Richardson ISD Starts Aug. 12, but Three Campuses Go Back Aug. 11

Richardson ISD welcomes students back for the 2026-27 school year on Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Three campuses do not. Dover Elementary, RISD Academy and Audelia Creek Elementary start Tuesday, Aug. 11, one day ahead of the rest of the district, as part of the Additional Days School Year initiative. Families at those three schools should work from the earlier date.

Signing up is not the same as qualifying

This is the point RISD makes most plainly, and it is the one that catches families out.

Registering a student for transportation does not automatically qualify them for it.

Under Texas guidelines, families who live within two miles of their school do not qualify, unless there are particular circumstances such as special education services or homelessness. Once a parent or guardian signs a student up, RISD transportation notifies them whether the student qualifies or not.

So a completed registration is a request, not a confirmation. If you have not heard back, that is worth resolving before Wednesday rather than at the curb.

Requesting a bus

Transportation is requested while completing a child's online enrollment. Families who have already enrolled, or who need to change a selection, can do it through the Focus Parent Portal.

Route and stop information, along with bus status and real-time updates, run through the Stopfinder app. For questions about a specific route, the district directs families to their own campus.

The district also sets badge requirements for students boarding an RISD bus.

Reaching transportation

The main office is at 469-593-5900, and student.transportation@risd.org. The department is at 1123 S. Greenville Ave. in Richardson, and is led by executive director Thomas Gipson.

Sources

https://web.risd.org/home/back-to-school/

https://web.risd.org/home/transportation/