25-26 Fall Transportation Plans for Fruitland Elementary

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we complete the parking lot construction at Fruitland Elementary. We would like to provide you with important transportation information for the upcoming school year, as students may come to school in one of four ways: via school bus, personal driver, as a walker, or through the Right-At-School before/after school care program.

Bus Riders

Please ensure that you have downloaded the new Stopfinder app to access your child’s bus stop location information. 

In addition to providing bus route information, the Stopfinder app will allow you to track your child's bus in real-time beginning on the first day of school. Boarding and exiting notifications will be available when students begin using their scannable card in October. 

Learn more information about the Stopfinder transition.

Family Drivers

Pick-up and drop-off will not be available onsite for the first few months of the 2025-26 school year. During this time, if you choose to drop off or pick up your child from school, please plan to do so at the designated temporary location, Kessler Center, located at 1501 39th Ave SW in Puyallup.

Parent Pick-Up/Drop-Off Schedule at Kessler Center

• A.M. Student Drop-off (Buses 429 and 430)
  • 7:40 a.m. (8:40 a.m. on Mondays) - Buses load at the Kessler Center
  • 7:45 a.m. - Buses leave the Kessler Center
  • 7:55 a.m. - Students arrive at Fruitland
     
• P.M. Student Pick-up (Buses 429 and 430)
  • 3:20 p.m. - Buses load at Fruitland
  • 3:25 p.m. - Buses leave Fruitland
  • 3:35 p.m. - Students arrive at the Kessler Center

Pick-up Number System and Safety Guidelines for Family Drivers

• Assigned Numbers: Each family will use a number to pick up their student. Display this number when meeting your child under the covered area, so staff can quickly match students with their parents. New numbers will be issued for the 2025-2026 school year.
   
• Morning Drop-off: Parents should park and walk their student safely to the bus. Students should remain with their parent until they reach the bus, ensuring a safe and organized drop-off. No numbers are needed in the morning.
   
• Enhanced Security: Each family receives two number cards for identification. Contact the office if additional numbers are needed.
   
• Efficient Dismissal: Parents should park in designated areas and bring their number to the covered area. Students will line up with paras, and staff will connect students with the appropriate parent using the number.

Important Reminders for Family Drivers

• Parking: Use only designated areas while waiting for buses.
   
• Bus unloading at Kessler: For safety, please wait until buses have arrived, students have unloaded, and the driver has completed their final bus check and pulled away before picking up your student. This ensures no one crosses in front of a bus while it is moving.
   
• Pickup Procedure: Parents bring their assigned number to the covered area to meet their child.
   
• A form will be sent via ParentSquare for families to indicate if your student will use Kessler. This allows us to assign pickup numbers ahead of time and place them in students’ backpacks for a smooth dismissal.

We anticipate the construction to be nearing completion by mid-November and will inform families of any updates or changes.

Walkers

If you live in a walk zone and your child walks to school, please use the designated safe route to school during construction. We encourage all walkers to exercise caution while approaching and leaving the school, particularly during ongoing construction. Please remind your child to be aware of their surroundings and use designated crosswalks and sidewalks.

Right At School (RAS)

RAS pick-up and drop-off will occur at the gym doors only. Please note the following times. If you have any questions, please contact our RAS coordinator. 

• AM: 6:30-8:00 a.m. 
• PM: No earlier than 3:15 p.m.

Main Office Access 

As a reminder, the school office is currently closed to visitors. To ensure the safety of our community, please contact us via phone at (253) 841-8734 or email (fru@puyallupsd.org) for assistance.

We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring a smooth and safe start to the school year for all Fruitland students.

Temporary Traffic Flow and Parking During Construction

Fruitland Elementary Construction Layout