Hawaiʻi State Department of Education

Ka ʻOihana Hoʻonaʻauao o ke Aupuni Hawaiʻi

Rates & Payments

Once school bus applications are reviewed and approved by your school, payment must be received prior to the start of bus service. Families will be notified by phone or email notification once the application has been processed.

School Year 2025-2026 Application Periods

All school bus applicants (both paid and free-status riders) must apply on a quarterly basis per the schedule provided below:

  • Quarter 1: July 14 to Aug. 15, 2025
  • Quarter 2: Sept. 22 to Oct. 17, 2025
  • Quarter 3: Dec. 12, 2025 to Jan. 9, 2026
  • Quarter 4: Mar. 2 to Mar. 27, 2026

Applications must be submitted on a QUARTERLY basis and will not be accepted outside of the indicated periods. Please plan accordingly.

Any applications that have not been paid or are pending approval after the quarterly period end date will automatically be denied and cleared from the application queue. Any applications submitted before the new period opens or after the period has closed will automatically be denied.

Rates

The flat rate for student bus passes are:

  • Quarterly round trip: $72
  • Quarterly one-way: $36

paying for bus services

Accepted Payments

All students that are approved for bus service (except those approved for free status) must pay the prevailing transportation fee upon approval as indicated in Part IV of the application. Payments must be made prior to the start of bus service or the application will be canceled and your student may lose their seat assignment. 

If you submitted an application in-person, payments shall be made using one of the following options listed below:

  • Cash
  • Cashier’s check (payable to “The Department of Education”)
  • Money order (payable to “The Department of Education”)
  • No personal checks will be accepted

Replacement passes will require a $5 fee that can be paid to the school office (cash only).

If you submitted an application online, you will receive an email notification to pay via the EZSchoolPay app once the application is approved by the school.

The payment receipt is the temporary bus pass. It has the child’s name, school, and assigned route number and can be printed at home or by school office personnel.