Transportation

Welcome to the SMSD Transportation Department. Bus registration is required for ALL general education students who plan to ride the bus. Registration MUST be done annually, regardless of current status.

K-12 General Education Registration Information

STOP RIGHT HERE AND REGISTER FOR BUSING!

Annual bus registration is required for all students who plan to ride the bus. Registration is open for the 2025-26 school year.

Go to School Finder to find out if busing is available for your student

Students who live less than 2.5 miles from the school in their attendance area may pay to ride the bus in areas with established routes. Routes will be established annually based on interest and registration of at least 50 pay riders. Schools with no attendance boundaries beyond the 2.5 mile statutory requirement must meet the 50 pay contracts to offer busing unless a variance zone has been identified.
The Shawnee Mission School District provides free bus transportation to students living 2.5 miles or more from the school in their attendance area. Please visit School Finder to see if you qualify.

If busing is available- Registration is REQUIRED.

Registration for general education busing is required annually for all students who plan to ride the bus. Please visit DS Bus Lines to register. Para registrarse en español, haga clic aquí.
Pay to Ride cost:
- $185.00 per student, per semester
- $370.00 per student for the school year

Timely registration is strongly encouraged, as space on most routes is limited. Bus assignments will be made on a first-come, first-served basis

Students who qualify for Direct Certification or Child Nutrition Meal Benefits may register to ride an existing route at no cost. (Visit School Cafe' to complete an application for free or reduced meals after July 1 - https://www.schoolcafe.com/SHAWNEEMISSION). A copy of the Direct Certification letter or School Meal Benefits letter must be shared with DS Bus Lines at payments@dsbuslines.com, or a parent must complete a Consent for Disclosure form in order for Food Service to share meal benefit status with transportation.

You've registered- Great! Here's how to finalize your busing

You should receive an email immediately after registering. If you do not, please reach out to DS Bus.
Registration can take up to ten days to process.
Those that have registered for busing by July 29th can access bus information via the student's Skyward Family Access account prior to the start of school.
If a student’s bus information isn’t showing up in Skyward then the child isn’t yet routed to the bus. Call DS Bus Lines with any questions or concerns (913-384-1190).
Once student bus information is available in Skyward Family Access, please sign up for the late bus notification system Textcaster. Both parents and students can sign up to receive bus notifications via this text system.

Terms and Conditions

Kindergarteners and first-graders must have an adult receive the student at the bus stop.

Bus service is available at schools where 50 or more students are contracted to ride the bus, or where pay ridership has been mandated.

Service will not be started until a signed contract with payment is submitted to DS Bus Lines. Secondary students will be required to show student I.D. to the driver. They will not be allowed to ride the bus without showing student I.D.

**Transportation changes include limiting high school routes to students residing over 2.0 miles from their school.

Students riding school buses must follow all district safety expectations (Expectations in Spanish). Violations of bus regulations may result in the student receiving appropriate and prescribed disciplinary actions, which may include being removed from the bus and/or suspension from school. To help ensure compliance with necessary safety expectations, video cameras may be used on school buses.

As well as our safety expectations, codes of conduct can be found in the 2025-26 Elementary Student Handbook (pages 13-16- Disciplinary Action Chart Level II, offense #8: Disruption on the school bus), which can include office referral, loss of privileges, and short-term out-of-school suspension for disruptions on the school bus. Please go over expectations and follow district guidelines with your student.

Contact Information

DS Bus lines

(913) 384-1190
5519 Merriam Dr.
Merriam, KS 66203
Payments: payments@dsbuslines.com Bus fare is payable by credit card, money order, or check. CASH WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Please reach out to DS Bus Lines with questions regarding rider eligibility, driver conduct, student injury, bus safety, and bus routes. DS Bus Lines reserves the right to hold parents or guardians responsible for any vandalism their child may do on the bus.

BUS CONTRACT / CONTRATO DE AUTOBÚS EN ESPAÑOL
For those needing an alternative to online registration, print out the bus contract or obtain from the school office and submit the completed form to DS Bus Lines address listed above.

assisted transportation

(913) 262-5190
Email: smschedule@assistedtransportation.com

Please reach out to Assisted Transportation to find out pick-up time, report if a van arrival is late, or issues with van staff. Also, please call to cancel transportation at least 2 hours prior to the pick-up window. Office hours are Monday-Friday from 6:30am-5:00pm. Voicemail is available 24/7.

smsd transportation department

(913) 993-6331
Center for Academic Achievement
8200 W. 71st St.
Shawnee Mission, KS 66204

Please reach out to your student's home school or the bus company directly with any issues. We are happy to help if you are unsure who to reach out to or with any unresolved questions.

Alternatives to Transportation - Safe Routes to School

The Shawnee Mission School District encourages active transportation alternatives for students and families wishing to bike or walk to school. The district collaborates with cities, BikeWalkKC and Johnson County Department of Health & Environment to support safe routes to and from school, annual Walk, Roll & Stroll Days, and bike safety instruction.

The school district continues to work with JCDHE and BikeWalkKC to complete safety audits as part of safety planning for schools each year. This work is supported, in part, by funding provided by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT).

Is your school interested in starting a Walking School Bus or learning more about Safe Routes to School? Contact Leigh Anne Neal, Chief of Strategic Initiatives.

Access free materials from Kansas Safe Routes to Schools to help inform and educate about biking and walking to school and in the community.

Special Services

Useful Links

AIMS School Finder - find out if your student's school has busing
DS Bus Contract - contract that can be printed to mail in, if you cannot register online.
DS Bus - Contrato de autobus en español
DS Bus Registration - Online bus registration site.
Food Services SchoolCafe- Visit to complete an application for free or reduced meals.
Food Services Consent to Disclose Form - Student Nutrition Services must have your permission to share your information with DS Bus on this consent.
Skyward - you will find bus number, pick up and drop off location and times in Skyward.
Textcaster - sign up to receive text updates on bus number changes, and if there are any delays to or from school.