private school transportation at SCH Academy

The following public school districts will bus students who are in grades K-12 and live within a 10-mile radius of SCH: Abington, Cheltenham, Colonial, Hatboro-Horsham, Haverford, Lower Merion, Lower Moreland, Norristown Area, Radnor, Springfield (Montco), Upper Dublin, Upper Merion, Upper Moreland, Wissahickon.

If you live in Philadelphia, eligibility is based on mileage, grade level of student, and location. Bus transportation is typically provided for students in 1st through 6th grade who live 1.5 to 10 miles from SCH. Students in 7th through 12th grade who live 1.5 to 10 miles from SCH are eligible for free Student TransPass for multiple bus, subway, or trolley lines (not valid for SEPTA Regional Rail, although they may be exchanged for a discounted weekday train pass). Additionally, if you live in select, downtown sections of Philadelphia, see our City SCHuttle option for downtown transit opportunities. 

Located on Willow Grove Avenue in Chestnut Hill, SCH is within walking distance for older students who choose to take SEPTA buses or trains to and from school. 

• Bus: The closest bus stop (Germantown & Willow Grove Avenues) is about a 10-12 minute walk to/from campus.
• Train: Chestnut Hill West Line—serving Mt. Airy, Germantown, and Center City—with a stop at St. Martin’s Station is about a 5-8 minute/one block walk to/from the school. PLEASE NOTE: CHW line offers a new schedule (PDF). Please refer to the SEPTA St. Martins stop for regional rail information. 

Monthly SEPTA TransPasses are available for students who qualify (application/form must be filled out). These passes may be used on the SEPTA buses at no charge or exchanged at the Regional Rail for a discounted weekday train pass.

Questions about District Busing, the Flat Rate Program and the Public School District Bus Transportation Request form may be directed to: Carol Allison, Transportation Coordinator; email callison@sch.org or call 215-754-1602.

SCH parents enjoy access to a dynamic online student/parent directory that enables them to identify other SCH families in their neighborhood for the purpose of carpooling. Once signing enrollment, we'd be happy to show you how to find SCH your neighbors in mySCH, our parent/student portal. 

SCH is pleased to offer our families a SCHuttle option for those students living in Center City, Philadelphia. 

Transportation will be provided by Kid Ridez, a safe, honest, and reliable driving service with multiple safety protocols to give families peace of mind—real-time tracking, phone notifications, certified drivers, and more. They will run pick-up and drop-off from four hubstops in the city. Hubstops will be customized once we learn the addresses of those families interested in the service and designed to service the greatest number of families possible while attempting to mitigate en-route ride time.

Fast Facts about the SCHuttle:

• Zip Codes: The SCHuttle will serve SCH students in grades Pre-K - 12 living in zip codes: 19103, 19106, 19107, 19123, 19130, 19146, and 19147 (additional zip codes may be considered, please contact our transportation coordinator).
• Hubstops: Drop-off and Pick-up will be located at up to four (4) Center City “Hubstops” (find out where here). 
• Times: SCHuttle arrives at SCH daily by 7:50 AM | Departs SCH daily at 4:30 PM; one-way options are now available.
• SCHuttle Home Base: The SCHuttle will arrive and depart from SCH’s main Cherokee Parking Lot (drop-offs or pick-ups will not be honored at any other campus location).
• Round-trip or One-way: Families may select multi-travel options. One-way fare is 50% off the roundtrip fee.
• Free Care for Afternoon Riders: Lower School and Middle School students not engaged in after school activities will be provided a monitored and engaging space from dismissal time until SCHuttle's departure at 4:30 PM.
• Incentive for SCHuttle Families: The Philadelphia School District offers enrollment in the “Flat Rate Program” which reimburses parents up to $300.00 a month for providing their own transportation. Your participation in the SCHuttle renders you eligible to enroll in this program if your students are entering grades 1-6 ONLY. To enroll, select the Flat Rate option in this Public School District Bus Transportation Request Form.

• Deadlines: The SCHuttle service is offered on a first-come, first-served basis with preference to students needing round-trip transportation. One-way enrollment will be assigned after June 1, if available, also on a first come-first served basis. (Please do not hesitate to submit your agreement even if you only require one-way transportation as the agreement submissions are time stamped.) Late enrollments, received after June 1, 2024, will be accepted only if space is available. Enrollment priority is given to Lower School, Prek and K students.

Questions? Please refer to our SCHuttle page here or contact: 
Carol Allison, Transportation Coordinator; email callison@sch.org or call 215-754-1602.