AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Independent School District (AISD) has announced major changes to its school bus services for the 2026-27 school year.
The district reports that, for every dollar it receives in state funding, it spends $7.22 per mile on transportation.
To cut costs and make bus services more financially efficient, AISD announced the following changes to its bus services:
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Traditional neighborhood stops will be replaced with a “hub stop” model
Middle and high school students will now board and get off the bus at hubs rather than neighborhood stops.
Hubs will be designated community locations that will serve as centralized pick-up and drop-off spots, such as at public libraries, CapMetro bus stops or post offices.
AISD hopes the new model will increase route efficiency and create shorter overall ride times for students.
The district is encouraging families to look into carpool or shared ride program options to get students to and from the hub stops.
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Return to the ‘2-mile standard’
Students must now live two or more miles from their assigned zoned school, or within a designated hazardous traffic area, to be eligible for district transportation. Two miles is the state standard, but students living less than two miles from certain campuses could previously qualify.
The following campuses enjoyed exceptions, but will now revert to the 2-mile standard:
Elementary (formerly >0.4 miles): Andrews, Blackshear/Oak Springs, Campbell, Harris, Jordan, Sanchez, Norman-Sims, Pecan Springs and ZavalaMiddle Schools (formerly >1.0 mile): Burnet, Dobie, Gus Garcia, Martin, Sadler Means and WebbHigh Schools (formerly >1.0 mile): Crockett, Eastside, Northeast and TravisLate-activity and campus cancellations
Late-activity buses from secondary schools will no longer run, but campuses can opt to fund these after-school buses with their own individual budgets.
Additionally, bus service to Campbell Elementary and Eastside Early College High School will be discontinued altogether.
“Districtwide transportation requires buses to travel vast distances across the city to serve a relatively small, decentralized population of students,” the district wrote. “These routes are among the costliest and least efficient to operate. Phasing them out allows the district to redirect vital resources toward required services and improve overall reliability.”
Transportation for the Alternative Learning Center will also be discontinued.
What to expect next
Austin ISD plans to release finalized bus schedules and routes on Monday, August 3.
The district will update its online Bus Stop Finder tool for families to confirm their respective schedules and routes, as well as determine their nearest hub stop location.
For the full details of planned changes, read the district’s 2026–27 Transportation Service Changes FAQ document.