If your student rides an FHPS bus to and/or from school, your student will receive a new bus card during the week of February 26. Please make sure your student adheres the card to their backpack or keeps it in a safe location. Beginning Monday, March 4, students will start to use the bus cards when entering and exiting their FHPS school bus. Remember, these cards will not be used to ride a school bus for school events such as athletics and/or field trips but will be used in the morning and afternoon for bus pick-up and drop-off during the school day.
A few things to note with the new bus cards:
- Each card has already been pre-programmed for each student.
- The card is an RFID or radio frequency identification card.
- Every student who rides a bus to and/or from school will be issued a bus card. Cards are not being distributed for academic or athletic field trips at this time.
- On Monday, March 4, students will begin to use the cards. We anticipate there will be a learning curve. When boarding the bus, students will “tap” their card on the card reader at the top of the bus steps. Similarly, students will “tap” their card on the card reader whenever they exit the school bus.
- When students “tap” their card, it lets the computer know the student has boarded or exited their bus and will notify the parent/guardian via the app.
- For the parent/guardian to receive an electronic notification, you must have the My Ride K-12 app (formerly known as Ride 360). Please download this app. Information about this app can be found on our website.
- If a student loses their card, the student can still board and exit the bus; the driver will manually enter the student’s information into the system.
- If a student loses their card, they may request a replacement card by notifying their bus driver or parent, who can contact transportation.
If your student rides a bus, there are two easy, quick things to do to help ensure a positive start to the bus card system.
- Make sure your student secures their bus card to their backpack when they receive it.
- Download the My Ride K-12 app. The My Ride K-12 app replaces the old version of the app known as Ride 360. Additional information can be found on the FHPS website, www.fhps.net.
We anticipate questions and know that there will be a learning curve with these cards. Our students’ safety is at the forefront of the implementation of these cards. Thank you for partnering with us on this additional safety measure. We are confident these cards will add another layer of communication with you so you know the whereabouts of your student going to and coming home from school.
The FHPS transportation department will send additional communication reminders to you throughout this implementation process. Please do not hesitate to contact our transportation office with questions at transportation@fhps.net, or 616-493-8785.
