According to Transportation Director John Flynn, Fountain Hills Unified School District has changed things up quite a bit with this year’s bus routes, but a new online tool should make it easier than ever for parents to get their kids to and from school.

For starters, you can find the 2017-18 bus route in this week’s edition of The Times. It’s also available with pick-up and drop-off times at fountainhillsschools.org/transportation.

If you’re used to looking at previous bus routes, you’ll notice some changes right off the bat this time around. Routes are listed in zones, for instance, grouping the town into more manageable sections. Pick up spots may have shifted around in certain areas and, due to Four Peaks Elementary School being absorbed into the Middle School, some pick-up times have changed.

More importantly, though, Flynn said he’s excited for parents to get to use the district’s new routing tool, which should be live on the website listed above as of this printing. In short, parents can simply plug in their address and see exactly where the closest pick-up spots are for their kids, along with pick-up and drop-off times.

“The route names will be familiar to everybody and are generally located in the same geographical areas they’ve been in the past,” Flynn added. “But in terms of the actual routes, stops, pick-up and drop-off times, they have changed entirely.

“It’s really critical that people understand that and take the time to look that information up.”

For those living in areas not near a route, Flynn said they will receive information about how to get their kid added to a “sweep route,” extra buses that pick up students on the fringe of town. Also, parents with students with special needs need to contact the District Office directly at 480-664-5000.

As in years past, pre-school students, students who need to travel between schools and students who need to go to and from the local Boys & Girls Club will be accommodated.

For additional questions, Flynn can be reached directly at 480-664-5310 or by email at jflynn@fhusd.org.