2025-2026 Transportation Parent Letter

March 26, 2025

Dear Families,

Plano ISD would like to inform our families with eligible bus riders of an important update to our Hazardous Roadways Transportation Guidelines that will take effect for the 2025-2026 school year. (See guidelines below.) 

The district has updated current hazardous roadways in accordance with TEA recommendations and approved by the Plano ISD Board of Trustees on March 25. This update addresses findings from our 2023 transportation audit conducted by the Texas Association of School Business Officials (TASBO). 

Over the past several years, the cities that service the roads in Plano ISD have added significant infrastructure to increase pedestrian safety. As such, the number of hazardous routes required has been reduced as they no longer meet guidelines. 

This adjustment does not impact regular bus transportation for students who live two or more miles from their home campus: 

• Regular bus transportation will continue to be provided to eligible riders who  live two or more miles from their home campus as established by the district’s 2025-2026 attendance boundaries and transportation guidelines. 
• All students receiving special education services who are approved for transportation through the ARD process will continue to receive bus service.

Students are eligible for regular bus transportation if they meet one of the following criteria:

• Legally reside two or more miles from their assigned campus of regular attendance as measured along the shortest route that may be traveled on public roads.
• Legally reside in a designated hazardous area within two miles of his or her assigned campus of regular attendance (Please see Plano ISD Hazardous Roadway Guidelines below).
• Identified as a homeless child or youth as entitled by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvement Act.

Students that do not meet any of the three eligibility requirements above are not eligible for transportation. Additionally, students that have been approved for transfer from their home campus are not eligible for transportation services.

Hazardous Roadway Transportation Guidelines

Plano ISD Transportation follows TEA-recommended and board-approved guidelines, Policy CNA(Legal) and Policy CNA(Local) to determine hazardous roadways. Students who live within two miles of a campus and reside in a designated hazardous area or roadway are eligible for hazardous bus transportation. 

Hazardous roadways in Plano ISD are defined as follows:

• Four- or six-lane roadway with a speed limit over 45 mph
• Four- or six-lane roadway that does not have pedestrian-activated traffic signals
• U.S. 75 Central Expressway
• Dallas North Tollway
• President George Bush Turnpike
• S.H. 289 / Preston Road
• Active Railroad Track
• Areas that do not have sidewalks or safe paths (a safe path does not have to be a sidewalk)

Visit the website to see specific changes affecting your school’s available transportation, including maps, route descriptions and FAQs. 

Beginning April 1, you can check your student’s eligibility for transportation at bus rider check webpage.  

For additional information or questions not addressed in the FAQ, please contact us through Let’s Talk. 

Sincerely,

Mark Skinner
Director of Transportation Services