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Bus Guidelines

District Guidelines for Bus Stops

Students are assigned a bus stop based on their home address and their enrolled school's attendance area.

Students can have up to two (2) assigned school bus stops; one primary stop, and a second stop defined as an alternate stop. An alternate stop may be a second residence or daycare if it is within the school’s attendance area and not in the walk zone. Bus stops for general education students are created at corners or intersections.

Students are expected to use their assigned bus stop(s) on a regular, consistent basis. If a stop has not been used for 10 consecutive days, it will be removed from the bus route. This applies to both general education and special education bus stops. Removing unused bus stops helps to keep our buses running on time and our routes as efficient as possible.

Bus stop guidance modifications:

  • Special education students receive curb-to-curb transportation if specified on the student's IEP (Individualized Education Plan)
  • Midday bus stops for High-5 half day students are door to door, rather than corner bus stops. 

Transportation Services reviews annually bus stops and routes for hazardous concerns that may impact students traveling safely to and from school. Factors such as traffic levels, the use of or absence of traffic and speed control measures (bike lanes, stoplights with pedestrian crossing, medians, speed humps), and personal safety concerns (traffic accidents involving pedestrians/bicyclists, personal crime rates) will be reviewed as bus stops are designated. 

Who is eligible for MPS provided transportation?

Below are the guidelines used when determining the location of a student’s bus stop(s). 

For Students in Grades Pre-K - 5

  • Students living a half-mile (.5 mile) or more from their schools, but still within the attendance area for that school, will be eligible for transportation and assigned a bus stop during the school year.
  • Bus stops will never be more than quarter-mile (.25 mile) from a student’s home and will be located within the neighborhood to concentrate as many student riders at one stop as possible.
  • Students living within a half-mile (.5 mile) of their schools are considered in the walk zone and ineligible for bus transportation. If a student would have to cross a hazardous street within that walk zone, Transportation Services will assign these students to a bus stop. Some schools have reduced walk zones, under the half-mile (.5 mile) standard, depending on location within the city. 
  • Students living outside their school’s attendance area will not be eligible to receive bus transportation, unless the student has rights under the federal McKinney-Vento Act.
  • Midday High-5 students will receive door to door transportation to/from their home address, to ensure these students are not walking home from or waiting at an empty bus stop for the midday pick up or drop off. This transportation does not require a custodial transfer, meaning a parent is not required to be present or visible for the bus driver to drop off the student.  

For Students in Grades 6-8

  • Students living a mile (1 mile) or more from their schools, but still within the attendance area for that school, will receive transportation and be assigned to a bus stop during the school year.
  • Bus stops will never be more than a half-mile (.5 mile) from a student’s home and will be located within the neighborhood to concentrate as many student riders at one stop as possible.
  • Students living within a mile (1 mile) of their schools are considered in the walk zone and no bus transportation will be provided. 
  • Students living outside their school’s attendance area will not receive transportation, unless the student unless the student has rights under the federal McKinney-Vento Act. 

For Students in Grades 9-12

Students who are eligible for transportation will receive a Go-To Pass to use with Metro Transit. The Go-To Pass is a durable, plastic, pre-paid fare card that allows unlimited rides on Metro Transit  buses and light rail.

High school students with IEPs requiring transportation will be assigned to a yellow school bus in place of a Metro Transit Go To card.