Busing Guidelines

Am I Eligible for Transportation? 

Each elementary, middle and high school in ISD728 has an attendance boundary.  The printable District boundary map shows all boundaries and can be downloaded and printed. The School Finder tool allows you to enter your address to determine the school your residence is assigned to.  

DISTRICT BOUNDARY MAP

SCHOOL FINDER

Transportation across district lines or outside of assigned school boundaries is generally not permitted. Students living outside of the assigned school attendance area or within the walk zone are not eligible to receive bus transportation. 

"Walk zones" are established for each school. Students who live in the walk zone of their enrolled school are not eligible to ride the bus. 

For safety reasons, students can only ride their assigned bus and be dropped off at their assigned bus each morning and afternoon. Drivers are not allowed to accept notes from students or parents.  

District Boundary & Attendance Zones

• Bus stop locations are determined based on the home address of the student, with transportation available to the assigned school within District Boundary & Attendance areas, unless the address falls within the walk zone. 
• Transportation across district lines or outside of assigned school boundaries is generally not permitted. 

Daycare and Alternate Locations

• District policy allows transportation to and from daycare sites for elementary students. The address of the daycare must be within District Boundary & Attendance areas of the school the student is assigned and not in the walk zone. The pick-up and drop-off addresses may be different from each other but they must remain consistent five days per week. For this reason, only one morning and one afternoon stop is permitted. If the daycare situation changes in the course of the school year, a new form must be submitted to enact the change. 
• If an alternate stop location is needed for a secondary student, the address of the location must be within District Boundary & Attendance areas of the school the student is assigned and not in the walk zone.  Alternate locations for secondary students are limited to residential addresses only. The pick-up and drop-off addresses may be different from each other but they must remain consistent five days per week. For this reason, only one morning and one afternoon stop is permitted.

Daycare and Alternate Location Student Transportation Requests

• To request a daycare or alternate pick-up or drop-off address that meets the above criteria, please complete the Student Transportation Information Form (in Parent Portal under Message Center and then Surveys) and submit it as soon as possible. At the start of each new school year, a Student Transportation Information Form must be completed.
• Each year, currently enrolled students must be registered before June 30 to ensure a bus assignment to start the school year. There is no guarantee that Transportation can accommodate daycare transportation once routes have been set for the start of school. To make a change after the start of the school year, complete a new Student Transportation Information Form and submit at least 7 school days in advance of the effective date. 

Discovery Learning Preschool Transportation

• If your home address is within the ISD 728 boundaries, you can choose transportation for your child to morning or afternoon preschool classes for an additional fee. 
• Transportation is available from curb-to-curb for preschool programs. Families or a responsible adult must meet the bus each day.    

Assigned Bus Stops and Stop Locations

• To ensure student safety, students may be picked up and dropped off at their assigned stop only. In the case of an emergency, parents or guardians are urged to contact the Transportation department as soon as possible. Transportation for social activities is not allowed and is the responsibility of the parent/guardian.
• The goal of ISD 728 Transportation is to consistently identify bus stops in neighborhoods on the basis of safety, efficiency, and distance between stops. Generally, bus stops are located at an intersection in order for the driver to have a wide area to scan for traffic and students, to create efficient routes, and to minimize buses backing up.