As we prepare for the 2026-27 school year, please review the important bus transportation updates, deadlines, and policy reminders outlined below.
On-time bus registration closes on June 30, 2026.
After June 30: Students who register after June 30 will be placed on a waitlist and will only be assigned a seat after August 15 if space is available. In addition, registrations July 1 and later will be charged a late fee of $50 per family, regardless of fee status.
How to Register: All registration steps and details can be found on our Transportation Page linked here.
Important Reminder for Rising 7th Grade Families
Per Massachusetts General Law (MGL c. 71, § 68), school districts are only mandated to provide free transportation for students in Grades K-6 who live more than 2 miles from their school.
Transportation is NOT guaranteed for students in grades 7-12, regardless of distance. If you have a rising 7th grader, please register prior to June 30 to ensure they are placed in the lottery/assignment pool.
As shared earlier, our FY27 budget realigned several key district priorities, including expanding access to school bus transportation to better support student attendance and family needs. This has allowed us to add one additional bus (approximately $100,000), bringing the number of bus routes to 11. In addition, we have requested that our transportation provider First Student assign larger buses (allowing several extra seats per bus) whenever possible and we have adjusted our internal ridership numbers to accommodate several additional students per bus while maintaining safety standards.
Even with these changes, demand may still exceed supply, resulting in a possible shortage of seats on some routes. We are working closely with First Student to ensure that students who live furthest from school are assigned to routes first, that all stops are safe for students and that stops are set up in a way to accommodate as many students as possible from a neighborhood. The closer a student lives to school, the less likely they are to be assigned to a bus.
Transportation Timeline
June 30: On time registration closes
July 1: Registration data sent to First Student to design preliminary routes (takes 3 - 4 weeks)
End of July: MPS internal review and routing adjustments
Week of August 3: Families notified of bus assignment status
Mid-August: Drivers run practice routes; bus passes mailed; final routes posted online
August 26: First day of school (Grades 1-12)
August 31: First day of school (Preschool and Kindergarten)
September: Ongoing real-time route and waitlist adjustments based on actual ridership
We appreciate your attention to registering your student prior to June 30. Our proactive route and ridership efficiency adjustments, combined with the town’s investment in an additional bus, are all aimed at making this process as smooth as possible for our families. Please reach out to the transportation department at bus@miltonps.org with any questions.