With the continual down trend of available qualified school bus drivers, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (Department) has continued 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. Effective school year 2025-2026, EXPRESS will extend availability to students attending middle and/or intermediate schools statewide.
The Department has extended this 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 14, 2025, and close on May 12, 2026.
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), all bus pass requests must be submitted using the School Bus Application form (ST-70) and completed MV-1 form. For assistance with the county bus pass process, please contact your complex area MVA liaison.
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
- Check the respective island transit office website for route information and identify the bus route(s), times and locations with your child.
- 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.
- E hoʻopiha i kahi palapala noi pūnaewele maanei (Applications will be available until May 12, 2026). 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.
- Upon application submission, passes will be available for pick up at your school office within ten (10) to 14 business days.
- Due to high volume requests at the beginning of the year, delays may occur to printing errors and delivery time. Please plan accordingly.
- Identify and practice safe walking routes to/from the bus stops at home and at the school.
Aponoia No ka Mokupuni
- Kauaʻi: Upon application approval and submission, school staff will notify students when Kauaʻi Bus monthly passes are available for pick up at the office.
- 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: The Maui Bus Fixed Route service currently allows students with a valid ID ages 24 years and younger to ride for free. Students shall present their valid ID to the driver upon entering the fixed route bus.
- Hawaiʻi mokupuni: Hele-On county bus transportation is currently fare-free until Dec. 2025. No passes are available for distribution.
Ka lā hoʻopau noi
The EXPRESS County Bus Pass Program is open and accepting applications until May 12, 2026.
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, 2025 to May 31, 2026.
Can I apply for a county bus pass and a regular school bus pass?
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.
How do I find out what route and bus stop to use?
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.
How many rides does the county bus pass include?
Loaʻa nā kaʻa kaʻa palena ʻole i kēlā me kēia mahina.
How will the bus passes be distributed?
E ʻokoʻa ka hāʻawi ʻana i nā pā i kēlā me kēia mokupuni:
Kauaʻi: Bus passes will be distributed as they become available by the county public transit office and will be distributed to the school(s) prior to the first of the following month.
Oʻahu: Upon application review and approval, HOLO cards will be distributed to the schools and will be available for pick up within 10-14 business days. Delivery times may vary due to high volume. Please plan accordingly.
Maui: The Maui Bus Fixed Route service currently allows students with a valid ID ages 24 years and younger to ride for free. Students shall present their valid ID to the driver upon entering the fixed route bus.
Hawaiʻi mokupuni: Hele-On county bus transportation is currently fare free until December 2025. No passes are available for distribution.
What if my county bus pass is lost, stolen or damaged?
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: No kahi pani pūnaewele - Palapala Kāleka Hoʻololi DOE Express
Replacements are free and will be mailed in 5-7 business days.
Koho 2: E hele i ke Keʻena Transit Pass (ma Kalihi Transit Center, kihi o ke Alanui Waena a me Kamehameha Hwy) ma waena o 7:30 am–4 pm, Pōʻakahi–Pōʻalima (koe nā lā hoʻomaha kūlanakauhale).
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.
Can the county bus pass be utilized for ADA and/or Paratransit services?
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.
Are regular school bus passes also free?
The eligibility requirements for a free school bus pass have not changed. Please refer to the kula 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.
What if we applied for a county bus pass and then changed our minds?
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
- Bus Schedules: https://www.kauai.gov/BusSchedules
- Rider Rules/Safety Information: https://www.kauai.gov/Government/Departments-Agencies/Transportation/Carry-On-Items-Prohibited-Activities
Phone Number: (808) 246-8110
leka uila: thekauaibus@kauai.gov
Hoʻoiho i ka polokalamu: Kauai Bus Tracker
Oʻahu
Pūnaewele: https://www.thebus.org
- To Purchase a Youth HOLO card: https://www.thebus.org/Fare/YouthFare_submitFormNew.asp
- Bus Schedules: https://www.thebus.org/Route/Routes.asp
- Plan Your Trip: https://www.thebus.org/PlanYourTrip.asp
- Rider Rules/Safety Information: https://www.thebus.org/howtoride/RulesReg.asp?l=
Phone Number: (808) 768-4656 (HOLO)
Phone Number: (808) 848-5555, ext 5 (TheBus Customer Service)
leka uila: [email protected]
Download the app: HEA-TheBus (available on iOS and Android)
Maui
Pūnaewele: https://www.mauicounty.gov/605/Bus-Service-Schedule-Information
- Bus Tracking: https://mauibus.org/
- Rider Rules/Safety Information: https://www.mauicounty.gov/606/Bus-Rules
Phone Number: (808) 871-7651
leka uila: [email protected]
Hoʻoiho i ka polokalamu: https://mauibus.org/
Mokupuni ʻo Hawaiʻi
Pūnaewele: https://www.heleonbus.hawaiicounty.gov/
- Bus Schedules: http://www.heleonbus.hawaiicounty.gov/getting-around/bus-schedules-and-maps
- Rider Rules/Safety Information: https://www.heleonbus.hawaiicounty.gov/getting-around/riding-on-hele-on-buses
Phone Number: (808) 961-8744, option 1
leka uila: heleonbus@hawaiicounty.gov