First Week of School Transportation Reminders
Whether you plan to arrive by bus, car, or are sending your student driver on their way, the beginning of the school year brings new routines for your family’s morning. Read on for important details and reminders about getting to and from Eagle Ridge Academy so that your year starts as smoothly as possible.
This year, all modes of transportation to Eagle Ridge Academy will be affected by the construction of the Southwest Light Rail Transit system (the Metro Green Line), which began in July. This transit line will connect Eden Prairie, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and St. Louis Park to Downtown Minneapolis. Construction will impact roads around Eagle Ridge Academy. For the most up-to-date information about the project, including temporary road detours, view the Metro Transit website, sign up for weekly construction updates from Metro Transit (available via text or email alerts), or subscribe to their news on Twitter: @SouthwestLRT.
Bus Information
As drivers and students acclimate to the new school year, we often experience delays in transportation, and so we thank you for your patience in the first few weeks of school. Please note, your child must have a bus pass to ride the bus. If you have not completed a transportation contract for the current year and your child has not been issued a bus pass, you must drive your child to and from school. The transportation contract may be found on the Transportation page of the Eagle Ridge Academy website. Bus passes will be awarded as space is available and in the order that the contracts are received; a $50 per child late fee applies to all contracts received after the July 1, 2019 deadline.
Changes afternoon transportation for grades K-5 (i.e., from bus to carpool) must be made in the Silent Dismissal portal by 2:45 pm each day. To set up your Silent Dismissal account, please refer to the information distributed in your child’s Back to School folder. You may also learn more about the Silent Dismissal system here.
Expectations for Bus Riders:
- Arrive at the bus stop five minutes prior to the departure time. Your child should be seated safely on the bus before the listed departure time.
- Drivers are instructed not to wait for late students.
- Teach your child the name of the bus stop streets. The driver will announce the stop as they arrive for afternoon drop off.
- Your child should inform the driver if you are not present to pick them up from the bus stop.
- If no one is present to meet your child at the bus stop, the driver will return the child to the Academy and place the child in the TEL after school care program. Fees will apply. Staff will contact the parents.
- The bus ride is an extension of the school day. Please discuss proper bus behavior with your child:
- Practice CIPHER on the bus
- Listen to the bus driver
- Remain seated while the bus is in motion
- Keep the aisle clear
- Use an inside voice
- No food or drink on the bus other than water
Questions? Please contact Karen Conner, Operations Manager: kconner@eagleridgeacademy.org.
Carpool and Parking Lot Information
We experience a high volume of traffic in our parking lot the first week of the school year. We want to thank you in advance for your patience as new families learn to navigate student drop off and pick up. We want to remind you to follow the student drop off and pick up procedure and familiarize yourself with the map of the parking lot as you drop off and pick up. The Silent Dismissal system will be used to release students in grades K-5; please refer to the information distributed at Meet Your Teacher Night and set up your Silent Dismissal parent account. We recommend that you implement your transportation of choice as soon as possible to familiarize your child with the routine and help alleviate congestion in the parking lot. We will have plenty of staff on hand to help your children exit the car or bus and guide them through the building to the correct classroom. Please remember to drop your child off in the designated student drop off/pick up area marked by the yellow curb in the front of the building. If you choose to park in a parking spot, please walk students in K-5 to the crosswalk for their safety.
Efficiencies for Student Drop Off and Pick Up:
- Familiarize yourself with the drop off and pick up procedures as well as the parking lot map. The drop off and pick up lane is MORE efficient than parking. However, if you are parking, the flow of traffic has the right of way when you are backing up. Please YIELD.
- Choose a time of low volume to drop off/pick up your child. Before 7:50 a.m. and after 3:15 p.m. are times of less congestion.
- Keep your time in the lane to a minimum by making sure:
- Children have belongings ready
- Pull up to the nearest vehicle, there should be no gaps
- Drop or load immediately when stopped
- If your child requires extra assistance, you must park your car
- Remind your child to come directly to your car when released from school
- When picking up your child, if you are waiting for an extended time, please move your car from the pick-up lane to a parking spot
- Be respectful of the directives given by the parking lot attendants
- Be respectful of the other drivers
To increase parking lot efficiency, the Academy has:
- Moved the student driver parking to the back of the building and designated this area with yellow parking lines
- Separated bus traffic from student drop off traffic
- Added additional training for parking lot attendants
- Implemented Silent Dismissal for grades K-5
Questions? Please contact Karen Conner, Operations Manager: kconner@eagleridgeacademy.org.
Student Driver Information
The application process for 2019-20 student parking permits is open to ERA sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Districts in the surrounding area typically charge $200-$360 for parking permits. With the growing demand for student parking and the need to maintain the parking lot, Eagle Ridge Academy will institute a fee of $55 per student for the 2019-20 school year. The cost of the parking permit will be reviewed every other year. Available parking for students in the Eagle Ridge Academy lot is limited to 70 spaces. The approximate $3800 in fees will support management of student parking as well as maintenance of the parking lot. Students needing to park for occasional days must ask for a daily permit in the front office prior to parking in the Eagle Ridge Academy parking lot. Parking permits will not be issued without a valid driver’s license. If your child still needs to apply for a parking permit, please take this opportunity to review the Student Parking Contract and submit the Student Parking Permit Form on the transportation page of the Eagle Ridge Academy website.
Questions? Please contact Mrs. P, Assistant Principal for the Schools of Logic & Rhetoric: romellep@eagleridgeacademy.org.