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Transportation

Morris Catholic’s Denville location makes the school accessible to many different towns and counties. While we work to provide transportation to all families, we have some limitations based on distance and the number of students attending from each area. Please read this page thoroughly for information on all of our transportation options.

Transportation Options

 

Do I receive aid in lieu (via the B6T form) from my town or possibly courtesy busing? What are the next steps?

  • The vast majority of students receive aid in lieu from their districts, which will help you to offset your transportation costs. You will need to check with your Board of Education if you have any questions. The aid in lieu amount in 2024/2025  was approximately $1165.

  • You will find the aid in lieu B6T form online with the registration information. This form must be printed and sent to MCHS, Attention: Mrs. Shannon Mizeski, 200 Morris Ave, Denville, NJ 07834 by March 7th. This form will be registered at Morris Catholic and then forwarded to your Board of Education. It is critical that your B6T form identifies your resident Board of Education, not your county. Typically this is the public high school that your child would have attended. Please call your Board of Education if you are not sure as the wrong Board of Ed designation will jeopardize your aid in lieu.  Aid in lieu is typically paid out in two installments for the year from your Board of Education.

  • Courtesy busing is also a local town decision. If your town provides courtesy busing for your child, you cannot receive aid in lieu nor MC bussing.

  • All students, regardless if you are taking the bus or train, need to fill out the transportation form on the registration portal.

 Costs 

All costs listed below are for 2024-2025 school year – as outlined in the Tuition & Fees document:

1. MCHS Train Shuttle (from the Denville Train Station) cost is $900.
In addition, NJ Transit discounts are available for students. Currently fares are 25% savings for high school students.  Please obtain the student ticket form from the train station. Fill out the top portion and bring the form to the main office at MCHS. We will stamp the pass with the school seal in order to obtain the discounted monthly pass. Students can also download the NJ transit app to their phone to purchase tickets, get transit alerts, and see real time departures. Visit the app store or google play to download for more information. You can find the B6T by visiting this link: B6T Form 

2. MCHS Busing options(round trip pricing) :

Zone 1= $2,900:

  • All of Morris County except:

    • Includes Hackettstown in Warren CountyIncludes  West Orange in Essex County

    • Includes Hopatcong in Sussex County 

    • Includes Wayne in Passaic County

    • Washington Township, Long Hill, Chester Township, Harding Township , parts of Jefferson Township 

  • Zone 2= $3,600 (Note: Zone 2 students can drive to a zone 1 location (our coordinator can help you with this location if you prefer to receive a reduced cost).

    • Chester (Morris County) 

    • Passaic County 

    • Essex County beyond West Orange 

  • Zone 3 – No pick up locations. Note: Zone 3 students can drive to a zone 1 or zone 2 location (our coordinator can help you with this location).

    • Sussex County (except Hopatcong – zone 1)

    • Warren County (except Hackettstown – zone 1)

    • All other counties

There is no option for a half year or one way service. 

All options require that a $500 non-refundable deposit be sent to the MCHS Tuition and Fees office by May 26, 2024. If you have not done so by this date, your name will not be considered for transportation or you will have to wait until after the freeze period to be considered.  Once you sign up for transportation, you are responsible for a full-year’s payment unless you notify us by July 20, 2024. Please note: Exceptions may be made under certain circumstances and can be discussed with the transportation dept. 

Busing is very expensive and the cost we receive from our students does not cover our transportation budget. Every student will need to be subsidized by MCHS.

When will I know where my pickup location (bus route) is?

  • All student addresses MUST be their pick up address, not their mailing address.

  • Not until we identify all possible bus/train riders (late registering students, transfers, international students), which typically does not get finalized until early to mid August.

  • We have to wait until all students are identified for the bus company to efficiently determine the bus routes. For example, if a late registering student is added after the route is decided, it can change the entire route and pick up times.

Can I carpool instead of using a bus/van?

  • Yes, we have lists of MCHS students from every town and are happy to share this information with families that request it. Recently, MC families have had a lot of success carpooling.

Who is the transportation coordinator at MCHS?

MCHS Transportation Coordinator – Shannon Mizeski

  • Email - smizeski@morriscatholic.org

  • Phone - (973) 627-6674 ext 104

What is the freeze period?

  • By July 20, 2024, you need to commit to taking the MCHS bus or train shuttle. Otherwise you will have to wait until after the freeze period to be considered.

  • Once the routes and times have been provided to you (mid to late August), any questions or concerns should be sent to the bus company for resolution.

  • Once the bus company assigns routes, there is a "freeze period" (no changes to routes) where we give the bus company the opportunity to smooth out the routing process until mid-September.

Bus schedules – regular and exceptions:

  • In the P.M., buses leave MC at 3:00 (except the train shuttle - around 2:50). 

  • Exceptions:

    • School delay due to snow/elements - the announced MC delay, is the same for the bus delay. E.g. If school is delayed 2 hours, then the bus schedule is delayed 2 hours.

    • Early dismissal due to weather/etc. – Buses will run 20 minutes after the time we are dismissed, as announced by our principal.

NOTE: Each year, the cost to transport a student to Morris Catholic is significantly more than any individual family’s transportation contribution.  Our subsidy is in line with Morris Catholic’s mission to provide an excellent, cost-effective, Catholic Education in the Diocese of Paterson.  With the rising costs of transportation (a nationwide challenge due to the bus driver shortage), we have implemented a zoning/cost system. With this system, families would incur an additional cost outside of our normal service area (see zoning structure).  We will continue to work towards reducing the cost associated with transportation, but this system allows us to provide the best service while minimizing Morris Catholic's transportation subsidy. We continue to encourage our families to consider the train and carpooling as a less expensive alternative to bus transportation. Please contact our transportation coordinator, Mrs. Shannon Mizeski, smizeski@morriscatholic.org or (973) 627-6674, ext.104, with any questions.