Dear HCMS Families,
Thanks to a continued partnership between HCPSS, Howard County Government, and Regional Transportation Agency (RTA), all HCPSS middle and high school students have access to free RTA bus passes through summer 2027. Students have full access to the RTA system and are not limited to transportation to and from schools or to school-related activities.
If your child is interested, they can visit our front office to request a free pass. To obtain the free student bus pass, students must agree to:
- Provide name/student ID, address, and grade to school staff
- Maintain possession of the pass
- Not transfer or share the pass with others
- Abide by Howard County Public School System rules while on-board.
Note: If the pass is lost or misplaced, only one replacement pass will be provided to the student.
Howard County government and the Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland also have a digital bus pass program, enabling students to access free RTA bus passes directly from their phones or smart devices using a mobile app. Students who do not have access to a smart phone may still receive a free, printed bus pass from their school office.
For more information on RTA and detailed schedule information, please call 1-800-270-9553 or visit Transit RTA.
Sincerely,
Tiffanie Nunley