Transportation Options
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NTPS School Bus
All students must register to ride a school bus:
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 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.
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
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Reminder: Transportation Services inactive after 20 days of no use
REMINDER! Students who have not utilized transportation for 20 days total will be marked inactive in the SmartTAG system. If this occurs, please contact Transportation to reactivate your students.
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How does the Smart Tag Parent Portal work? Are there phone notifications?
Yes! Smart Tag as a Parent Portal, which is activated using the email address we have on file for you. Visit https://parent.smart-tag.net/%40norththurston and click REGISTER to set a password. You'll be able to adjust notification settings and see your student's bus riding history. You cannot track the location of the bus through this system.
The Parent Portal notification system currently only supports one (1) cell phone number per Parent Portal Account. However, a co-parent, family member, or guardian can create their own Parent Portal Account and register their own cell phone number. While there can only be one primary parent, there is no limit to co-parents for each student.
You can create additional Parent Portal Accounts by following the same registration process the first parent did using the following link: https://parent.smart-tag.net/Registration/Requirements. After entering the required information for one (1) child, you’ll receive a message indicating that there is already a registered primary parent for that student. If you want to create a co-parent account, you can proceed by entering the required username/password to create your account.
Please Note: This will only register you as the co-parent for one (1) child. If you have other children that you need to add to your account, you can add them by using the “Add Student” feature.
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Who should I contact about a lost badge?
If a replacement card is needed, parents may request one by notifying their school office directly.
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Can a student get off at a different stop or use a different bus?
No, bus passes are no longer accepted effective Sept 2020. Students need to load and unload at their assigned bus stops.
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Can I see when my child gets on/off the bus?
Yes, guardians will be able to view a student’s ridership activity for the entire school year through the Parent Portal. Activate your account with the email address we have on file at https://parent.smart-tag.net/%40norththurston. If a guardian wants to review the daily history, it will take a minute from loading/unloading the bus for SMART tag to update its records due to network connectivity. Be aware it may take longer if there is a poor signal or the network provider is experiencing a delay/latency issue out of the school district’s control.
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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. Parents please contact the school directly for regular changes (multiple households).
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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 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 closure or emergency notification, only basic information like schedule changes (late times, etc.). Information regarding inclement weather closures/delays, bus accidents, and other emergency notifications will be provided by the North Thurston Public Schools administration via separate communication directly to parents.
