Transportation and Bus Services
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) provides transportation services for more than 35,000 students every school day, as well as a free app to track your child’s bus. Learn about eligibility for busing, transportation and walk zones, bus policies, and more.
Eligibility
Is your student eligible for the MPS bus program? To receive bus service, your student must:
1. Have a City of Milwaukee address
2. Live OUTSIDE the school’s walk zone
For students in K–8 schools, the walk zone is one mile; for middle and high school students, the walk zone is two miles.
3. Live INSIDE the school’s transportation zone
The transportation zone is the distance away from your school that you must live to receive bus service. This distance varies by school type and can be found on the Transportation Zones page.
Eligibility for busing is based on MPS School Board of Directors Policy 4.04 (PDF). If you live outside of a school's transportation region and are unable to provide your own transportation, you may need to find another school assignment. Use our School Finder Map to look for other MPS schools.
Routes and Stops
Bus stops are selected to avoid crossing, loading, and unloading on busy streets. Each student who rides a bus is assigned to a specific stop at the closest safe corner to their address, often within three blocks:
- Elementary students (grades K3–5) may need to walk up to ¼ mile to a safe corner stop.
- Middle and high school students (grades 6–12) may need to walk up to ½ mile.
If your child is eligible for transportation services and enrolled prior to the start of the school year, they will be automatically assigned a bus route and stop. Routes are determined based on the address on file for each student, so families must keep their information updated in the Campus Parent Portal to ensure students are assigned the correct bus routes. Watch your mailbox—and your inbox—for bus information in late August. You will receive a postcard and an email with your student’s bus stop one week before school starts.
Busing Changes After the Start of the School Year
All transportation requests submitted after the school year begins will be handled by your child's school. Log in to Infinite Campus Parent Portal to view your transportation information, then call the school to request a different bus stop. This includes if your family is moving, if you are changing childcare providers, or if you would like transportation to an address other than your residence.
Schools electronically request route adjustments and notify you when the changes have been processed. Bus changes take effect on Tuesdays and Fridays each week.
Rules and Conduct
Pickup and Dropoff
- Be ready at your stop location 10 minutes before your student's pickup time.
- All K3, K4, and K5 students must be met by a responsible adult; met or accompanied by a sibling; or, with parent/guardian permission, met or accompanied by a friend over the age of seven.
- If your student is more than 10 minutes late being dropped off or you have other scheduling/pickup/drop-off problems, call the bus company. If you are unsure of the specific bus company, please contact your school or call the Department of Business and Transportation Services at (414) 475-8922.
Code of Conduct
- Bus riders and families must be respectful of the bus, driver, and other riders and must follow the Code of Conduct found in the Parent/Student Handbook on Rights, Responsibilities, and Discipline.
- Transportation is a privilege. In cases of bus misconduct, including bullying or other behavior concerns, report any issues to your school administrators as soon as they occur. (School bus drivers are responsible for reporting bus misconduct, but they do not have the authority to suspend students.)
- School administrators or the Department of Business and Transportation Services can temporarily or permanently suspend ridership privileges. Disciplinary actions are generally progressive in nature, but serious misconduct may result in immediate service suspension. When considering school bus suspensions, MPS follows due-process and just-cause procedures that give all parties an opportunity to be heard. Note: A bus suspension is not a suspension from school. Caregivers are responsible for providing transportation for their students if bus privileges have been suspended.
WheresTheBus App
WheresTheBus is a FREE app that tracks your student’s bus in real time.
Contact Information
The Department of Business and Transportation Services is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Please call (414) 475-8922 for assistance.