Transportation Options
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NTPS School Bus
Search by your house number to find your route information:Intercity Transit
Our community bus system, Intercity Transit, has excellent coverage in the county. Read more information about their Youth School Routes.Rideshare
Ride or drive with someone! Visit the Rideshare website to see if there are any ridesharers going to your school!Walking
If you live within the walk zone, you can walk to school! Great exercise, and if you pack an umbrella, you'll stay dry!
NTPS uses Smart Tag on all buses
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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 who's where!
What do parents need to do?
Make sure your student has their badge with them when they ride the bus. Stay tuned for parent portal information!
What if my student doesn't ride the bus?
We have plans to eventually use the badges for field trips, checking out library books, and lunch purchases, so hold onto them if your school distributes them to all students. Some schools may keep them for those uses later. Please check with your school to ask about the future use of the badge, but please keep track of them like you would an ID card.
How does it work?
Students have been issued an Identification Card with and RFID (radio frequency identification) chip. As students load or disembark the school bus they will wave the card past the card reader. This will log the student on and off the school bus. This helps us quickly see when students get on the wrong school bus or try to get off at the wrong bus stop. This is excellent for keeping track of our younger students! Not only will our Dispatchers be able to know what bus they are on, the software will alert the driver to a student who is getting on the wrong bus or off at the wrong stop. Office staff can keep track of all of this without having to call dispatch! Instant knowledge if a parent calls asking where their child is!
We take the Transportation of your student seriously and believe the safety features of this product will greatly enhance the safety and security of our student body. NTPS will be the first Smart Tag enabled school district in Washington. We have seen it live in larger school districts than ours in the State of Texas and it is a great safety tool.
Smart Tag Frequently Asked Questions
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Who should I contact about a lost badge?
If a replacement card is needed, parents may request one by notifying the bus driver, transportation, filling out this web form, or by contacting their student's school office staff.
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Are there parent tools available?
Yes. When we are ready, we will launch the Parent Portal, which is a website and/or app to access route information and updates/changes. Other Parent Portal options are text notifications and ridership activity. Parents will not be able to see the location of the bus.
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Can a student get off at a different stop or use a different bus?
Yes, however, parents submit a change request to the school office, who will issue the student a bus pass authorizing the change. Guardians will have the ability to add or update release information for students who are categorized as "Must be Met" at their bus stop (usually younger students).
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Do these badges track student location?
Tags only have a 14-digit code which represents the student information in the system. The badge only registers when a student gets on and off the bus and cannot be read/tracked anywhere else or read/tracked by any other product or method.
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How will multiple and/or alternating destinations work?
The driver will be able to manually override the information and add the student to the ridership roster from the student's badge. Therefore, the student will only need one badge. Students can get off at another stop in an emergency situation, but we ask that parents please contact the school directly for regular changes.
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Is an ID badge required to ride the bus?
Yes! For safety and security (and more more efficient loading & unloading), Smart Tag ID badges are required for all riders.
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Is student information stored in the ID Badge?
No information is stored on a SMART tag ID badge.
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What does the bus driver see when the card is swiped?
The bus driver will be able to view the student’s picture, name, ID number, seat number, school, grade, bus stop, and critical medical information.
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What if my student doesn't ride the bus?
Your school may use the ID badge for food service, the library, field trips, and more.
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What if my student forgets their badge?
If a student does not have their ID Badge, the driver must personally log them in. This is more time-consuming and can delay a route causing late buses down the line. Students without their badges will be loaded last so as not to hold up the loading process.
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What is the procedure for a student without an ID Badge?
The students without a badge will load last.
Elementary students who have received 3 manual loadings by the driver for not having their tag over a period of 10 days shall be counseled by the driver. An email may also be sent to parents regarding the importance of the Smart Tag. If the elementary student continues to not use their tag, parents and the school will be notified by email that they may lose their riding privileges for up to 5 days.
Middle & High School students who receive 3 manual loadings by the driver for not having their tag over a period of 10 days shall be counseled by the driver. An email may be sent to parents and the school regarding the importance of the Smart tag. If the student continues to not use the tag, bus privileges may be suspended until they comply with the Smart Tag program.
Please refer to the 2019-20 Student Handbook for additional information.
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Will students receive a badge every year?
No, students are expected to maintain their Smart Tags from year to year. If a replacement is needed, notify the bus driver, the office staff at your school or the Transportation department.
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Will this system notify me of bad weather closures, accidents, or other emergencies?
No, the SMART tag system will not provide weather-related or emergency notification. Information regarding inclement weather, bus accidents and other emergency notifications will be provided by the North Thurston Public Schools administration via separate communication.