Riding the Bus to Aspire

  • NTPS School Bus

    All students must register to ride a School Bus:

     

    Reserve your seat!

     

    Questions?

    Contact our Transportation department at 360-412-4540 or visit their website.

    Shuttle Bus Expectations

    When at another school, you are expected to be on your best behavior and will be held accountable for choices you make.  Whether you are at your home elementary school, home middle school or Aspire Middle School, you are expected to move in a safe manner and be respectful.

    Ride to Aspire from your home elementary school

    • Ride/walk to your home elementary school, catch the shuttle to Aspire Middle School. Search for your home elementary school by address on the NTPS Transportation website.
    • Wait in the designated area for the shuttle to Aspire Middle School.
    • Follow all school bus rules and regulations - no horseplay.
    • Do not enter the building.
    • Once at Aspire Middle School you are to enter the building but must remain in the commons area until the first bell rings.

    Ride from Aspire to your home middle school

    • Ride the shuttle to your home middle school. Take the bus that goes to your home.
    • Wait in designated are for the bus home.
    • Follow all school bus rules and regulations - no horseplay.
    • Only students participating in sports may enter the building after the bell rings.

NTPS uses Smart Tag on all buses

  • North Thurston Public Schools & Smart Tag Logo on a black background NTPS uses Smart Tag to keep track of our bus ridership. Students scan off and on the bus daily to help us keep track of bus riders!

    Lost tag?

    Contact your school office as soon as possible to obtain a replacement tag.

    What do parents need to do?

    Make sure your student has their badge with them when they ride the bus. Activate your SmartTag parent account to access text & email notification settings and see your student's riding log.

    SmartTag parent portal

    How does it work?

    Students have been issued an identification card with an RFID chip. As they load or disembark the school bus, they wave the card past the card reader to log on and off the bus. Office staff and dispatch can keep track of all of this, giving instant access to the NTPS transportation system and ridership. This is an excellent tool for keeping track of our younger students and making sure everyone is on the right bus and using the correct stop.

    We take the Transportation of your student seriously and believe the safety features of this product greatly enhance the safety and security of our student body. NTPS is the first Smart Tag enabled school district in Washington.

Smart Tag Frequently Asked Questions

  • Reminder: Transportation Services inactive after 20 days of no use

  • How does the Smart Tag Parent Portal work? Are there phone notifications?

  • Who should I contact about a lost badge?

  • Can a student get off at a different stop or use a different bus?

  • Can I see when my child gets on/off the bus?

  • Do these badges track student location?

  • How will multiple and/or alternating destinations work?

  • Is an ID badge required to ride the bus?

  • Is student information stored in the ID Badge?

  • What does the bus driver see when the card is swiped?

  • What if my student doesn't ride the bus?

  • What if my student forgets their badge?

  • What is the procedure for a student without an ID Badge?

  • Will students receive a badge every year?

  • Will this system notify me of bad weather closures, accidents, or other emergencies?