Houston ISD plans to cut back bus trip instances for college kids from 2025.
HOUSTON — Houston ISD households, take observe: main updates are coming to the district’s transportation system for the 2025–2026 college 12 months.
On a current episode of “HISD Now,” Kari Feinberg, chief of organizational effectiveness, laid out what’s altering and the way it will have an effect on college students throughout the district.
Who qualifies for bus transportation?
Proper now, in response to the interview, HISD provides transportation to college students who:
- Attend their zoned neighborhood college and reside greater than two miles away.
- Attend a magnet college — even when it’s not their zoned college. HISD is without doubt one of the solely (and the biggest) college districts in Texas that transports magnet college students.
- Have a hazardous strolling route to highschool.
- Qualify underneath the McKinney-Vento Act, which helps college students experiencing homelessness.
What are the modifications for 2025–26?
Feinberg mentioned HISD is making massive strikes to enhance transportation, with a serious give attention to decreasing how lengthy college students spend on the bus.
Right here’s what’s coming:
- Shorter trip instances:
- College students attending their zoned college shouldn’t have any bus trip longer than 50 minutes.
- College students attending a magnet college shouldn’t have any bus trip longer than 80 minutes.
- New technique to request transportation:
As an alternative of requesting bus service by way of their campus, dad and mom will now request transportation instantly by way of the HISD transportation division. Officers hope this transformation will make the method sooner and extra environment friendly. - Choice to make use of METRO for prime schoolers:
Highschool college students who qualify for transportation will be capable of select between driving an HISD college bus or utilizing a METRO public transit move paid for by the district. Many college students already use METRO, and HISD is formalizing this selection by way of a brand new partnership. - Extra help for college kids with disabilities:
College students who obtain transportation as a part of their Individualized Training Program (IEP) will see new choices and helps beginning subsequent college 12 months. Extra particulars might be shared with households later this spring.
When will households get extra data?
Households can anticipate extra updates very quickly:
- Throughout the week of Might 5, HISD will ship out a survey for households to make their preliminary transportation requests for the 2025–26 college 12 months.
- Make sure to watch your inbox for detailed directions and subsequent steps.
Backside line:
HISD is working to make bus rides shorter, the sign-up course of simpler, and provides households extra choices, particularly for prime schoolers and college students with particular wants.
