Hershey Public Schools is excited to announce the addition of a new North Platte option-student pickup and drop-off location at Kwik Stop, 2420 W. Walker Rd., North Platte for the 2026–2027 school year.
Beginning Monday, August 17, 2026—the first day of school, option-enrollment students residing in North Platte will have two designated locations available for district transportation:
Lincoln County Fairgrounds
5015 Rodeo Rd.
North Platte, NE 69101
NEW — Kwik Stop
2420 W. Walker Rd.
North Platte, NE 69101
The addition of the Kwik Stop location provides another convenient option for our North Platte families while helping the district manage transportation needs, ridership, and bus capacity.
North Platte Option Stop Times
The following are our estimated morning pickup and afternoon drop-off times:
Location | AM Pickup | PM Drop-Off |
|---|---|---|
Lincoln County Fairgrounds | Approximately 7:00 AM | Approximately 4:30 PM |
Kwik Stop | Approximately 7:20 AM | Approximately 4:20 PM |
We ask families to please be patient and flexible as we begin the school year. These times are estimates and may need to be adjusted as the district gains a better understanding of actual ridership, bus capacity, traffic, and the time necessary to maintain our target arrival at school.
Families should plan to arrive at their designated stop 5–10 minutes before the estimated pickup or drop-off time.
Two Buses Will Serve Both North Platte Locations
Both North Platte option buses will stop at both the Lincoln County Fairgrounds and Kwik Stop each school day for morning pickup and afternoon drop-off.
Bus #22 — Nancy Cooper
North Platte Option Stops + Kelley Avenue Route
Bus #23 — Ben Sukraw
EV Bus; North Platte Option Stops + Walker Road Route
Student bus assignments will be determined after the district has a better understanding of the number of students utilizing each stop and the capacity needs of each bus.
Families will receive their child's Bus #22 or Bus #23 assignment through the Rooms app, the district's communication platform.
Once bus assignments are established, students are expected to consistently ride their assigned bus.
Who May Use the North Platte Option Stops?
The Lincoln County Fairgrounds and Kwik Stop transportation service is available only to option-enrollment students who reside in North Platte.
Parents/guardians who plan to utilize district transportation must complete the appropriate registration information through the PowerSchool Parent Portal and indicate that their child will utilize transportation.
Accurate registration information is important as the district determines ridership, capacity, and individual bus assignments.
Consistent Pickup and Drop-Off Locations
For student safety and route consistency, students are expected to use the same designated pickup and drop-off location each day unless a change has been approved in advance by the district.
Students may not independently change buses or option-stop locations.
Any transportation changes must be communicated to the school office well in advance and receive district approval.
Morning Pickup Procedures
Parents/guardians should arrive at their designated option-stop location 5–10 minutes before the estimated pickup time.
Students should remain safely with their parent/guardian until the buses arrive and are ready for loading.
Please remember that buses must maintain their routes and schedules. Buses cannot wait for late-arriving families once students have been loaded and the buses are ready to depart.
Students should walk—not run—to their assigned bus and follow all directions provided by bus drivers and district staff.
Afternoon Pickup Procedures
Parents/guardians should arrive 5–10 minutes before the estimated afternoon arrival time and be parked and ready to receive their child.
If a parent/guardian is not present when a child is scheduled to be picked up, the district will first attempt to contact the child's parent/guardian. If we are unable to reach a parent/guardian, the child will remain with district transportation and will be brought back to Hershey Public Schools to wait for a parent/guardian.
Because bus arrival times may vary slightly due to traffic, weather, student needs, or other circumstances, families should plan accordingly and arrive early.
IMPORTANT SAFETY EXPECTATION — BUSES LEAVE FIRST
Student safety must be everyone's priority at both option-stop locations.
Once the buses arrive and student loading or unloading begins, ALL parent/guardian vehicles must remain parked. NO VEHICLES SHOULD MOVE UNTIL BOTH BUSES HAVE SAFELY DEPARTED THE OPTION-STOP LOCATION.
Simply put: Buses leave first. Parent vehicles leave second.
Keeping vehicles stationary while students are entering or exiting buses creates a safer and more predictable environment for everyone.
Students should never walk between buses or cross immediately in front of or behind a bus unless specifically directed by a bus driver or district staff member.
Lincoln County Fairgrounds Parking Expectations
Families utilizing the Lincoln County Fairgrounds should:
Park vehicles in an organized manner within the available parking area.
Maintain orderly rows and avoid creating multiple informal traffic lanes.
Keep bus loading, turning, and travel areas clear.
Remain parked while students are loading or unloading.
Do not move vehicles until both buses have departed.
The district may adjust parking and traffic procedures as we determine the safest and most efficient flow for families and buses.
Kwik Stop Parking & Property Expectations
Families utilizing Kwik Stop at 2420 W. Walker Rd. should remember that Kwik Stop is an active business and Hershey Public Schools families are guests on the property.
We ask families to:
Use designated parking stalls rather than stopping or waiting in driving lanes.
Keep entrances, exits, fuel pumps, fire lanes, and customer traffic areas accessible.
Never block the buses' ability to enter, load, turn, or exit the property.
Remain parked while students are loading or unloading.
Do not move vehicles until both buses have departed.
Be respectful of Kwik Stop employees, customers, and property.
Help keep the property clean and free of trash.
We greatly appreciate Kwik Stop's cooperation in allowing this location to serve our students and families. Please help us maintain a positive relationship by being respectful and courteous while using the property.
Aerial Parking & Traffic Flow Maps Coming Soon
To help families safely navigate both locations, Hershey Public Schools will soon share aerial maps for the Lincoln County Fairgrounds and Kwik Stop.
The maps will show recommended vehicle entrances, traffic flow, parent parking areas, bus loading areas, and exit procedures.
Families are encouraged to review the maps before utilizing the option stops and follow the recommended traffic and parking patterns.
The district may adjust these procedures during the first several days as we evaluate actual traffic patterns, ridership, and safety needs.
Bus Delays & District Communication
Weather, traffic, mechanical issues, student needs, or other unexpected circumstances can occasionally affect bus arrival times.
If a bus experiences a significant delay, the district will provide available updates to families through district SMS messaging and the Rooms app.
We especially ask for patience during the first several days of school as our drivers establish consistent route timing with actual student ridership.
2026–2027 Bus Routes & Drivers
In addition to our new Kwik Stop location, families should be aware of the following district bus route and driver assignments:
Bus #14 — Karen Ditch: South Route
Bus #19 — Christy Schmitz: Highway 30 Route, including Betts Addition, Nansue Road, Skyview Road, and Pineywood Lane
Bus #21 — Tim Cooper: North Route, including the North Hershey Road and North River Road areas and Sue's Place
Bus #22 — Nancy Cooper: North Platte Option Stops — Lincoln County Fairgrounds and Kwik Stop — and Kelley Avenue Route
Bus #23 — Ben Sukraw: EV Bus; North Platte Option Stops — Lincoln County Fairgrounds and Kwik Stop — and Walker Road Route
Thank You for Helping Keep Our Students Safe
The success of our transportation system depends upon cooperation among our students, families, bus drivers, district staff, and community partners.
We appreciate everyone's patience as we begin the 2026–2027 school year, introduce our new Kwik Stop option location, and establish consistent transportation routines.
Please remember the key expectations:
Arrive 5–10 minutes early.
Use your family's designated option-stop location consistently.
Students should ride their assigned bus.
Communicate transportation changes to the school office well in advance.
Follow the parking and traffic-flow expectations at each location.
Respect the Kwik Stop property and its customers.
Watch district SMS and the Rooms app for important transportation updates.
Most importantly, once buses arrive, vehicles remain parked until BOTH buses have safely departed.
We look forward to a safe and successful start to the school year on Monday, August 17, 2026!
Community Partnership & Taking Care of Our Locations
Hershey Public Schools would like to extend a special thank you to Dan and Sean O’Neil for their willingness to allow the district to utilize the Kwik Stop location, as well as to the Lincoln County Fairgrounds Board for their continued willingness to provide the Fairgrounds as a pickup and drop-off location for our students and families.
These partnerships provide an important service to our North Platte option-enrollment families, and we greatly appreciate their support of Hershey Public Schools and our students.
We ask our families to help us show our appreciation by taking care of both locations. Please respect the property, dispose of trash properly, follow designated parking and traffic-flow procedures, avoid interfering with normal business or Fairgrounds operations, and leave each location as good—or better—than we found it.
These locations are being made available to us through the generosity and cooperation of our community partners. Let's work together to be great guests and take care of both locations!