Page 5 - MidWeek West - Sep 21, 2022

High Schoolers Can Ride TheBus For Free
On Sept. 12, Hawai‘i De- partment of Education an- nounced a statewide pilot programthatwillprovidesub- sidized county bus passes to localhighschoolstudents,in- cluding those in West O‘ahu. Titled EXPRESS, which stands for Expanding Rider- ship to Educate Students in Schools, the initiative hopes tohelpmitigatetheimpactsof the national school bus driver shortage.
help us to prioritize impacted routes at our elementary and intermediate schools. We thank our county transpor- tation partners and our high school students for being a part of the solution.”
deputy director. “These stu- dents will learn early the benefits and independence transit can offer them, and may use their rides on The- Bus to reach destinations beyond their schools, in their community and even the job market. Developing students into new transit rid- ers is timely and provides an efficientwayforourkeikito access education.”
“Like other school districts across the nation, Hawaiʻi is addressing a shortage of school bus drivers that has led to canceled routes, schedule delays and passenger wait- lists, as our contractors work hard to maintain services with fewer drivers,” states superin- tendent Keith Hayashi. “We started this school year down roughly 90 bus drivers, and everybuswecanreassignwill
Student transportation services administrator Em- ily Evans notes that around 6,000 high school students currently use school bus services statewide and, via EXPRESS, they could gain access to transportation that isn’t limited to traveling to and from school; they are free to use their pass as needed.
Interested students with an active HIDOE student ID number may sign up online at iportal.k12.hi.us/express.
HOKU
Four-year-old Hoku is a Po- meranian/husky mix, who’s an active pup and loves swimming and hiking. He might even be a health nut, given that his favorite food is iceberg lettuce. Hoku lives a happy life in Kapolei.
15 withatotal
purchase OFF of $30.00 or more of regular
priced items.
Coupon expires on 10/7/2022
Purchases do not apply to instore or advertised items. No rainchecks. While supply lasts.
% 20
%
OFF
“The City & County of Honolulu’s TheBus is proud to partner with the state De- partment of Education to deliver transit to Hawaiʻi’s high school students,” states Jon Nouchi, city Department of Transportation Services
Parents and guardians will be responsible for locating the nearest county bus route to and from their student’s school and for finding the safest walking routes to and from the nearest bus stops. Public transportation safety tips are available at bit.ly/ HIDOE-EXPRESS.
PHOTO COURTESY IVAN ERICKSON GALANG
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SEPTEMBER 21, 2022 5
‘West O‘ahu Voice’ is accepting photos of your furry (or scaly or feathered) friend for its Pet of the Week feature. Send your photo to gkeller@midweek.com and be sure to include your pet’s name, age, the area of West O‘ahu you live in and any fun fact you’d like to share with readers.
Receive 20% Off two regular priced Mr. Brown and King Car items
Coupon expires on 10/7/2022
Purchases do not apply to instore or advertised items. No rainchecks. While supply lasts.