As the start of the 2026-27 school year approaches, a Hutto ISD administrator shared a preview of operational changes coming to the district's transportation department.
What you need to know
HISD Transportation Director Dana Rosen shared updates on the department's plans for the coming school year in a July 23 board meeting.
Rosen said bus routes have been revamped to consolidate stops, relocate stops near unsafe intersection configurations, avoid high-traffic zones and rail crossings, and reduce turns in neighborhoods.
The core goal of this refresh is to maximize efficiency and safety using, without adding drivers or buses to the district's transportation program, she said.
The details
After a review of bus stops in the district, stops located near T-shaped intersections will be relocated to longer streets to provide more visibility of students and buses to drivers. These relocations, Rosen said, ensure traffic will be fully stopped to safely allow students to cross the street.
Some stops have also been consolidated to streamline routes and make sure students arrive on campus in time for breakfast. Elementary school students's stops will be at most 0.25 miles from their homes, while bus stops for secondary students will be no more than half a mile from home, in accordance with the district's walk-to-stop guidelines.
Rosen said impacted students would be notified about changes to their bus stops.
The district is also updating its live tracking system to Tyler Drive and the My Ride K-12 app. Parents can track their student's live bus route, and bus drivers will now have photos accompanying rider names to ensure all students are accounted for.
Feeder patterns for schools have also been adjusted to reduce rail crossings, and some students may qualify for bus services this year that have not in past years due to a lack of sidewalks.
What they're saying
Rosen said routes could be subject to change during the first two weeks of school.
"It is going to be fast and furious," Rosen said. "That is the nature of transportation. It moves, and it moves quickly. But I think we have a solid plan in place and we know how to pivot. Now that we have the technology in place, we can do that a lot faster."
What's next?
Rosen said finalized routes are expected to go live Aug. 4. She encouraged questions be directed to the Transportation Department, which can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 512-759-2105.
