By Daniela Antras, Staff Writer |

I’m sure my parents aren’t the only ones who’ve spent hours in rush hour or Red Sox game traffic on their way to pick me up from sports practice. While very fun, extracurriculars make pick-ups difficult, especially for students who live far away or normally take the bus. However, Winsor’s athletes, actors, and their parents’ gas bills are in luck, as there will be changes to the bus schedule next school year. Currently, Winsor runs six buses in the morning and six in the afternoon; next year, however, only three afternoon buses will leave at the usual time of 3:05 while three “late buses” will depart at 5:30. But will this change truly benefit the Winsor community? Despite their downsides, these later routes will ultimately be a great improvement to Winsor’s bus schedule.

One drawback is that there will only be three different afternoon routes, each going to a North, West, or South area, and these hub-style stops will be more spread out. Evie Cleary ’28 voiced that fewer stops may increase students’ distance from home to their bus stop. “North, West, and South is pretty general,” Cleary expressed, “so I don’t know where it’s going to land in relation to where I live.”

This drawback, however, doesn’t make the new schedule an overall downgrade; in the words of Chief Operating Officer Ms. Karen Geromini, it will “hopefully save people a lot of time.” Operations Manager Ms. Brooke Elmore explained that “with the traffic in this area, it takes people a long time to get here and to get out,” so the goal is “to get students out to an area where their families can meet them.” 

It can be difficult to pick students up when there is heavy traffic, so a later bus, even one that doesn’t stop right near their home, will make families’ lives much easier. Ms. Geromini noted that the schedule will both reduce parents’ driving time and allow students to “actually have dinner with [their] families and get home a bit earlier.” The fewer stops will also make routes more efficient. Ms. Elmore explained, “With less stops, it’s just less time students are spending on the bus.” 

Later buses will also be a great option for students who don’t participate in extracurriculars. Cleary remarked, “even if I’m not doing a sport, I feel like being able to stay after school, like if I need to work out for P.E. credit…[the updated bus schedule] will be really helpful.” This option would give her a new opportunity to stay at Winsor for longer, since “normally, I’d have to leave right away; otherwise I’m not getting home.”

Overall, the benefits of Winsor’s new bus schedule certainly outweigh the cons. Later buses will provide a better way of getting home after extracurriculars and save everyone time in the long run. As a bus rider myself, I eagerly anticipate the introduction of this schedule in the coming school year!

Greatest Opportunities for Improvement Indicated by Bus Riders in 2025 Transportation Survey | Image Source: Winsor Summary of Transportation Survey for Families