Transportation FAQ

Contact your home school district’s transportation office regarding its specific policy on busing to independent schools.

The deadline for requesting bus transportation through your home school district is April 1.

The Lower School day begins at 8:20 a.m. All buses must arrive by 8:10 a.m. The school day ends at 3:30 p.m., and buses are typically released 10 minutes after dismissal.

Middle and High School students typically ride the same morning buses and must arrive by 8:00 a.m. Middle School dismisses at 3:30 p.m. and the High School at 4:20 p.m. Buses are typically released 10 minutes after each dismissal. On the routes where Middle and High School students ride together in the afternoon, buses will depart after the High School dismissal.

The 6:30 p.m. late bus is offered for Upper School students who are registered for round trip or an afternoon route serving Connecticut, New Jersey, Riverdale, New Rochelle, White Plains, NYC, and Rockland. Late bus vehicles will continue to run only as needed and based on email notification from a parent or guardian to the school to transportation@leffellschool.org no later than noon each day. The 6:30 p.m. vehicles and vehicle sizes are ordered daily based on the registrations received: if no registrations for a particular route are received by noon, the vehicle for that particular route will not operate that day. Please note that there is a $30 fee for students who are registered to take the late bus on a particular day but do not utilize it, for students who notify us about use of the late bus after 12:00 p.m., and for students who board the late bus without a registration. Accrued late bus fees will be charged monthly to your FACTS account.

The cost for one-way transportation is 60% of the round-trip fee.

The total cost of transportation has been pro-rated for the duration of their participation in Lev v'Nefesh and in accordance with their schedule after their return. No other special arrangements will be accommodated.

All transportation fees will be processed through the FACTS system on the same day of the month that you selected for your tuition payment.

The following payment options are available:
Single Payment – July
Two Payments – July and December
Ten Payments – July through April

Any requests for credits for transportation fees will be honored through September 30, 2024. Beginning on September 13, a $500 cancellation fee (per student) will be deducted from credits and applied toward part of the cost of buses/vehicles that are contracted based on initial registration. Transportation companies are unable to decrease the size of a vehicle after a contract has been signed for the year, and the school incurs the full cost based upon the number of students who are originally registered to use that vehicle.

We will accommodate playdates on certain private bus routes as long as they are in accordance with the bus company policies and are subject to seat availability. All requests for play dates must be emailed to transportation@leffellschool.org at least 24 hours in advance to avoid confusion and to allow us time to coordinate the playdates with the bus companies and receive the necessary approval from the parents.

Please check with your school district to see if they allow playdates.

You will receive an email with your child’s final route in mid August.

An adult assigned by the student's family should be waiting for Lower School students when they get off the bus. Please let transportation know if someone other than the parent will be meeting the child when the bus arrives. If the adult is not present, the bus company and/or the school will try to reach the parent. If an adult is unable to meet the child at the bus, the child will be returned to school.

If you have any transportation-related questions or concerns, please contact Deanna Koski at 914-948-8333 ext. 8225 or email transportation@leffellschool.org.

No-Fault Notice For Families Participating in Leffell Private Transportation Program
RE: Bus Incidents and Accidents

Parents and Guardians:

If your child received medical attention and/or treatment because of a school bus incident or accident, you need to protect your rights under the New York no-fault law. [Regulation 68]. First, you must file a claim through your Family Auto Policy, if any, and not with the school district or any school bus transportation contractor hired by the district. For information on the law, see below. The no-fault law only allows you to present your claim to your auto carrier for a limited period, currently 30-days from the date of the accident. It is important to protect your rights and you may want to notify your insurance company or agent in writing as soon as possible that a claim may be forthcoming. If no parent or guardian of the student living in your household has an automobile insurance policy, you should notify the District’s Superintendent of Schools immediately. File your insurance company notice immediately even if you have not received a bill from a medical provider such as an ambulance company, hospital, or doctor. If you have additional questions regarding this notice, please call your family insurance agent or company. NOTE: Regulation 68 the New York Comprehensive Reparations Act [a/k/a the No Fault Law] provides that benefits to an injured person are payable by the vehicle involved EXCEPT AS FOLLOWS: §65.12[d] any person in New York State while occupying an insured motor vehicle which is a bus or school bus, as defined in §104 and §142 of the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law, but only if such person is a named insured or relative under any other policy providing the coverage required by the New York comprehensive Reparations Act; however, this exclusion does not apply to the operator, or owner, or an employee of such bus or school bus; Coverage for any child injured while a passenger in or on a bus or school bus, is found under the parent or guardian's automobile policy. This applies to any individual while a passenger on a bus or school bus unless they are not specifically covered (e.g., employees of the bus’s owner… such as the bus driver).