High schoolers in grades 9 to 12 in Hawaii may apply for a free bus pass, according to the Hawaii Department of Education. 

The bus passes are provided through a program called EXPRESS (Expanding Ridership to Educate Students in School). The EXPRESS program was launched last year to mitigate the impact of the school bus driver shortage, and 10,000 students took part in the program. For the upcoming school year, the HIDOE suspended or rerouted school bus services at 10 Oahu high schools and four schools on Kauai. This means even more students will rely on the EXPRESS program. 

Any student with an active HIDOE number may sign up online for a free county bus pass until April 1, 2024. (Students at private schools and charter schools are not eligible for the program.) The bus passes will be valid from Aug. 1, 2023, until May 31, 2024. If a student has an existing regular school bus pass, they will need to cancel it in order to receive an EXPRESS bus pass. Refunds for school bus passes can be requested.

In order to apply for the EXPRESS program, first check the transit office website for the island that you live on in order to identify the best bus route, times and locations for getting to your school. After determining your route, fill out this online application form. 

For students on Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Island, passes will be given to the schools as soon as possible. Students can pick them up at the school’s office once prompted. 

For students on Oahu, ID cards will be distributed to all high schoolers. The new student ID will have a HOLO chip built into the student ID, which can be used for TheBus or Skyline. Once the online application is completed, it will take three to five business days for the chip in the ID card to become activated for use. 

For more details and safety information, visit HIDOE’s website.