Bus
St. Mary’s County provides free bus transportation to St. John’s students who live in school boundaries. These boundaries are Esperanza Farms to the south, Friendship School Road to the north, and Brown Road to the west. Students are transported to and from school on County buses and must follow the bus regulations. A copy is given to the students at the beginning of each school year. The drivers are in control when the children board the buses. No child is to get off at any stop but his or her own unless parents filled out a transportation form and faxed it (or took it) to the transportation office 24 hours in advance. This needs to happen for any change in transportation, including getting off at a different bus stop or taking a different bus home with a friend etc. If your child needs to regularly ride a different bus on specific days (such as early dismissal days) please call the St. Mary’s County Non-Public School Bus Transportation Department at 301-863-8400, ext. 1124 in order to have your child assigned to the bus for those days. Also call the above number for information regarding buses or bus routes.

If needed, please print out the bus transportation form. View printable form here.

Car
Parents transporting students by car will pull up to the sidewalk in front of the building. (Please use the driveway going through the cemetery to get into the car line for drop off and pick up.) Students should exit cars from the passenger side only. They should not walk around or between vehicles. Do not allow students to stand at the back of a car, even to retrieve an item from the trunk. Only adults should retrieve items from the rear of cars. (Even this is not recommended because it unnecessarily delays the car line.) Please avoid escorting children across traffic lanes, as this forms unsafe habits. All parents, even those with Pre-K and Kindergarten students, are asked to follow your normal routine from the first day of school. If your child will ride the bus, please put him/her on the bus. If you need to park and escort your child into school, please use the spaces on the north side of the church whenever possible. Avoid using parking spaces alongside the shrine when bus pick-up and drop-off are in progress. The buses need a wide radius for turning. The laws for obeying flashing lights on buses are the same in the parking lot as they are on the highway. If buses are present, wait until they have off loaded and pulled away before moving forward and allowing your child to exit. Parents are asked to model safe practices for the children. Please take the time to move slowly and safely for the protection of everyone.