For the 2017-2018 school year, Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School and George Mason High School bus runs will combine in the morning as well as in the afternoon. The changes noted below will ensure the safety of all students traveling to school by foot, bicycle, car, or bus, allow for smoother entry and exit from both schools, and facilitate easier morning drop-off and afternoon dismissal for our bus and car riders.
Due to recently aligned bell schedules, the schools are now able to solve several transportation problems. For example, traffic along Haycock Road in the morning has been congested due to parents and students entering the school campus, causing delays to buses, students and staff parking, and kiss and ride. Additionally George Mason bus-riders had to get up earlier and wait approximately 35 minutes prior to school starting due to the earlier bus run to allow for the later MEH bus run. Also, MEH bus-riders often arrived late last year because of traffic and buses being delayed from the earlier George Mason bus runs.
The morning and afternoon bus runs will enter the GM and MEH campus from Haycock Road and drop students off using the MEH bus loop. MEH bus riders will enter MEH through the cafetorium and George Mason students will enter the GM building through the cafeteria entrance. Buses will then exit to Haycock Road.
A new George Mason drop-off will be accessible from Leesburg Pike (Rt. 7) (this was formerly the GM Bus Loop). The advantages of this new kiss-and-ride include a dedicated access ramp off Leesburg Pike and quick exit to westbound Leesburg Pike, the entrance ramp to Route 66, and the wraparound Metro access road to Haycock Road and Metro. GM parents may still use the Haycock Road entrance and drop off students in front of the flagpole entrance (Door 19).
