Buffalo Schools
The Buffalo Board of Education ensures student transportation through a partnership with Metro Bus and Rail. Metro directly serves 25 schools, including public, private, and charter institutions, facilitating transportation for 10,400 students and providing over 20,000 rides daily.
The primary focus of this partnership is education. To ensure the partnership's success, Board of Education passes are customized to each individual student. Each pass is specifically coded to align with each student's school-related activities. For instance, if a student participates in a school-sponsored club or sports team, they may be at school beyond the normal dismissal time. The extracurricular activity code ensures that students can use their bus pass to get home at later times at no additional cost.
Special Passes
Special passes are available for every school-related circumstance.
Buffalo School Passes Chart
Rules and Regulations
Stay Safe
For your child’s safety, they should never cross in front of a bus. A pedestrian attempting to cross ahead of a bus is unable to see oncoming traffic until stepping into the lane, and the driver cannot spot the pedestrian until the same moment. The bus obstructs visibility for both, creating a serious risk. To prevent potential injury, please wait for the bus to pass completely before crossing the street, ensuring it is safe to do so.
Contact
For questions or more information, please contact NFTA-Metro customer care at (716) 855-7211, or email info@nfta.com.
Buffalo Schools FAQs
Will my student get a bus pass from their school?
If your home is more than 1.5 miles from the school, your student may be eligible for a bus pass.
How will my student get to and from school without a bus pass?
Buffalo Public Schools will begin on Thursday, September 3, 2026.
Transportation passes for the 2026-2027 school year will be issued to students on their first day of school. However, for the first week of school, students may ride NFTA-Metro buses and trains to and from school (Monday through Friday) without paying a fare or presenting a transportation pass.
Starting Monday of the second week, all students will be required to use their passes.
Exact dates will be posted closer to the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year.
When will my student receive their Buffalo Board of Education bus pass?
All students are expected to receive their transportation passes by the end of the first full week of school.
When is my student’s bus pass valid?
School passes will be valid starting September 3, 2026. These passes allow transportation to and from school between 6:00 AM and 10:00 AM, and from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
Students with work-study passes may travel from 5:00 AM to 8:00 PM. However, student passes—except for work-study passes, extracurricular or those with a rail sticker—cannot be used on Metro Rail in the afternoon.
What is a special?
A "special" is an NFTA Metro bus designated solely for school-day transportation, ensuring students get to school in the morning and return home in the afternoon. These buses may follow an existing Metro route or operate on a route created specifically for that trip. To determine which specials serve your school, check with school security personnel.
How will my student get to and from school without a special?
The student bus pass allows students to travel home according to the designated route on their pass. Students should avoid using the train unless their bus pass is coded for rail use. If eligible, the pass will feature a green rail sticker, a work-study designation, or an extracurricular activity sticker.
Who should I contact if my student loses their bus pass?
If a bus pass is lost, contact the school immediately to begin the replacement process, which may take up to 10 days.
What should my student do if someone is making them uncomfortable?
If an issue arises, your student should immediately inform an operator, fare inspector, or Transit Police officer. Students are also encouraged to download the NFTA See Say app—available on the Apple and Google Play stores—to report problems or contact Transit Police. Additionally, please notify the school administration, a parent, or guardian of the incident as soon as possible.