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  • Hopper Transportation Program

    Georgetown Day School offers a variety of transportation options for Pre-K–12 students to help
    our busy families around the Washington, DC metropolitan area navigate between two
    distinct campuses.

    The 2019-20 school year will bring some exciting changes to the Hopper Transportation Program as we prepare for school and campus unification in 2020-21.

    As part of our LMS building development agreement with the Board of Zoning Adjustment, the ANC, and the Tenleytown neighborhood, GDS has committed to decreasing our overall car trips to campus. GDS has a robust plan for meeting those commitments, which includes: shuttle buses to campus, carpooling, incentivizing and encouraging walking and biking to campus, and public transportation.
     
    These changes are good for the quality of life on the unified GDS campus, good for you (and your car)—and good for the planet, minimizing our carbon footprint. Check out an overview of next year’s transportation offerings.

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  • Free Buses

    Buses will be available to and from our campuses to points around the DMV.
    Morning Buses to Lower/Middle School
    • HOPPER EXPRESS – Picks up at High School, goes to Lower/Middle School
    • TAKOMA – DC ROUTE – Picks up at Takoma Metro, Carter Barron, and Guy Mason
    • BETHESDA ROUTE – Picks up at Glen Echo, Bethesda Pool, and Walhonding at Sangamore
    • VIRGINIA ROUTE – Picks up at Linway Terrace Park and Madison Community Center
    • SOUTHEAST ROUTE – Picks up at Branch Ave & Pennsylvania Ave. intersections and Eastern Market
    • CENTRAL PRINCE GEORGE’S ROUTE – Picks up at Largo Town Center Metro, Landover Rd. (202) and Route 50 intersection, and Florida Ave. and Rhode Island Ave. intersection
    Morning Shuttle to High School
    • HIGH SCHOOL EXPRESS – Picks up at Linway Terrace Park, Madison Community Center and Lower/Middle School
    Afternoon Shuttle from Lower/Middle School
    • HOP2IT – Leaves Lower/Middle School to Bethesda Pool
    In our continuing effort to be environmentally responsible and to make life a little easier for our families, GDS offers several morning transportation options, including two intercampus morning buses, as well as the Hop2It bus service in the afternoons to the Bethesda Pool. The most up-to-date bus information, including stops and pick-up and drop-off times, is available on the parent resource board GDS Buses.

    Please note that additional routes, including afternoon routes, will be added for the 2020-21 school year. 

    GDS BUS SERVICE REGISTRATION
    While bus service will be free for the 2019-20 school year, registration for buses is required to ensure a seat on the bus. Registration for buses will be available on SchoolPass starting in August. Families who set their default arrival information to the bus will get priority in ridership. Families are requested to change their SchoolPass status when their child will not be riding to enable other children to ride as drop-ins. If the bus is full and your child is registered for a bus on a specific day of the week but does not show up for three consecutive weeks, we reserve the right to charge you and will contact you about changing your child’s registration status to enable other students to ride in your child’s place.

    DROP-IN RIDERSHIP
    Because there are a limited number of seats available on each bus, drop-in ridership is not a guarantee. If seats are available, drop-ins may be reserved at no charge through SchoolPass. If space allows, for morning busses only, we may allow an unregistered child to ride the bus and be manually registered, for which a drop-in fee will be charged. The first unregistered drop-in ride, will be allowed at no cost. The second will incur a fee of $15, the third a fee of $30, the fourth a fee of $60, and a fee of $90 for every subsequent unregistered drop-in on the bus. Play dates must also register as a drop-in for the bus.

    EXPECTATIONS FOR MORNING BUS ROUTES
    GDS expects that a parents or other authorized adult will be present at drop-off until the child is on the bus. GDS does not take any responsibility for children left unattended at bus stops until the bus has arrived and the student has entered the bus. It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to ensure the safety of their child until that point.

    DELAYED OPENINGS AND INCLEMENT WEATHER
    In case of a delayed opening, the Morning buses will often still run on the same delay as the school; however, please check the website for details and specific times as this may vary depending on the reason for the delay.
     
    BUS RULES
    Each bus route may have specific rules related to pick up and drop-off locations. 

    In addition, the following rules and procedures relate to riding all GDS busses. We appreciate your talking through these rules as a family and ensuring that you and your children understand and agree to follow them. This is both for safety reasons and to ensure that your child gets on the bus and that the bus departs on time. Students must behave in accordance with the School’s community guidelines (including showing care, respect, and responsibility at all times). In addition, all rules that apply to students on any other trip apply on morning and afternoon bus routes.
    • NO FOOD OR DRINK may be consumed on the bus ( exception: bottled water).
    • Remain seated, facing forward at all times.
    • Follow the instructions of the bus driver and/or the bus chaperone the first time they are given.
    • Use “indoor voices.”
    • Nothing goes out the bus windows—arms, legs, voices, trash, etc.
    • No running near or climbing under the buses. If something is dropped next or under the bus, notify an adult who will get it.
    Should students be unable to follow the guidelines listed above, they will be given three warnings, with parents informed as needed. Following the third warning, children may temporarily or permanently lose the privilege of riding the bus, with no refunds given.

    HOP2IT SPECIFIC RULES
    Students riding the Hop2It bus:
    • Should report to the assigned classroom immediately after the bell rings where they will be checked in for the bus.
    • Must remain in the assigned classroom except to walk with the assigned teacher to the bus.
    • May do their homework or engage in seated games while waiting for the bus.
    Hop2It parents should be aware of the following:
    • As part of carpool, students will wait approximately 20 minutes from the second bell dismissal before boarding the bus. The bus leaves promptly at 3:40 pm (cell phone time).
    • The Hop2It bus cannot wait for delayed MS athletics buses to return to campus.
    • If you are running late, please call LMS Reception at 202-295-6200 with an estimated arrival time. The bus will wait at the Bethesda pool parking lot until 4:10 p.m. (3:10 p.m. on Wednesdays). Students not picked up by this time will be brought back to the LMS and charged a drop-in fee.

  • Carpool

    Do you want to lighten your burden of driving your student  to school and activities daily? Joining a carpool can be a  great way to reduce the amount of time you spend driving,  while sharing the costs of fuel with others. There are also other advantages like decreasing traffic in school parking lots and providing extra social time for children.

    GDS will be offering personalized carpool matching including scheduled meet and greets in your community this fall. 

    Busy trying to coordinate after-school activities and transportation? Don’t worry! GDS has created an online forum to assist you in connecting with other GDS families seeking to form after-school carpools. We know that planning your kid(s) transportation to and from school can be time consuming, especially when after-school activities are in the mix. Our hope is that this forum will simplify your afternoons by allowing you to connect with a large pool of GDS parents, all in one place.

    Register at the LMS your carpool and approved drivers through SchoolPass at gds.school-pass.net. Coming to the HS in 2020-21!

  • Public Transit

    DC Students 
    Kids Ride Free CardsStudents living within the District are eligible for WMATAs Kids Ride Free (KRF) cards, which allow students to ride for free on Metrobus, the DC Circulator, and Metrorail within the District to get to school and school-related activities. To request your sub

    Details are online at https://ddot.dc.gov/page/ school-transit-subsidy-program. 

    MD and VA Students – Transit Subsidies
    GDS provides subsidized SmarTrip cards to students residing in Maryland and Virginia. To request your subsidized SmarTrip card visit the parent resource board for more information. 

  • Bicycle

    GDS is dedicated to being a bike-friendly destination for students who choose to bike to campus.  

    • Bike racks are available at both Lower/Middle School and High School.

    • A new bike repair station will be installed at the high school this fall.

    • Bicycle safety training courses coming this fall – stay tuned!

    Indicate that your child will be walking/biking by selecting this as your arrival/dismissal default in SchoolPass at gds.school-pass.net.

  • Walking

    GDS is committed to increasing the number of students walking to school safely.

    • Walking group meet & greets coming this fall – stay tuned!
    • Safety training classes in the fall for all students walking to school.

    Research shows that walking to school can both improve student health by cultivating early physical activity habits and reduce driving and traffic congestion aound schools, leading to better air quality and improving academic  performance, self-confidence, and independence among children.

    Indicate that your child will be walking/biking by selecting this as your arrival/dismissal default in SchoolPass at gds.school-pass.net.

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  • Save Time with SchoolPass

    • Shuttle Enrollment and Changes - Use SchoolPass to register for shuttles and make changes to your daily travel routines.
    • Reduced Time Managing Dismissal Changes - When families use SchoolPass to share changes to students’ daily routines, that information is automatically shared with appropriate staff and faculty.
    • Faster Afternoon Carlines - 100% participation results in faster carlines. Families share license plate information with GDS. SchoolPass then recognizes the car in carpool and alerts faculty to whose rides have arrived so that we may more quickly help children into cars during afternoon carpool.
    • A Safer Campus - The school is alerted immediately to any unknown-to-GDS or non-approved vehicle on campus. This adds an additional level of security for the students, faculty, and staff.

  • Questions?

    Email improvemycommute@gds.org.

  • Next Steps

    In July, registered families will receive personalized communications about their transportation options to and from campus. Families will also receive a comprehensive transportation package via mail in early August.

LOWER/MIDDLE SCHOOL

4530 MacArthur Boulevard, NW, Washington, DC 20007

HIGH SCHOOL

4200 Davenport Street, NW, Washington, DC 20016


Georgetown Day School is a coed, preK-12, non-sectarian private school in Washington, DC with small class sizes and a diverse school community. Our comprehensive, innovative curriculum includes hands-on learning, honors and AP classes, as well as advanced-level math and STEM courses. An education is not just college prep and SAT scores. GDS teachers focus on providing the best education for each child, from elementary grades through high school. The school performing arts program includes theater, dance, and music. The athletics program offers competitive sports for student athletes, including cross-country, track, soccer, lacrosse, and crew/rowing. With our strong commitment to financial aid, an independent school tuition is affordable.