ʻOihana Hoʻonaʻauao o ka Mokuʻāina ʻo Hawaiʻi

Ka ʻOihana Hoʻonaʻauao o ke Aupuni Hawaiʻi

ʻO ka papahana ʻo EXPRESS County Bus Pass

The Hawaii State Department of Education (Department) continues to partner with the four counties in a collaborative effort to provide transportation options for HIDOE students. 

The EXPRESS program–which stands for Hoʻonui i ka Lidership e hoʻonaʻauao i nā haumāna ma nā kula—was piloted in the 2022–23 school year to help mitigate the impacts of the ongoing national school bus driver shortage. Extending to school year 2026-2027, EXPRESS will continue availability to students attending middle and/or intermediate and high schools statewide.

The Department has extended this transportation option as a courtesy to support families; however, it is not a mandated service.  

ka pono

Nā mea hou e pono ai no ka poʻe noi kalana kalana manuahi:

  • Be a Hawaiʻi public school student attending middle and/or intermediate or high school with an active HIDOE ID number; and
  • Attend their home school (no Geographical Exemptions); and
  • Reside 1.5 miles or more from their home school in their public school attendance area.  Walkzone is calculated from the recorded home address in Infinite Campus to the nearest public access for the school campus (not from the main office).

The application period will open on July 13, 2026, and close on April 30, 2027. 

If your child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Modified Plan (MP) that includes transportation as a related service, please contact your district educational specialist (DES) for more information.

For students eligible under the McKinney-Vento Act (MVA), do not apply for an EXPRESS pass.  All bus pass requests must be submitted using the School Bus Application form (ST-70), along with a completed, approved MV-1 form. For assistance with this process, please contact your complex area MVA liaison.  See complex area directory here.

For students attending a Kaiapuni program, please email [email protected] with the following information:  

  • Student Name; 
  • DOE Student ID number (10-digits); and
  • School.

These requests must be reviewed on a manual basis due to distance from attending school.

Kaʻina hana noi

Your student may only use one transportation option at a time. 

If your student has an existing regular school bus pass, they will have to discontinue this service if they choose to apply for an EXPRESS pass. EXPRESS applications will be approved on an annual basis. Please choose the right option for your student as they cannot change their pass type for the remainder of the year. 

For families that do not meet the transportation eligibility criteria, please see your county’s bus agencies for more information on purchasing a youth pass.

Nā ʻanuʻu e noi ai

  1. E nānā i ka pūnaewele keʻena kaʻa moku no ka ʻike ala a e ʻike i ke ala kaʻa, nā manawa a me nā wahi me kāu keiki.
  2. Check your student’s transportation eligibility:
    • Check the distance from your student’s listed home address (as recorded in Infinite Campus) to home school.  
    • If the distance is 1.5 miles or more and your student is not attending school on a GE, then your student qualifies for a free EXPRESS pass.
  3. E hoʻopiha i kahi palapala noi pūnaewele maanei (Applications will be available until April 30, 2027). Transportation eligibility will be determined by the home and school location in Infinite Campus. You will be notified during this process if your student is approved for an EXPRESS pass.
  4. Upon application submission, passes will be available for pick up at your school office within 15 to 25 business days. 
    • Due to high volume requests, delays may occur due to printing errors and delivery time. Please plan accordingly.
  5. E hoʻomaopopo a hoʻomaʻamaʻa i nā ala hele wāwae palekana i/mai ke kahua kaʻa kaʻa ma ka home a ma ke kula.

Aponoia No ka Mokupuni

  • Kauaʻi: Ma ka ʻae ʻia ʻana a me ka waiho ʻana, e haʻi aku nā limahana o ke kula i nā haumāna i ka wā e loaʻa ai nā pā o kēlā me kēia mahina o Kauaʻi Bus no ke kiʻi ʻana ma ke keʻena.
  • Oʻahu: Ma ka ʻae ʻia a me ka waiho ʻana, e hoʻouna ʻia nā kāleka HOLO i ke keʻena kula no ka hāʻawi ʻana.
  • Maui: ʻAe ka lawelawe ʻo Maui Bus Fixed Route i kēia manawa i nā haumāna me kahi ID kūpono o 24 mau makahiki a ʻoi aʻe e holo manuahi. E hōʻike nā haumāna i kā lākou ID kūpono i ke kalaiwa i ke komo ʻana i ke kaʻa kaʻa ala paʻa.
  • Hawaiʻi mokupuni: Hele-On county bus transportation is currently fare-free until Dec. 2028. No passes are available for distribution.

Ka lā hoʻopau noi

The EXPRESS County Bus Pass Program is open and accepting applications until April 30, 2027.

city bus
TheBus waits for passengers
Skyline Kalihi Transit Station
EXPRESS County Bus Program HOLO Cards can be used on Skyline

FAQ

If the FAQ does not address your question, please email us at [email protected]. Please note responses may take time depending on the volume of questions received.

Pehea ka lōʻihi o ka maikaʻi o nā pā?

Passes will be valid from August 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027.

Hiki iaʻu ke noi no kahi kaʻa kaʻa kalana a me kahi kaʻa kaʻa kula maʻamau?

HIDOE students may only use one (1) transportation option at a time. 

If a student has an existing regular school bus pass, they will have to discontinue this service if they choose to apply for an EXPRESS pass. EXPRESS applications will be approved on an annual basis (one time per school year).  

If a student chooses to cancel their EXPRESS pass at any time, they cannot re-apply for the remainder of the school year due to purchasing restrictions.

Pehea au e ʻike ai i ke ala a me ke kahua kaʻa kaʻa e hoʻohana ai?

E ʻoluʻolu e kelepona i ka lawelawe lawelawe keʻena kaʻa moku mokuʻāina me ka hoʻohana ʻana i ka ʻike pili i hāʻawi ʻia ma lalo nei.

Ma Oʻahu, pehea inā he Kāleka HOLO kaʻu keiki?

The student passes that the Department is distributing are separate from the Youth Holo Cards, but will function the same as the Holo Card on TheBus and Skyline.

Will the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education reimburse families for city and county bus passes already purchased?

ʻAʻole.

ʻEhia kaʻa holo kaʻa kalana?

Loaʻa nā kaʻa kaʻa palena ʻole i kēlā me kēia mahina.

Pehea e puunaueia ai na pass bus?

E ʻokoʻa ka hāʻawi ʻana i nā pā i kēlā me kēia mokupuni:

Kaua‘i: E māhele ʻia nā palapala kaʻa kaʻa i ka wā e loaʻa ai e ke keʻena kaʻa kaʻa kalana a e hāʻawi ʻia i ke kula (mau) ma mua o ka lā mua o ka mahina e hiki mai ana.

Oʻahu: Upon application review and approval, HOLO cards will be distributed to the schools and will be available for pick up within 15-25 business days. Delivery times may vary due to high volume. Please plan accordingly.
Maui: ʻAe ka lawelawe ʻo Maui Bus Fixed Route i kēia manawa i nā haumāna me kahi ID kūpono o 24 mau makahiki a ʻoi aʻe e holo manuahi. E hōʻike nā haumāna i kā lākou ID kūpono i ke kalaiwa i ke komo ʻana i ke kaʻa kaʻa ala paʻa.
Hawai‘i Island: Hele-On county bus transportation is currently fare free until December 2028. No passes are available for distribution.

Pehea inā nalowale kaʻu kaʻa kaʻa kalana, ʻaihue a poino paha?

No Kauaʻi
Ma muli o ke ʻano o ka pā mahina, hoʻokahi wale nō pass i hāʻawi ʻia i kahi haumāna. Inā nalowale / ʻaihue, pono lākou e kali a hiki i ka mahina aʻe e loaʻa ai ka mea hou.

No nā kāleka HOLO i nalowale a ʻaihue (Oʻahu wale nō)
Koho 1: Online replacement, click here – DOE Express Replacement Card Form. He manuahi nā mea pani a e hoʻouna ʻia i nā lā ʻoihana 5-7.

Koho 2: Go to the Transit Pass Office (at Kalihi Transit Center, corner of Middle Street and Kamehameha Hwy) between 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. M-F (except City Holidays).
ʻO $2 nā kāleka pani i kēlā me kēia ma ke Keʻena Transit Pass. Manaʻo ʻia ʻoe e hōʻea ma mua o 3 pm inā loaʻa kahi laina.

Hiki ke hoʻohana ʻia ke kaʻa kaʻa kalana no ADA a/a i ʻole nā lawelawe Paratransit?

County bus passes for ADA and Paratransit services are not included in this program.  

Please visit the Department’s ʻaoʻao pūnaewele hoʻonaʻauao kūikawā no ka ʻike hou aku e pili ana i nā koho kaʻa.

He manuahi ka hele kaʻa kaʻa kula maʻamau?

The eligibility requirements for a free school bus pass have not changed. Please refer to the school bus application handbook no ka ʻike hou aku.

Hiki iaʻu ke hele i ke keʻena kaʻa kalana e kiʻi i ka pass o kaʻu haumāna?

No, the initial bus passes will be distributed to the school office.

Please refer to the “Lost/Stolen/Damaged” card procedure above regarding replacement cards.

He aha inā inā mākou e noi i kahi kaʻa kaʻa kalana a laila hoʻololi i ko mākou manaʻo?

EXPRESS applications will be approved on an annual basis. Please choose the right option for your student as they cannot change their pass type for the remainder of the year. If you choose to cancel your existing EXPRESS pass for a school bus pass, you will not be able to reinstate it for the remainder of the school year.

COUNTY BUS INFORMATION

Kauaʻi
Pūnaewele: https://www.kauai.gov/Transportation

Phone Number: (808) 246-8110
leka uila: [email protected] 
Hoʻoiho i ka polokalamu: Kauai Bus Tracker

Oʻahu
The EXPRESS County Bus Pass Program card works with both TheBus and Skyline.

Skyline website: https://www.honolulu.gov/dts/skyline/

TheBus website: https://www.thebus.org

Maui
Pūnaewele: https://www.mauicounty.gov/bus
Rider Rules/Safety Information: https://www.mauicounty.gov/606/Bus-Rules
Phone Number: (808) 871-7651
leka uila: [email protected]
Hoʻoiho i ka polokalamu: Maui Bus

Mokupuni ʻo Hawaiʻi

Pūnaewele: https://www.heleonbus.hawaiicounty.gov/
Bus routes by school (pdf)
Rules of the road (pdf)
Phone Number: (808) 961-8744, option 1
leka uila: [email protected]