McKinney ISD Starts Aug. 13: Track the Bus, Check Eligibility, Report a Problem

McKinney ISD students return to class Thursday, Aug. 13, the first day of the 2026-27 school year.

The scale of the operation

McKinney ISD contracts its transportation to Durham School Services, which runs 155 buses across 84 regular routes plus 42 special education routes. About 10,600 students are scheduled to ride each day.

Three tools before Thursday

The district points families to a set of online tools rather than a printed route list:

• a Bus Service Eligibility Checker, to confirm whether your student qualifies
• the BusZone bus tracker app
• pages for bus rider information, hazardous routes and special needs transportation

Eligibility runs on distance. Transportation is available to students who live more than two miles from their assigned campus of regular attendance, measured along the shortest route that can be traveled on public roads or walkways.

If something goes wrong

McKinney ISD and Durham operate a public feedback portal at BusReport.com, open to parents, guardians and the general public, not just district staff.

It is meant for real-time reports, and the district lists the kinds of safety concerns it wants to hear about: erratic or unsafe driving, a stop arm that is broken or not being used, a driver texting or using a device while driving, mechanical problems such as bald tires or faulty brakes and lights, driver conduct, and overcrowding where there are more students than seats.

The district asks anyone reporting a concern to include the bus number, the location and as much specific detail as possible. Reports are logged and tracked, and the system emails updates as a review proceeds.

For everyday questions, the dispatcher is at 972-542-8316 from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Because call volume is heavy in the first weeks, the district asks families to leave a message or email mckinneybusinfo@durhamschoolservices.com.

Later this year

The district said it will meet with the City of McKinney in January to review commuter pathways and traffic considerations around campuses.

Sources

mckinneyisd.net

mckinneyisd.net