08/25/2026
🚌🚨 Bus number or route number? Start with the letters.
Every KCS route begins with a **two-letter abbreviation** identifying the high school feeder area. The numbers that follow identify the specific route.
🔴 Example route magnets (one from each feeder area) are pictured below.
SA - St. Albans High School feeder area
RH - Riverside High School feeder area
NH - Nitro High School feeder area
SH - Sissonville High School feeder area
CH - Capital High School feeder area
HH - Herbert Hoover High School feeder area
GW - George Washington High School feeder area
SC - South Charleston High School feeder area
This applies to every route in that feeder area, even if your child attends an elementary or middle school.
📍 **The KCS route number tells students which bus to board.**
🚌 **The bus number identifies the physical vehicle.**
➡️ On the right side of the bus, the passenger-door side, the permanent bus number is displayed near the front. Directly behind that number, students will see one or more **white KCS Route Number magnets.**
Every route magnet has a **white background.** The route’s letters and numbers are printed in a color representing the high school for that feeder area. The color is an additional visual cue, but students should match their complete route...both the letters and numbers.
🔢 The permanent bus number must remain visible, which is why both numbers appear on the bus.
👀 What if a bus has several magnets?
That means routes have been combined or the bus is transporting students to another bus. Students should look for their assigned route among the displayed magnets and follow directions from school staff.
Why did KCS make this change?
The bus number stays with the physical vehicle, but the route number stays with the route. If a different bus is needed because of maintenance, a breakdown, or another transportation need, students can continue looking for the same route instead of having to learn a different bus number.
This reduces the number of afternoon changes students, families and staff must track and helps dismissal run more smoothly.
The easiest reminder:
🔵 Start with the letters. Find the white magnet. Match the complete route. 🔵
