State law requires public school districts to provide free transportation to all students living two miles or more from their school. Mounds View Public Schools meets this requirement. In addition, the District offers a fee-for-service option. All students who do not live in the “walk area” and reside less than two miles from their school have the option for bus service by paying the fee. A “walk area” is less than one mile for secondary school students and half a mile for elementary students.
All buses are running as scheduled unless listed. Refresh this page frequently for updated information.
Parents of current grade 1-12 students should receive emails on May 10 with specific instructions for each student. Please follow these directives. If you do not receive an email, please register below.
Once you have created an account with ePayTrack/SmartSchoolK12 (if applicable) and registered your student(s) using the form in step one, use the links below to pay any applicable fees. If you are paying for two students in the family, use the first payment link for each child separately. Use the Family Max only for payment for three or more students. Families who are eligible for educational benefits will not owe any fees, but still need to complete the registration process. If the appropriate amount isn’t shown at the end, please contact transportation@moundsviewschools.org as soon as possible.
To pay for two students in the household, pay for each separately using the (1) one student link.
If you are paying for more than two students, use the Family Max payment link.
A fee-based option is available for those students who live less than two miles from school and not within the walk area. The fee is $225 per student with a family cap of $500 per year. Fees may be paid by check or online with a credit card. For more information and detailed instructions, please visit mvpschools.org/transportation. The due date for 2023-24 bus registration is June 8, 2023.
How do you determine the two-mile service area?
The two-mile zones are determined by geographical mapping that calculates a distance radius directly between schools and homes and are not based on street routes. While there are many different tools for measuring distances, the District’s transportation software will be the official standard for applying the transportation rules. For more information, email transportation@mvpschools.org.
Why not charge all students a bus fee?
State Law (MN Statute 123B.88) requires districts to provide free transportation to all students living two miles or more from their school. Any bus service for students who live within two miles of school exceeds the state-mandated requirement. The District is providing service within two miles, for a fee, to accommodate parents’ requests for transportation assistance.
Can students within a walk area receive bus service?
A walk area is less than one mile for secondary school students and half a mile for elementary students. Students who live within these distances cannot receive transportation.
When will I get my bus pass?
Bus passes will be mailed to homes before the first day of school. Parents and guardians will also be able find the most up-to-date student bus information in ParentVUE in late August. Bus drivers will have rosters on their buses to ensure students are boarding the correct bus.
Do I need to register my student to ride the bus?
Maybe. Our registration process is changing for the 2023-24 school year, which means many students do not need to register for bus service. See the "Register for bus service" section above for more information.
Is transportation available to daycare facilities?
If a student’s daycare facility is beyond two miles of the school, transportation will be free. If the facility is within two miles of the school, transportation will be available for a fee.
Can my child ride home with a friend or use another bus stop?
No. Students can only ride their scheduled bus and must get on and off at their assigned stop only.
Are there opportunities for financial assistance?
Families who qualify for Educational Benefits can receive a fee waiver. Applications for Educational Benefits are available at your child’s school, at the District Nutrition Services Office (651-621-6025) or at mvpschools.org/educationalbenefits.
Are masks required on buses?
Masks are not required on Mounds View Public Schools buses.
Who can receive transportation?
By law, the District is required to offer free transportation to resident students who live two miles or more from school.
Free transportation
Fee-for-service
Residents
Provided if the student resides two miles or more from the school in their attendance area.*
Available if the student resides within two miles of school in their attendance area.
Non-resident agreements
Not provided**
Not available**
Open enrollment
By state law, free transportation is provided only if nearest in-District bus stop is two miles or more from school. Students must travel to nearest in- District bus stop.
Available only if nearest in-District bus stop is within two miles from school. Students must travel to nearest in-
District bus stop and pay the fee.
Intra-District transfers
Not available**
Not available**
*Walk Area provision: Fee-based bus service is not available if the distance from home to school is less than one mile for secondary school students, half a mile for elementary students and 1,400 feet for kindergarten students.
**Daycare provision: If a student’s daycare provider is within the school’s attendance area, transportation is available as follows. Free transportation is available if the daycare provider is located two miles or more from school. Fee-for-service transportation is available if the daycare provider is located within two miles of school.
