Transportation Policies

If your child plans to travel to or from campus via plane, train, or bus during the school year, please review the below information before you schedule your child’s travel. All transportation from campus to airports and train/bus stations is arranged through transportation coordinator Karin Wright.

Contact Karin with your student’s full travel itinerary no fewer than 7 days in advance of travel. This advance notice is essential, especially if your child is under the age of 15; airlines and Amtrak have “unaccompanied minor” travel policies that require additional coordination. All expenses associated with driving your student for travel plans will be added to your child’s “MISC” account at the end of the month in which travel occurs.

Mrs. Wright’s contact information:
office: 302-285-4273
cell: 904-728-8057
email: kwright@standrews-de.org

Procedures for Leaving Campus Overnight

Whenever a student will be absent from campus overnight or decides to take a weekend leave, the student must complete a survey through Reach, our student life management system. This must be approved by a parent or guardian as well as the Office of Student Affairs before the student can depart campus. In all cases, parents, guardians, and the Office of Student Affairs reserve the right to reject a weekend leave request.

If the weekend leave or overnight absence will cause a student to miss any classes, rehearsals, sports, or other commitments, a student must also submit a missing class/required activity form. This form can be obtained from the Office of Student Affairs. If the absence is due to a college visit, the form must be obtained from the director of college counseling. Each teacher/director/coach of a commitment the student will miss must initial the form to indicate their approval of the absence. The director of college counseling, in collaboration with the dean of student affairs, will ensure that the student is in good academic standing before they are given final approval.

Completed weekend surveys and missed class forms must be submitted by 4 PM on Wednesday afternoon in the case of a regular weekend leave. Students who submit these forms after the deadline may receive marks per day of lateness. Additionally, parents/legal guardians may be responsible for scheduling shuttles through Delaware Express (302-454-7800) or About Town Limo (410-287-6400) when submitting late leave requests (within 24 hours of a requested school departure).

The penalty for leaving campus without submitting the required information is a core infraction and six marks. Students who leave campus without permission face the Discipline Committee.

Please note: Sometimes the need to take a weekend arises suddenly, urgently, and unexpectedly. In such cases the penalty for lateness usually is waived. However, any weekend requests arising after Friday evening at 7:00 PM must be directed to the head of the weekend duty group for that weekend and the dean of student affairs.

Weekend Leave Policies

The weekend begins following a student’s final academic, athletic, or extra-curricular commitment on Saturday. At that time, and assuming they have submitted a weekend leave form in advance, a student may sign out for the weekend and remain away from campus until 6 PM on Sunday. We do, however, understand that weddings, family reunions, baptisms, etc., often occur on Saturdays and at times incompatible with the St. Andrew’s schedule; if a student must miss school for these kinds of extraordinary family commitments, please email or call the dean of student affairs to discuss well in advance of the event.

When leaving and returning to campus on a weekend leave, students must check out and check in with the head of the weekend duty group for that weekend. Any student who fails to check out before departing campus, or fails to check in soon after arriving on campus, will receive marks. Repeated offenses may result in further disciplinary action.

Members of the III, IV, and V Forms are entitled to three weekend leaves per semester. Due to college visits, members of the VI Form are entitled to five weekend leaves per semester. No student may go on a weekend leave if the student is assigned to detention for that weekend.

Weekend Leave Policies

Delayed Return: If return to the school from any type of leave is to be delayed beyond the time set for return, the weekend duty head must be notified at once by telephone.

Deportment: The school reserves the right to dismiss any student whose conduct during any type of leave contradicts the moral and ethical principles reflected in the school’s stated philosophy and objectives.

Group Leaves: The school will not knowingly give permission for large numbers of our students bound for the same destination to take a weekend unless we have assurances from the parents/legal guardians of such students that responsible adult chaperones will be present.

Rental Accommodations: Students may never rent a room or rooms in a hotel, Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway or similar accommodation—during any leave or school break—without parent or guardian permission and adult supervision while in residence.

Transportation Policies for School Breaks

All transportation from campus to airports and train/bus stations—whether for individual weekend leaves or school breaks—is arranged through the school’s transportation coordinator Karin Wright (cell: 904-728-8057, office: 302-285-4273, kwright@standrews-de.org).

Students are required to enter their transportation request through Reach. All requests must be submitted at a minimum of 7 days prior to travel. The school cannot guarantee support with arranging transportation if requests are made within 7 days of the travel or if last minute changes arise that are not related to unexpected travel changes related to train or flight delays or cancellations. Students will need their complete itinerary (flight/train numbers and departure time from Delaware/arrival time to Delaware) when submitting their request. All requests submitted after 4 PM will not be received until the following morning. If students want to use St. Andrew’s transportation, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is the preferred airport for domestic flights and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) for international flights. For transportation for long weekends and major school breaks the school will only arrange school assisted transportation on the official departure day as listed on the school calendar. Student’s families are responsible for all costs associated with school assisted transportation. The school’s Transportation Coordinator will communicate the cost of specific transportation requests based on availability. If a student cancels requested St. Andrew’s assisted travel (typically because they don't want to wait for a SAS shuttle), they will be charged the full cost of the originally scheduled transportation. Students are still expected to contact their school driver to alert them of the travel change.

If urgent transportation needs arise on weekends or after hours, you will need to contact the school’s transportation coordinator directly on her cell phone (904-728-8057).

If students have any changes to their itinerary, questions, concerns or delays during their travel, they should contact the school’s Transportation Coordinator (904-728-8057). If a student misses their flight or if their flight is canceled, they should not spend the night in the airport—in this instance, the student should contact the school’s Transportation Coordinator to arrange for travel back to campus or alternate accommodations for the night.

Reminders & Helpful Hints

All cell phones should be charged prior to travel.
St. Andrew’s is unable to provide door-to-door shuttle service.
Drivers will use a student’s cell phone number at pickup. Please ensure we are aware of any change to your phone number, or if you are unable to travel with a cell phone.
Bring your school ID and/or license and/or passport with you!
If you are an international student, you must get your I-20 form signed by the Director of Admission and Financial Aid before your departure.
Pick up any medication from the Health Center prior to travel.

Policies for Students Under 15 Traveling by Air

The policies set forth by the airline industry—most airlines require children under the age of 15 to have an escort while in the airport—make it a challenge for the school to provide transportation to and from the airport for children under the age of 15 who travel alone. Unaccompanied children policies vary from airline to airline and you should check with your airline for specific guidance.

If a student has relatives or family friends living near St. Andrew’s, they can be helpful in escorting the student to the airport. When school personnel serve as escorts, students will be charged $25 per hour in addition to the transportation cost. In order to arrange for school escorts, at least 7 days’ notice is required. School escorts must be arranged through the school’s Transportation Coordinator (cell: 904-728-8057). Please make sure you have your child’s flight information (airline, flight number, departure and arrival times) available when you contact the school’s Transportation Coordinator.

Policies for Students Under 16 Traveling by Train

Amtrak requires children under 16 to be chaperoned to and from the train station, and for the chaperone to fill out paperwork at the train station before the student departs. If a student has nearby relatives or family friends, they can be helpful in escorting the student. When school personnel serve as escorts, students will be charged $25 per hour in addition to the transportation cost.

In order to arrange for school escorts, at least 7 days’ notice is required. School escorts must be arranged through the school’s Transportation Coordinator (904-728-8057). Please make sure you have your child’s train travel information (departure and arrival times and train numbers) available when you contact the school’s Transportation Coordinator. Additionally, you will need to provide the name, address (as listed on the driver’s license) and cell phone number of the adult who will be meeting the student at the student’s destination.

NYC Bus

For all Long Weekends and school breaks, we offer students the option to travel to and from New York City via a charter bus that leaves from campus and drops off students in two locations in Manhattan, and vice versa for the return day. Students sign themselves up to travel on the NYC bus, and the cost per student (which is charged to the student’s Blackbaud Tuition Management account) varies depending on the number of riders. Students are required to give 24 hours notice, in writing, if their plans change for travel on the bus. If notice is not given, students will be charged. In the past, the fee has ranged from $50 to $70 each way. Please note the NYC bus is not offered for travel to campus for the Opening of School in September or when students depart campus for summer break in June.

Washington, D.C. Shuttle

School-Assisted Travel to Other Locations

St. Andrew’s has limited ability to assist students who need to travel to a location other than the listed transportation hubs. If a student needs school-assisted transportation to a specific location, they need to request permission from the office of student affairs and the school’s Transportation Coordinator. These requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Travel Reminders

As parents/legal guardians plan ahead for their child’s departure from and return to campus, please consider the following:

Ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft are prohibited unless given explicit permission from parents or guardians and the dean of student affairs or the associate head of school.
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is for international travel only, not domestic use. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is preferred over all other airports. Other airports will most likely require a contracted service.
Wilmington Amtrak Station (WIL) is the only train station the school transports to/from.
PHL shuttles headed to St. Andrew’s campus returning from Long Weekends and breaks are typically scheduled to depart PHL at 9 AM, 12 Noon, 3 PM, and 6 PM.
If you do not provide advance notice of your travel you may be required to schedule your own shuttle through Delaware Express or About Town Limo.