As part of the district's approved financial reduction plan, the Amherst Exempted Village School District was required to make significant reductions in transportation services for the 2026-2027 school year. These reductions included the elimination of four bus driver positions, resulting in fewer bus routes and reduced transportation capacity. As a result, transportation eligibility for students in grades K-8 will change from more than one mile to more than two miles from their assigned school. This change is aligned with Ohio's transportation requirements and are necessary to ensure the district can continue providing safe, reliable transportation within its available financial resources. Please read the additional changes below:

• Transportation will only be provided for students who live two miles or more from their assigned school building. Students residing within the two mile radius are not eligible for district transportation. The district contracted with Transfinder to develop each school’s two-mile radius and who qualifies for district transportation.

• Students in grades 9–12 will not receive regular transportation services. The exception is transportation provided to and from the Lorain County JVS for students enrolled in JVS programs. JVS students will board the bus at Marion L. Steele High School each morning, with the bus arriving at 6:45 a.m. and departing at 7:00 a.m. The bus will return students to Marion L. Steele High School at approximately 2:45 p.m.

• Students who qualify for transportation will be transported to and from their designated home bus stop or one alternate location that also qualifies for transportation services at an established route and bus stop.

• "Space Available" transportation requests will not be offered during the 2026-2027 school year. Transportation services will be limited to students who qualify based on their home address and the state-required two-mile eligibility guidelines for each school building.

This form is only for parents/guardians of students who are eligible for district transportation. The Transportation Department is requesting this information to help estimate student ridership and finalize bus routes for the upcoming school year. Please complete the form below to indicate whether your eligible student(s) will or will not utilize district transportation services.

Bus Stops

Students should be at their stops at least five (5) minutes prior to the bus arriving. They should be lined up at the stop – not waiting in vehicles and/or homes. All times are approximate taking into consideration traffic, road conditions, etc

Day Care and Babysitters

If your child needs to be transported to Day Care/Babysitters, please contact the Transportation Department and/or the school your child attends. Paperwork must be completed BEFORE approval will be given and arrangements made. Paperwork needs to be completed each new school year. Please contact the Transportation Department immediately if you have need of this service.

Inclement Weather/Calamity Days

On days when the Amherst Schools are closed due to inclement weather or a calamity, ALL TRANSPORTATION services are canceled for ALL schools including any non-public schools that we provide transportation for. Fore more information on inclement weather or calamity days, please visit our Delays and Closings page.

Pick-Up/Drop-Off Times

Scheduled pick-up/drop-off times are approximate based on the student roster at the time the routes were created. Times may vary due to additional/withdrawn students. Weather conditions, road construction, traffic and train delays can also impact pick-up/drop-off times. Routes can tend to run slower for the first week of school.

Special Needs Routes

Drivers will contact parents and students regarding bus information. If you haven’t heard from a driver by the week before school opens, please contact the Transportation Department.

These are frequently asked questions and general information about pupil transportation in Ohio and quoted directly from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) website: