Transportation

Safely transporting students to school and back again.

The Hopkins Public Schools transportation department is responsible for safely transporting our students to school and back each day. On this page, you will find information on safety, bus routing, late bus information and contact information.

For late buses or lost items, contact:
School Bus Provider
952-988-5380 or Dispatch@mtibus.com

If your bus is not listed call:
Transportation Office
952-988-4115

Four young boys walk on the sidewalk to their school after riding on the school bus.

Updates & Late Buses

Concerns

Lost Items

Bus Stop Information

Hopkins Public Schools provides transportation to the following students:

Elementary students living within the area of attendance .8 of a mile or more from the school
Resident secondary students living one mile or more from the school within the area of attendance
Resident elementary students attending XinXing Academy
Open enrollment

Bus Stops and Routes

Bus Stops

Generally, bus stops will be established within neighborhoods to serve as central collection points for the entire neighborhood. Walk-to-stop distances will be within Board Policy.

Length of Bus Routes

The transportation supervisor and/or designee shall review on an annual basis, all bus routes in the District in order to ensure the safest and shortest bus routes available to transport all bus riders to and from school in the most economical way. Routes shall be arranged in such a way as to equalize, as nearly as possible, the length of bus routes and student loads consistent with the most efficient overall District transportation route structure. Bus routes shall not be longer than one hour and fifteen minutes (one way) whenever practical and possible.

Standard Bus Stop Parameters

Maximum Walking Distance: Home to Bus Stop
Elementary	.25 Mile
Secondary	.40 Mile

Maximum Walking Distance: Home to School
Elementary	.50 Mile
Secondary	.80 Mile

Standard Bus Stops will be established where:

School bus eight-way lights can be seen by motorists at the front and rear of the bus, at least 100 feet in a speed zone of 35 m.p.h. or less, and at least 300 feet in a speed zone of greater than 35 m.p.h.
Bus drivers do not need to negotiate a backup turn around
Routes are clearly visible and recognizable to bus drivers and substitute bus drivers who might not be familiar with the bus route
For bus stops located on county roads, the school bus eight-way lights will be activated 300 feet prior to the scheduled stop location

Scheduled Bus Stop Times

The school district expects our drivers to arrive at the scheduled bus stop at the times specified on the driver's official route copy, within reason. Routes may run a few minutes early or late due to unexpected traffic patterns and other uncontrollable circumstances. We ask that families have their child out at the scheduled bus stop no later than 5 minutes before the scheduled stop time and that they wait at least 5 minutes after the scheduled stop time to insure their child is at the bus stop when the bus arrives.

Open Enrollment and Inter-District Transfers

Students who live outside their home school attendance boundary may use an already existing stop that is located in their home school attendance boundary, but only on a space-available basis. Parents are responsible for making sure the student is transported to and from the stop safely. If overcrowding occurs, students may be removed from the bus roster. To request use of transportation service at an existing bus stop, please complete the Transportation Form located in the Forms section below.

Minneapolis Students

Special Services

Bus Stop Change Request

Bus stop request forms must be completed and sent to the transportation department for processing. We will review bus stop change request forms after the third week of school. Please note that forms must be fully completed in order to be processed. Families will be contacted if stop changes/requests are approved.

Complete the form online or download the form in the Bus Stop Change Request dropdown in the Forms section below.

Forms

These forms are used to assess transportation needs, determine eligibility, and plan busing for students. "Daycare" includes providers and/or family members providing care at a location other than the parent/guardian's residence. If your child does not need transportation provided by the school district, please complete this form and check "Bus Not Needed."

Consistent bus stops are necessary for the safety of students. Students are not allowed to make changes regarding their pick-up or delivery bus stops. Example: riding a bus to a friend's house.

If your information changes, please notify the Transportation Department, 952-988-4115 or SchoolBus@HopkinsSchools.org.

Special transportation arrangements may be considered for daycare students. A student may be:

Picked up at home, attend school, then delivered to daycare
Picked up at daycare, attend school, and delivered to home
Picked up at daycare, attend school, and delivered to daycare.

The above transportation arrangements can be made under the following conditions:

Both addresses are within the attendance area of the school.
The pattern is regular, providing the same pick-up address and the same drop-off address every day.

Resident Student K-12

Open Enrollment and In-District Transfer Students

Kaleidoscope & Stepping Stones Preschool Students

Bus Stop Change Request

Please complete this form only after reviewing our Bus Stop and Routing Criteria and determining that your situation may require special consideration.

When making your request, please keep in mind:

Bus Stop & Routing Criteria applies to all riders.
Buses will not travel into cul-de-sacs, private roads (i.e. apartment complexes and home associations), dead-end streets, or other areas where they cannot safely maneuver. An exception to this may be a bus that is transporting students with disabilities. All students, regardless of age or grade who reside in these areas will need to walk to the assigned bus stop regardless of distance.
Availability of sidewalks is not part of the criteria used in establishing bus stops. Much of the Hopkins School District was designed without sidewalks.
Buses drive by many students’ homes every day. The bus driving by doesn’t warrant adding/changing a bus stop.
Visibility from the home to the bus stop is not part of our criteria for establishing bus stops. Bus stops are collection points in neighborhoods. If a parent/guardian is concerned about watching their child at the stop they will need to walk with them and supervise them at the bus stop. We strongly encourage parents/guardians to arrange for an adult to be at the bus stop whenever students are present.
In order to be consistent and fair in placement of bus stops, we cannot establish stops based on personal circumstances such as employment, day care, or siblings.
Bus drivers do not have the legal authority to make bus stop changes; doing so may result in disciplinary action up to termination. A temporary exception may be made by the driver due to inclement weather or other temporary circumstances. In each case the transportation department must be notified in advance by the driver.

No stop changes will be made or reviewed until after the first two weeks of school.

Bus Stop Change Request Form

NOTE: Your request will be reviewed and a site visit may be made to confirm the information contained in this request. You will be contacted after a determination has been made. No changes will go into effect until you and everyone else at your bus stop have been notified.

Bus Safety

The goal of Hopkins Public Schools is for every student to have a safe, comfortable, and orderly ride to and from school. Please see the following tips for safety around the bus and our bus safety rules.

Safety Around the Bus
Safety Rules

Safety Around the Bus

Stay out of the school bus Danger Zones.
Wait for the driver's signal before crossing the street, and always cross 10 feet in front of the bus —you should see the bus driver's face.
Never stop beside or reach under the bus — if you drop something, tell the driver, or wait until the bus leaves before picking it up.
Please dress your child in warm and protective clothing during the winter months.

Safety Rules

We ask that you discuss with your child the following basic guidelines for safe bus behavior. Please remember — bus transportation is a privilege, not a right. This privilege will be withdrawn for inappropriate behavior.

During the first week of school, students will receive training in bus safety and appropriate conduct. The following are the rules of safe behavior:

Students shall remain a safe distance back from the roadway while awaiting the arrival of the bus. They should refrain from destructive or dangerous behavior at the stop.
Students shall enter the bus in an orderly manner and go directly to a seat and remain seated until the destination is reached. The bus driver is authorized to assign seats if necessary.
Students shall keep their hands, arms, and heads inside the bus.
Students shall not throw objects in, around, or out of the bus.
All articles such as athletic equipment, books, musical instruments, etc., must be out of the aisles. If the items are too large to be kept out of the aisle, the article is too large to be transported on the school bus. For safety purposes, articles that create a hazard will not be transported.
The emergency door must be used for emergencies only. Students shall not touch the safety equipment.
The school bus shall be tobacco- and drug-free.
No weapons or look-alike weapons will be allowed on the bus in accordance with the school district's weapons policy.
Students shall follow all directions given by the bus driver.
Students are to be courteous to other students, other adults, and the bus driver, and refrain from profane language.
There shall be no eating or drinking on the bus except on field trips or co-curricular trips when prearranged and supervised by a teacher or coach.
There shall be no animals of any kind on the bus.
Students who must cross the street at a bus stop shall not do so until they receive a signal from the bus driver. If crossing a street is necessary, it shall always be done 10 feet in front of the bus. This means that the student should be able to see the face of the bus driver. The driver shall hold the bus with warning lights flashing and the stop arm extended until the crossing is completed.
Students shall refrain from dangerous behavior including pushing and shoving in school bus loading and unloading zones. Students shall enter and leave the bus in an orderly manner.
Students will be held responsible for any damage to the bus, and they will be expected to make restitution.
It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to review with their student on a timely basis the rules for bus ridership. It is expected that the parent or guardian will support the school in enforcement of this policy.

Contacts

Transportation Office
835 Decatur Ave. N.
Golden Valley, MN 55427
952-988-4115 (phone)
952-988-4107 (fax)
SchoolBus@HopkinsSchools.org

MTI
School Bus Provider Phone: 952-988-5380
Contact MTI for late buses or lost items: Dispatch@mtibus.com

In This Section

Transportation

Updates & Late Buses

Concerns

Lost Items

Bus Stop Information

Bus Stops and Routes

Bus Stops

Length of Bus Routes

Standard Bus Stop Parameters

Scheduled Bus Stop Times

Open Enrollment and Inter-District Transfers

Minneapolis Students

Special Services

Bus Stop Change Request

Forms

Resident Student K-12

Resident Student K-12 Transportation Form

Open Enrollment and In-District Transfer Students

Open Enrollment and In-District Transportation Form

Kaleidoscope & Stepping Stones Preschool Students

Preschool Transportation Form

Bus Stop Change Request

Bus Stop Change Request Form

Bus Safety

Safety Around the Bus

Safety Rules

Contacts