F. Transportation

Middle School 2022-2023

F. Transportation

It is the Academy’s policy that students may only use licensed taxi and car services. Students are not permitted to access or use rideshares (e.g., Uber, Lyft, Via) for transportation to/from campus unless they are 18 years or older and the school has received a signed Rideshare Permission Form.

If a student is 18 and they have a younger sibling attending WMA, the younger sibling may accompany the older sibling in the car, provided the younger sibling also submitted a Rideshare Permission Form.

Any parent who wishes for their child to be allowed to use a rideshare service in accordance with WMA policy must complete the Rideshare Permission Form, which must be on file in the Deans Office before a student will be allowed to use this service. The permission form can be found on the Parent Portal at www.wma.us/parents. Drivers should be instructed to pick students up outside of their dorm.

School Provided Transportation

At times when students are required to leave the Academy - fall, winter, spring and summer vacations, the Deans Office arranges transportation to and from ONLY the following locations.

• Peter Pan/Greyhound Bus Station, Springfield, Massachusetts. • Amtrak Train Station, Springfield, Massachusetts. • Bradley International Airport, Hartford, Connecticut • Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts

*Families should contact the Dean of Residential Life to arrange pickup/drop-off for students traveling as unaccompanied minors and provide the student’s travel information.

Middle School 2022-2023

Transportation Signup Process

Students are required to sign up for transportation through the Deans Office. Shuttles to/ from the Academy are scheduled utilizing travel forms that are submitted to the Deans Office on time. In addition, shuttles are planned to accommodate the most students in the fewest number of trips. It is the responsibility of the parents/guardians and students to notify the Deans Office of any changes in travel plans (i.e., canceled or missed flights, illness, etc.). Students who fail to notify the Deans Office of changes may face disciplinary consequences.

School provided transportation is not possible between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Parents/guardians and students are expected to set up their own arrangements at these times.

Transportation Permission & Schedule

Trips for athletics, academics or recreational activities are an integral part of the Academy’s program. All students are granted permission to ride with WMA faculty drivers or adult drivers authorized by the school. Students may not ride in vehicles driven by other students and may not take public transportation unless their parents/guardians have authorized permission with the school. If students have questions about their transportation authorization, they should contact the Deans Office.

Boarding students must always have permission from the Deans Office or a dorm parent in order to ride in any vehicle on or off campus. Boarding students are not allowed to sit in a day student’s car, even when the car is parked. Boarding students may ride with parents/guardians of day students with permission from their parent/guardian and the Deans Office. To travel off campus, boarding students must also abide by the dorm sign out/in process.