Eastchester families will learn the week of Monday, August 3, whether their children still qualify for school bus service after voters approved new distance requirements in June.

The Eastchester Union Free School District began mailing bus transportation eligibility letters on Friday, July 31, according to a message from Superintendent Dr. Alison Villanueva posted the same day. Letters should arrive in mailboxes the week of August 3, with a digital copy also going out through ParentSquare.

The stakes are real. The letters reflect eligibility changes that took effect July 1 after Eastchester voters approved Proposition 2 on Tuesday, June 16, by a vote of 1,715 to 1,272. Under the new rules, K–5 students must live at least one mile from their school to ride the bus, up from a quarter-mile for kindergarten and first grade and four-tenths of a mile for grades 2–5.

Students in grades 6–12 must now live at least 1.5 miles away, up from 0.8 mile. The district projected the change would save $1,927,184 annually in transportation costs.

Families with questions about their eligibility status or who want to opt out of bus service can contact Transportation Supervisor Kristene Reichard at [email protected].

Early drop-off pilot starts in September

Anticipating more car traffic at school campuses, the district is also launching a pilot program at Waverly, Anne Hutchinson, and Greenvale elementary schools for the first month of the 2026-2027 school year.

Parents will be able to drop children off up to 25 minutes before the bell and pick them up 25 minutes after dismissal. Students will be supervised in the school gym during those windows.

Dr. Villanueva said the pilot responds to family feedback and will be evaluated throughout September to determine whether it continues for the rest of the year. It does not replace Right at School childcare; families needing more than 25 minutes of before- or after-school coverage should continue using that program.

Traffic pattern coordination with town

The eligibility letters and drop-off pilot come alongside a broader effort to redesign traffic flow near school campuses. As we reported July 30, the school board approved new traffic and parking lot patterns at Eastchester High School, Waverly School, and Greenvale School on Wednesday, July 29.

"As we prepare for the school year, the EUFSD is actively engaging with our partners in the Town of Eastchester, including Eastchester's Highway and Police Departments, to make improvements that will address some of the questions surrounding new traffic patterns," Dr. Villanueva wrote in her July 31 message.

Building administrators will share school-specific arrival and dismissal plans in August "Welcome Back" newsletters. Additional staff supervision will be in place when school begins to direct traffic.

Parents of students in grades 2–5 at Anne Hutchinson and Greenvale will also receive a permission form allowing their child to walk home unaccompanied.

Lincoln Academy, at 11 Woodlot Road, offers before-and-after school care with bus service to Waverly and Greenvale students; 20 spots remained available as of Friday, July 31.

The school board's next scheduled meetings are a retreat on Wednesday, August 26, and a regular meeting on Tuesday, September 15.