 3:15 p.m., Kindergarten bus riders are accompanied by an SLA to the Elementary & Middle School Building. Buses depart between 3:45 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.
No Bus Service
Please note that there is no bus service during the 2025-2026 school year on the following days:
- Tuesday, September 2 (NYC Public Schools not in session)
- Wednesday, September 3 (NYC Public Schools not in session)
- Tuesday, September 23 (Rosh Hashanah – NYC Public Schools closed)
- Wednesday, September 24 (Rosh Hashanah – NYC Public Schools closed)
- Monday, October 20 (Diwali – NYC Public Schools closed)
- Tuesday, November 11 (Veterans Day – NYC Public Schools closed)
- Thursday, April 2 (Easter – NYC Public Schools closed)
- Friday, April 3 (Easter – NYC Public Schools closed)
Parents of children who ride the bus should arrange alternate transportation on those days. If your child is not attending school on any of the above holidays, please make sure to inform their class teachers and email attendance@theEcole.org.
How to Sign Up
If you would like to enroll your child in the yellow school bus service for the 2025–2026 school year, please complete this form. The Bus Team will contact you during the summer to confirm your child’s assigned stop and schedule.