Transportation

Students come from all over the tri-state area to attend The Windward School. Each May, incoming families are paired with a current Windward family mentor to help navigate attending a new school. Additionally, incoming families are invited to a special portal that includes a directory of incoming and current families so that our new families have resources to use to coordinate playdates, car pools, and more.

Below is some basic transportation info. More information is shared at the New Family Welcomes for parents/guardians in May.

Transportation to and from school is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. Windward does not provide bus service or car service. Additionally, supervision of students on buses or cars is the responsibility of the transportation provider.

Westchester Transportation
Manhattan Transportation

Westchester Transportation

Students arrive to our Westchester campuses via car and bus.

For bus services: Parents/guardians must request transportation services in writing every year by April 1 directly to public school authorities.

In late May, The Windward School sends all families a form to share how their student will be arriving and departing from The Windward School. This is not to be confused with the request families must make to their local school board by April 1 for bus transportation. School forms are always available for current families in the myWindward Portal > Forms.

Manhattan Transportation

Students arrive by car, bus, subway, and walk to our Manhattan campuses. In late May, The Windward School will share the information below and request that families inform the School of how their child will be arriving and departing campus. For Grades 7 and 8, the option for self-dismissal is available.

For DOE Transportation Info

The New York City Department of Education’s Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT) offers three free options regarding your child’s transportation to and from school based on specific criteria for eligibility. The Windward School’s OPT Code is 0 2 0 3 8.

(1) Door-to-Door Bus Transportation: Your child may be eligible for Door-to-Door busing if it is indicated on their IESP or IEP. Parents/guardians work directly with the Windward CSE Liaison serving their district to arrange Door-to-Door busing for their child.

(2) Stop-to-School Transportation (Grades 1-6): If the student is eligible and within the distance allowance set by the OPT, a bus stop will be assigned for your child. Please visit here for specific details. The bus routes are determined by the OPT. The location of bus stops, time of morning pick-up and afternoon drop-off are not negotiable. After review, if the OPT determines that the Windward student does NOT meet the criteria for Stop-to-School Transportation, students may be deemed eligible to receive a MetroCard. We suggest signing up, and if you change your mind later, you can cancel.

(3) MetroCards: The OPT has firm guidelines regarding student eligibility to receive MetroCards. Please visit here for specific details. Students who are eligible will receive either a half-fare or full-fare metro-card distributed twice yearly in September and February. Eligibility is determined by the student’s grade level and the distance between the student’s residence and school. All eligible students in grades 7 & 8 will receive a Metrocard.

OPT will notify The Windward School about Stop-to-School Transportation or MetroCard eligibility in mid-July of the upcoming school year. Students are not eligible for Stop-to-School service or MetroCards if their home address is outside of NYC or if the distance between the residence and the School does not warrant transportation.

For more transportation information, please contact Ms. Laura Monardo at lmonardo@thewindwardschool.org.