Commuter Guide to Vashon Island Schools

Welcome to the Vashon Island School District. We are honored that you have selected our district to continue your education. This Web page was created by a parent of commuting students in cooperation with the district. If you have any questions, be sure to let us assist you. Welcome to Vashon!

Susan Hanson, Principal
Vashon Island High School

Contact numbers

Vashon Island High School

206-463-9171
Dial extension 411 or 0 for excuses, dismissals or, if there is a ferry delay, to arrange transportation from ferry dock to school.
206-463-1944 (fax)

McMurray Middle School

206-463-9168
Dial extension 0 for excuses, dismissals, or to arrange transportation from ferry dock to school.
206-463-9707 (fax)

School District

206-463-2121
206-463-6262 (fax)
206-463-2525 (bus garage)

Ferry information

Tickets
Students usually buy a monthly pass online ($54.80 for unlimited trips) or a commuter book of passenger-only tickets ($33.60 for ten round-trip rides) from the tollbooths at Southworth or Fauntleroy. Prices are as of 5/1/06. There are no ticket sales at the Vashon terminal. Passenger tickets are collected – whether in a vehicle or on foot – from Fauntleroy passengers as they board the boat and from Southworth passengers as they disembark from the ferry to the Vashon dock. Car/driver commuter books are $115.20 for ten round-trip rides (there are currently no monthly car/driver passes) and tickets are collected at the tollbooth or on the dock at Southworth and Fauntleroy, before boarding the ferry to Vashon. No tickets are collected when leaving Vashon Island. Students may park their cars overnight in the parking lot above the ferry dock.

Note: The ferry system is preparing to launch a new ticketing and pass system ("Wave2Go") so this information will be changing. For more information, check the Wave2Go page on the WSF Web site.

Schedule
All times below are from the fall 2006 schedule, effective through January 6, 2007. The core commute times don't often change with new schedules, but for updated ferry information, check the WSF Web site.

Morning
Southworth students take the 6:40 ferry and Fauntleroy students take the 6:45 ferry. Two school buses are on the Vashon dock to meet the ferries and depart the dock for school after students from both ferries have boarded.

Afternoon
Immediately after school, the school bus takes students from McMurray and Vashon High School to the ferry dock. Commuter students wait on the dock until their respective ferries depart: Fauntleroy students take the 3:25 and Southworth students take the 3:30.

On early-release days students are dismissed early enough that the buses arrive on the dock in time to catch the 10:45 ferry to Southworth and the 10:30 ferry to Fauntleroy.

Ferry delays
If a morning ferry is delayed for any reason and the school bus is not waiting on the dock, students should call their school to let them know that they are waiting on the ferry dock. There are pay phones on the dock and some students carry cell phones. High school students should call 206-463-9171, ext. 411 or 0. Middle school students should call 206-463-9168, ext. 0. The schools will arrange for a school vehicle to pick up the students and bring them to their school.

Students who arrive at school late due to ferry or school transportation delays are not marked tardy. If a student is late for any other reason (missed the ferry, doctor appointment, etc.), parents or guardians are responsible for arranging transportation for their children to school. A Metro bus meets many ferries originating from Fauntleroy on the Vashon dock throughout the day, but check the schedule for specific times.

Ferry information
The WSF Web site has a wealth of information. E-mail Alerts (you must create a WSF account to receive them) are messages sent to you whenever there are delays, emergency schedule changes, traffic situations that might affect the ferries, etc. Vessel Watch uses the GPS units on the boats to show you where they are on the route. At the dock but the 3:25 ferry is nowhere in site? Call home and have someone look at Vessel Watch to find out exactly where the boat is (updated every three minutes).

Behavior
Because of increased security concerns, it's important for commuter students to comply with requests from WSF staff. Ferry employees and hundreds of commuters see commuter students as representatives of Vashon Island schools. It is important that students’ behavior on the ferry and in the terminals reflect the positive contributions they make to Vashon schools. WSF can, at its discretion, refuse passage to any passenger. You can't go to school on Vashon if you can't ride the ferry.

Buses

School bus
In the morning two school buses, one for McMurray and one for Vashon High School, pick up students on the Vashon dock. The buses wait for both the Fauntleroy and Southworth ferries to arrive. In the afternoon students board the buses bound or the ferry dock at their respective schools.

Metro bus
If students arrive late or stay after school, Metro buses 118 and 119 leave the Vashon dock at regular intervals. There is a bus stop just south of the Vashon Highway entrance to the high school (outside the staff parking lot and across from the Park and Ride – you’ll see the sign). On the Metro schedule the stop is between the SW Ellisport and SW Bank stops so you can use those times as a guide. The nearest bus stop for McMurray students is in front of McFeeds on the southeast corner of Vashon Highway and Cemetery Road. Bus fare is collected when boarding the bus: The fare for students is .50 and exact change is required. McMurray and Vashon High School offices have bus and ferry schedules and can help students decide which bus to take to catch a particular ferry. Metro schedules are available at ferry terminals. General information about Metro is available at their Web site, and a timetable and route map of Metro bus routes on Vashon Island is available here.

Adverse weather

Adverse weather conditions can cause school to be one or two hours late, but the ferries don’t sail at one-hour intervals. If a school delay is broadcast on radio and TV stations, students should catch the next available ferry closest to the length of the delay. For example, as of the winter 2006 schedule, Southworth students would catch the 7:55 ferry if school were one hour late, or the 8:20 if it were two hours late. Fauntleroy students would catch the 7:05 or the 8:25. It’s a good idea to call the school to let them know when students will be arriving at the Vashon dock so they can ensure transportation to school. A broadcast notice of “Limited Bus Transportation” does not affect the route of the school bus that transports commuter students. Refer to the school district’s Emergency Transportation Info (scroll down to the Student Related section) for more information.

Driver’s education

Currently, driver’s ed is offered through the Vashon Island school district in the evening. There are limited spaces available (with a long waiting list), and enrollment is based on birthday and postmark of registration. Most commuter (and many resident) students choose to take driver’s ed from a local, private driving school closer to their homes.

Running Start

Running Start is a statewide program that allows high school juniors and seniors to enroll in courses at a community college and receive high school and college credits simultaneously. Students pay for books, fees, and transportation, but not for tuition. Any high school student may enroll at any community college in the state, but nonresident students who choose to enroll in Running Start must do so through their home district. Seattle Central Community College has a helpful Web page that outlines the Running Start program. Contact Vashon High School for more Running Start information.

School hours

Vashon Island High School begins at 7:35 and ends at 2:25, with dismissal on early release days at 10:10 (10:40 for noncommuters).

McMurray Middle School begins at 7:40 and ends at 2:10; early dismissal is at 10:30 (commuter students excused earlier to make the 10:30 ferry).

School news and information

School newsletters are available online and by mail (mailed by request only) and contain important and timely information about activities, events, and deadlines. Subscribe to school mailing lists by going to the district Web site (Subscribe To Our Mailing Lists on the left) You’ll also receive the quarterly school district Report Card to Parents.

Emergencies

It’s helpful to have a contact person on Vashon Island in case of emergency or if school is closed early for weather reasons. Midday ferry departures from Vashon can be up to two hours apart.

After school activities and events

McMurray Middle School and Vashon Island High School offer students many opportunities to participate in drama, music, study, sports, and other extracurricular activities. Commuter students are equal members of their respective student bodies and are encouraged to participate in any of these enriching activities. For activities schedules, check the VHS and McMurray Web sites or call either school.

Continued enrollment

Each year, out-of-district students need to get a release from their home district and reapply to the Vashon school district. Students who maintain academic progress and are free of truancies or disruptive behavior are accepted for the next school year. This procedure is usually completed soon after the first of the year preceding the next academic year. The Nonresident Student Application form is available online (scroll down to the Student Related section) and in the main office of each school.

Related links

Vashon School District

Vashon Island High School

McMurray Middle School

Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber (local newspaper)

Vashon-Maury Island Chamber of Commerce

Commuter Guide to Vashon Island Schools