RideKC Student Pass Program
KCPS and KCATA are partnering to provide students with additional transportation opportunities. KCPS students in grades 9-12 will have the opportunity to ride KCATA buses at no cost.
Program Details
- Student ridership is an opt-in basis only; parents/guardians must sign permission slips and return to the school. Students should not be enrolled in the program without a signed parent/guardian permission slip.
- The RideKC Student Pass is to be used for KCATA ridership only and does not replace high school student ID badges.
- Cards may not be used by, exchanged, or transferred to any individual other than the student issued the card.
- Students will have access to transit during normal bus operation hours, 7 days per week (Ridership will be restricted after city or county curfew).
- Students who ride public transit must submit to all KCATA rules and regulations.
- Student ridership privileges may be revoked at any time by either KCPS or KCATA.
- KCPS is not responsible for a student’s whereabouts or safety while riding KCATA transit.
- This partnership doesn’t replace yellow school bus transportation. It is intended to be used outside of the school day to provide transportation options for students.
- In order to retain ridership privileges, students must maintain at least 85% attendance for SY19-20 (less than 6 absences per quarter). Ridership privileges will be revoked if students do not meet the attendance requirement. Students have the opportunity to regain ridership privileges at the conclusion of the next quarter, if they regain at least 85% attendance for SY19-20.
How will the program work?
- The school will be supplied with permission slips and program flyers. The school should distribute the information to all students in grades 9-12.
- Students will submit completed permission slips to the school’s main office.
- The school will need to designate an individual (School Site Program Manager) in the front office to collect all permission slips. The School Site Program Manager will also need to enroll each student in the program via Tyler. In many cases, the School Site Program Manager will be the secretary.
- All permission slips need to be completed by Friday, September 13th. If a permission slip comes in after September 13, students will not receive a RideKC Student Pass until after the conclusion of 1st Quarter.
- Central office staff will access enrolled students through Tyler starting on September 19 and start printing badges.
- Central office staff will print ID badges (RideKC Student Pass) and deliver them to the School Site Program Manager via interoffice mail. Interoffice mail will include the RideKC Student Passes and a student signature list. Students must sign and acknowledge when they receive the RideKC Student Pass. The School Site Program Manager should retain the sign in sheet as documentation that cards have been distributed.
- The School Site Program Manager will need to distribute the RideKC Student Passes to the appropriate students and ensure they sign and acknowledge receiving the RideKC Student Pass.
- Cards will only be printed 5 times per year – SY19-20 initial program launch (Sept 13), the end of first quarter (Oct 11), the end of second quarter (Dec 20), the end of third quarter (March 13), and two weeks before the end of the school year (May 6). This includes reprints for lost/stolen cards. To ensure that students receive their cards, please make sure the student is enrolled in the program via Tyler BEFORE the dates listed above.
Student Pass Documents
Permission Slip (English)
Permission Slip (Spanish)
How To Guide (For Schools)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who can use the passes?
- Are the passes available to use at all hours?
- What if students wish to enroll in the program after Sept 13th?
- What if students lose a RideKC Student Pass?
- What happens if a student enrolled in the program falls below the 85% attendance requirement?
- How will the student know if his card is active/inactive?
- If a student’s card is deactivated, should they dispose of the card?
- How will attendance be calculated?
- Can the pass be taken away for disciplinary reasons?
- Can a sibling, parent or another student use the same card?
- Can a student sign up for a pass without their parent/guardian’s permission?
- What if a student does not have a photo uploaded to Tyler?
- What if a parent/guardian originally completes the permission slip, but later decides they do not want their child participating?
- What if schools/parents have additional questions?