Transportation

Bus stops and routes are designed with consideration of safety, efficiency, least cost and shortest over-all ride times. Bus stops are located at corners or intersections whenever possible and are usually central to where all of the students are coming from. Some house stops are made on very busy roads or mid-way on long streets. We generally do not send regular route buses into culs-de-sac or dead end roads unless it is more than 1/2 mile to the nearest through street, because of lack of safe access. Bus stops will generally be closer to student's houses for younger students. Older students will be expected to walk farther to bus stops. The district cannot provide a majority of bus stops that are visible from student's houses. We do encourage parents to be out at bus stops for the safety of their children.

If you find that your child is the first on and/or last off the bus and is the only one at the bus stop, and you would like your child to use another stop with other students, please call our office and we can reassign your child to the nearest stop with other students. Parents would be responsible for getting their children to and from the new stop.

Please note that bus drivers are not allowed to make bus stop changes without approval from the transportation office. Bus stop changes are not made during the first two weeks of school except to accommodate new students moving into the district or those with daycare changes. If you have questions or concerns about bus stops, please call our office at (952) 975-7500.

If your student does not ride the bus for 10 consecutive days, your child will be removed from his/her bus route. To reactivate your student's bus stop, please contact the transportation office.

Minnesota state law requires the district to provide transportation services to all students who live outside a two-mile radius of their school. The law also stipulates that we must provide transportation, regardless of where they live, for special education students who require transportation as part of their individual education plan. The law does allow for districts, if the school board approves, to provide transportation to students within the two-mile boundary for a fee. The school board has determined that the fee-based busing program will again be offered for the current and upcoming school year. The fees for this school year will be $175.00 per student with a cap of $295.00 per family. Payment of the fee guarantees your child a seat on the bus and entitles you to the same rights and responsibilities as students that live outside the two-mile distance. For more information please refer to the Transportation's Frequently Asked Questions and the School Bus Safety Procedures and General Information brochure that is mailed to all families prior to the start of school each fall.

You can register and pay in the Parent FeePay system by logging into your parent portal account in the District website. 

The decision is yours, but we hope that you will choose to utilize the district-provided transportation. Riding the bus is the safest mode of transportation to and from school for students. Please consider some of the following when making your decision:

1. If you are planning to allow your child to walk to and from school:

o The number of streets your child may need to cross unattended.
o During the winter months all sidewalks and pathways may not be cleared well-enough to allow safe off-street passage.
o Your contingency plans in case of inclement weather, i.e., snow and rain.
o Personal convenience.

2. If you are planning to drive your student, carpool or hire alternative transportation, please consider:

o Traffic congestion at the schools. Each school has its own traffic control plan. The prescribed pick-up and drop-off points may require waiting in line in order to drop-off/pick-up your child.
o Driver training and insurance liabilities.
o Contingency plan.
o Personal convenience 

Eden Prairie Schools has a well-trained staff of drivers and our buses are very well maintained. We have an excellent safety record. We hope you will choose us for your student transportation needs.

• Guns including play guns
• Knives or other sharp objects
• Gasoline engines or cans
• Animals, insects or fish
• Matches, lighters
• Glass items, aerosol products
• Laser pens
• Skis, ski poles, hockey sticks (Nordic ski team equipment is allowed if skis and poles are in a bag and not blocking an emergency exit)
• Skateboards, scooters
• Golf clubs, lacrosse sticks, baseball bats (Lacrosse sticks and baseball bats for a school event may be allowed if kept up front by the driver. Bats must be contained in the bat bag. No items may ever block an emergency exit)
• Anything Latex (Such as balloons)
• Any items of dangerous or objectionable nature 

Our goal is for students to have a safe and respectful ride to and from school. We appreciate your cooperation.

Students who participate in after-school activities may ride an activity bus home. The activity buses depart Central Middle School at 5:30 p.m. and then go to the high school to pick up students there. They then depart Eden Prairie High School at 5:40 p.m.  The bus routes and stop locations can also be accessed below.

Bus Routes and Stop Locations

Route A

Route B

Route C

Route D

Link to submit form electronically:  Safety Review Request

Link to submit form electronically:  Alternate Bus Stop Request

Link to submit form electronically:  Non-resident transportation request form