Student Transportation Options and Registration School Year 2025-2026
- KES Staff
- Jul 2
- 2 min read
Dear Parents and Guardians:
As we gear up for the upcoming school year, the Student Transportation Services Branch (STSB) remains dedicated to ensuring students travel to and from school safely and reliably. Below you’ll find information on transportation options and how to register. Please read through these carefully and bookmark the deadlines.
1. School Bus Service – Quarter 1 Applications open July 14, 2025
The Hawai‘i State Department of Education (HIDOE) provides school bus service to ensure broad access to educational opportunities for students attending select schools.
Who is eligible?
• Students in grades K-5 must reside 1 mile or more from their home school.
• Students in grades 6-12 must reside 1.5 miles or more from their home school.
• Students must be actively enrolled in a HIDOE public school that has bus service available.
Due to the ongoing bus driver labor shortage, available school bus service will continue to be prioritized for elementary students and students receiving special education transportation services as per their Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). For more information and to access the online registration portal, visit https://go.hidoe.us/SchoolBusService. Paper applications are also available at your school. Due to limited seating, we recommended registering as soon as the application period opens. All school bus applications are reviewed and approved on a first come, first served basis as determined by your school.
As a reminder, all school bus applications for both paid and free-qualified student riders must be submitted on a quarterly basis:
Quarter 1 registration window: July 14, 2025 to Aug. 15, 2025
Quarter 2 registration window: Sept. 22, 2025 to Oct. 17, 2025
Quarter 3 registration window: Dec. 12, 2025 to Jan. 9, 2026
Quarter 4 registration window: Mar. 2, 2026 to Mar. 27, 2026
Applications submitted after the quarterly period deadline, unpaid applications, and/or unreviewed applications will be automatically denied.
Full document in the PDF file below.