The Exception Request Process allows families with students that are not eligible for transportation, to submit a request to see if resources are available for them to ride the bus. Prior to submitting a request, please review the Exception Request Criteria located to the right to make sure your student qualifies.

Exception Request Criteria

Families wanting to apply for an Exception Requests should only do so if their student(s) meets the following criteria:

• Students who are not eligible for transportation because they live inside of the “Walk Zone” of their boundary school that they are attending.
• Students who would like to request a different stop from the one that was assigned to them by Transportation Services.
• Students in grades 9-12, who would like to opt-out of using their DPS RTD pass and ride a yellow school bus instead.
• Students in an ECE program where transportation is not a related service.
• Students who “Choice” into a school outside of their designated attendance area.
• Grandfathered students whose siblings are transportation-eligible students serviced by a third-party vendor.

Guidelines

The parents/guardians of students who currently do not meet the eligibility criteria for school transportation can submit an exception request online through Parent Portal.  Approval of exception requests is granted if the following criteria are met:

1. Student(s) must be enrolled in Denver Public Schools
2. A current route and existing stop are available

Note: No route modifications or stop additions will be made to accommodate an exception request

3. A seat is available on the vehicle assigned to service the route

• Exceptions will be granted for one destination, five days per week, consistently.
  • If the transportation exception request is for home-to-school and school-to-home transportation, but excess capacity exits to approve only one or the other, parents/guardians will be contacted by a member of the Routing Department to confirm whether a one-way transportation exception approval is desired or whether the request should be denied entirely.
• Students will be placed at the closest existing stop according to the student address. New stops will not be created.
  • If the closest existing stop according to the student address is not desirable, the parent should identify the requested stop location on the transportation exception request form.
• The parent accepts responsibility to supervise and transport the student to or from the stop. This includes the responsibility to make alternate arrangements for meeting and supervising the student when the vehicle is delayed or when the parent cannot be present at the time the student is returned to the stop.

How to Submit

Exception Requests will only be accepted via the online form located in the Parent Portal. (NO PAPER FORMS WILL BE ACCEPTED)

1. Once logged in, the Exception Request form can be found under the Quick Links section of the Transportation Services page.
2. All requests will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis,  and families will be notified of the approval or denial of the request via the email address provided.

Have questions? Check out our Exception Process FAQs. (English/Spanish)

To view a helpful tutorial on how families can complete the Exception Request form via the Parent Portal, click here. The tutorial is available for printing in the following languages: Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, English, French, Nepali, Russian, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese.