Top 5 Things to Know About Bus Service This School Year! 🚌

Getting ready for the first day of school? Here are five key things families need to know to ensure a smooth ride.

1. Enroll by August 15 to Ride on Day One
   

   New and transitioning students must be fully enrolled by Thursday, August 15 to receive bus transportation on the first day of the 2025–26 school year. This deadline does not apply to students continuing at the same school they attended during 2024–25.
   
   👉 Register Now
   
   

2. Key Dates to Know

   • August 15: Enrollment deadline for bus service to begin on Day One
   • Week of August 18:
     • Bus schedules will be available in ParentVUE
     • Postcards with transportation information will be mailed to families of fully enrolled students

3. Back-to-School Bus Checklist

   Help your student get to school safely and on time by following these tips: 
   • Be at the bus stop 10 minutes early
   • Make sure students are ready and visible at the stop
   • Update contact info in ParentVUE for real-time notifications
   • Review your child’s bus assignment in ParentVUE before the first day
   • Plan for possible delays in bus arrival and school arrival times, especially for schools with later start times.

4. Get Your Questions Answered

   Need details on:
   
   
   • Where to find your child’s bus schedule?
   • The new PGCPS mobile app being piloted for families?
   • Potential delays related to driver shortages?
     
     Visit our Transportation FAQs for answers to these and other common questions.

5. New Bus App Phase-In 📱

   We are excited to announce the initial launch of the Chipmunk App, our new school bus tracking tool designed to enhance communication and improve the transportation experience for our families. This app will provide parents and guardians with real-time updates and trip notifications about their child's school bus, offering greater peace of mind and improved transparency.

   To ensure a smooth launch, we have developed a phased rollout plan for the Chipmunk App. Families will be onboarded to the system by route number, which allows us to ensure a stable transition as we introduce this new platform.

   We will begin with routes starting with F and L (e.g., F01, L56, etc.). Families assigned to these routes will be onboarded to the Chipmunk App prior to rollout on September 2.

   All other routes not included in the initial rollout will continue to use Stopfinder for bus tracking until further notice. Parents can confirm their child's route on the ParentVue portal.

   
   👉 Learn More