Transportation
The International School of Minnesota (ISM) does not own its own school buses. Transportation is arranged for ISM students with either an independent busing company, or parents can make arrangements with other ISM parents who are interested in carpooling. Parents may call the Admissions department at (952) 918-1840 for further details regarding current pricing and bus routes.
Route Info
Door-to-door service is obviously the preference for most families who will use the bus service. When logistically feasible, particularly in areas close to the School and areas that have a high concentration of bus riders, door-to-door service is more likely to be offered. In some cases, such as outlying areas that are considerably farther from school or from a proposed route, regional satellite locations will be established as an alternative to door-to-door service.
If door-to-door transportation cannot be accommodated, a regional location will be assigned that is generally 3 to 8 minutes from home. The School will contact you with exact pick-up/drop-off times and locations approximately one week prior to the first day of school. Every effort will be made to keep your child's bus ride as short as possible. Students picked up in the morning farthest from school should expect about a 7:00 a.m. pick-up time. Buses will arrive at school at approximately 8:10 a.m. Afternoon buses will depart around 4:30 p.m., depending on the route.
If a regional location is the only option available for pick-up and/or drop-off, and the location is not acceptable to the parent/guardian, they may cancel the contract in writing. Riders added to a route after busing commences will be billed on a pro-rated basis for the remaining school days from the date of ridership. Questions and concerns should be directed to The School.
Preschool
Preschool children may be signed up for bus service. This choice is up to the discretion of the parent/guardian. If your child is under four years old, a car seat is required by law. You may provide a seat or, depending on the bus company, one may be provided. You will be required to buckle up your child in a timely manner in the morning and unbuckle your child in the afternoon.
Minimum/Maximum Ridership
In the event that the maximum capacity of a bus route is reached, seats will first be filled according to the order that bus registration deposit forms were received, and then according to the order that signed contracts were received. If a route cannot meet the minimum requirement by two weeks before the first day of school, ISM reserves the right to not offer the route or any other transportation alternative. ISM reserves the right to enforce a minimum ridership per route. Families affected by this requirement will be notified as soon as the route is cancelled, but no later than one week prior to the first day of school.