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Bus transportation

2021-22 Bus transportation

Garland ISD strives to provide safe cost-effective bus transportation to all eligible students. As the new school year starts, be sure to check that your student's address is correct in Skyward.

If you need to change the address listed, please contact your student's school and ask to update the address before June 8. School offices will be closed after the last day of school.

Eligible for transportation:
If your student is eligible for transportation to their campus, they will be routed to the corner stop for the address on file in Skyward.
Needs an alternate location:
Education code has limits on where a child can be picked up or dropped off. The location must be an approved stop within the bus route and must be either:
- the home of a grandparent, or
- a licensed child-care facility
Please contact the Transportation Department 972-494-8530 or transportation@garlandisd.net no later than Friday, June 11 to request an alternate location.

Note: Stop assignments and special arrangements do not carry over each school year. Parents must provide GISD with the location you want the student picked up and delivered each year.

Special Instructions for COVID-19 Compliance

Note: Per GISD Health Services, the daily prescreening form is no longer required.

On the bus:

It is strongly recommended that students wear a face covering on the bus. Parents must provide face coverings for their students.
Students will sit in an assigned seat designated by the bus driver. The bus driver is authorized to assign seats.
Students must wear the seat belt on buses equipped with seat belts.
Students shall remain seated at all times except when boarding or exiting the bus.
Students should refrain from touching or making physical contact with other students.
Students should not handle any items belonging to other students (paper, books, cell phones, clothing, etc.).
Students are encouraged to wash their hands according to CDC guidelines prior to boarding the bus.
Students may bring their own hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer will NOT be furnished by the district.
We encourage parents to teach their students to maintain a safe distance when waiting at the bus stop, boarding, and exiting the bus.

Students with adults standing outside Garland ISD bus

Will my student get bus transportation to school?

Parents choose the school they want their children to attend during the Choice of School process, but transportation to the school you choose is not guaranteed.

The factors that determine bus transportation are:

designated eligibility area(s) for each school
proximity to neighborhood school
magnet program acceptance

Use the Transportation Maps system to determine if your child is eligible for bus transportation.

Bus rider registration forms

The 2020-21 Bus Rider Form has closed. Please call our Route Supervisors at 972-494-8530, option 2, to discuss bus eligibility and service arrangement.

Transportation maps

The Transportation Maps system allows you to display:

schools that will provide transportation to you based on your address
the schools closest to your home
the transportation eligibility area for specific schools and magnet programs

Transportation-eligible zones change from year to year. Make a selection below to find the right maps for you.

See which schools provide transportation for your address

The Bus Eligibility tab shows which schools may provide transportation based on your address.

Enter your home address.
Choose a level (elementary, middle, or high).
Click the find button.

Remember that transportation to magnet program schools is only provided for students that are accepted into the magnet program.

See which schools are closest to you

The Closest School(s) tab shows which schools are closest to your home.

Enter your home address.
Choose a level (elementary, middle, or high).
Click the Show Results button.

See the transportation eligibility area for each school

The Transportation Maps system also allows you to overlay the map with a layer that displays the bus transportation eligibility area for each school you are interested in.

Use the checkboxes to choose which map layers to display. You can choose a level (elementary, middle, high) or select a specific magnet program.

How are bus stop locations determined?

We determine the placement of bus stops based on:

student safety
demographics
walking distance to stop
number of students riding the bus in the area
Texas Education Agency (TEA) guidelines

When do I have to be at the bus stop?

Students are required to be at their bus stop and ready to board the bus at least 5 (five) minutes prior to the scheduled stop time.

For after school drop-off, Kindergarten students must be met by a parent/guardian/caregiver at the bus stop, or the student may be returned to school.

Bus rules

Students must respect the bus driver and follow their instructions.

See bus rules and regulations.

Contact us

For more information about bus transportation, contact:

Transportation

When should I stop for a bus?

Cars must stop when buses are unloading or loading passengers. Unless there is a median, both sides of traffic must stop for the bus.

Two-lane

Vehicles traveling in both directions MUST stop.

Multi-lane paved fully