Kindergarten Student Transportation Information

Important Information for Kindergarten Families

  • The start of kindergarten is a very exciting and nerve-wracking experience for students and parents. We would like to share some information to help the beginning of the year be as successful as possible for your family.

    Helpful Kindergarten Transportation Information:
    • Bus Stops – You will be unable to find route information on our website for your student. Each student who requires specific accommodations is looked at and routed individually. Once a transportation request for special needs transportation is received you will be contacted with the route information and start date for your student.
    • Day Care – If your student will be attending a day care at any part of the day you will need to notify the school that your child attends. The school will add the day care address, and we will be able to route transportation to and from the daycare if it is within the boundary lines of the school's attendance zone. Your student will only be transported to an address we have on file.
    • Must be Met Policy – We follow a procedure called Must Be Met for all kindergarten & special needs students. It requires each bus driver to release students ONLY to an identified adult at the bus stop. If no adult is present, the student will be returned to the NTPS Transportation Department to await parent pick-up. We do have a waiver that is available if you wish for your student to be let off the bus without an adult. Submit an online waiver. They are also available at your student’s school. Helpful Hint – Please inform your child that if they do not see you or the person who is designated to get them off the bus they need to remain on the bus and not to get off bus. It is ok for the student to stay on the bus for the remainder of the route and you will reunite with your child at the bus yard. This helps to remove any uncertainty the student may have.
    • Bus ID Tags - All kindergarten students are REQUIRED to maintain their Bus-tag ID in order for this process to be in place for your student, these are tags that will be provided to you. They help identify your student, the bus they need to be on, and the stop location they are assigned to. They can be replaced throughout the year from the school or the driver if they are worn, or lost.
    • Notifications – It is very important that you maintain current contact information with your school. We use this to send out auto notifications and contact families. Some examples of when we would need to contact you: there is an emergency, your student is sick or injured, and your student is on the wrong bus, verification of information. You can update your contact information with your school. Please keep it current. If you would like to receive text messages or adjust your bus notification settings, activate your Smart Tag Parent account >>
    • Plan of the Day - Please remember it is important for both you and your student to memorize: Your bus route number, your bus stop location, and your regular pickup and drop-off times. Please share the plan for the day with your child. Your child can help remind schools staff and the driver if they are supposed to be picked up from school or to go home on the bus. Kindergarten students are wonderful at remembering those details.
    • Special Needs Kindergarten Students – You will be unable to find route information on our website for your student. Each student who requires specific accommodations is looked at and routed individually. Once a transportation request for special needs transportation is received you will be contacted with the route information and start date for your student.