A pilot program is being launched in four counties to provide subsidized county bus passes for high school students in grades 9-12.
The Expanding Ridership to Educate Students in Schools program (EXPRESS) was developed by the Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) to help mitigate the impacts of the national school bus driver shortage.
The goal of EXPRESS is to increase the number of high school student riders on county bus services so that underused school buses can be reassigned to restore canceled and consolidated routes due to staff shortages, a news release from Gov. David Ige’s office said this week.
“Like other school districts across the nation, Hawaii is addressing a shortage of school bus drivers that has led to canceled routes, schedule delays and passenger waitlists, as our contractors work hard to maintain services with fewer drivers,” Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in the release. “We started this school year down roughly 90 bus drivers, and every bus we can reassign will help us to prioritize impacted routes at our elementary and intermediate schools. We thank our county transportation partners and our high school students for being a part of the solution.”
The EXPRESS program will benefit more than 21,000 students who are currently ineligible because they are within walking distance of their schools, the release said. Interested students with an active HIDOE student ID number may sign up online at iportal.k12.hi.us/express. Approved applicants will receive confirmation and their county bus pass directly through their school.
“Approximately 6,000 high school students currently use school bus service to get to and from school statewide,” Emily Evans, Student Transportation Services administrator, said in the release. “Students who choose to participate in EXPRESS gain access to a means of transportation that isn’t limited to school transportation; they are free to use their pass as needed.”
Oahu recipients will receive one county pass valid through July 2023, the release said. The City and County of Honolulu is funding the cost of passes on Oahu for June and July 2023. Recipients on Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Island will receive passes good for each month through July 2023. Public transit on Hawaii County’s Hele-On Bus is already free and can be utilized at any time.
Parents and guardians are responsible for locating the nearest county bus route to and from their student’s school and for finding the safest walking routes to and from the nearest bus stops. Public transportation safety tips are available at bit.ly/HIDOE-EXPRESS.
Students who have already paid for a second-quarter pass or bus coupons may request a refund after receiving their county bus pass at bit.ly/STSB-refund. School bus refund requests should be made only after receiving the county bus pass to avoid premature deactivation of the school bus pass. ADA and Paratransit services are not included in this program. For more information, visit bit.ly/HIDOEstudent-transportation.