STUDENT BUS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

Background

The District operates student bus transportation services that prioritize transportation for students travelling to their nearest regular program catchment school, taking into consideration supporting student educational needs, active transportation, student safety, system efficiency, financial accountability and provincial legislation.

Procedures

1. Registration for bus transportation will be prioritized as follows:
   1. Priority 1 - Students prioritized for bus transportation per Policy 21 (Student Transportation) guiding principles 1 to 5.
   2. Priority 2 (Courtesy Rider) - Students who are not priority 1 and who attend a District Program.
   3.  Priority 3 (Courtesy Rider) - Students who are not priority 1 (Courtesy Rider) and who attend a school of choice.
2. For the purpose of this administrative procedure and Policy 21 (Student Transportation), a District Program is defined as either the French Immersion program or the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.
3. As the transportation system is established to provide optimal service for Priority 1 riders, transportation routes and bus stops will not be altered to enhance service for Priority 2 or Priority 3 riders.
4. Application and Registration for Bus Service
   1. The application deadline for bus transportation services for the subsequent school year is May 31.
   2. Registrations for bus service for applications received prior to May 31 will occur as follows:
      1. Applications for Priority 1 riders will be processed and registered for bus services, except where limited by transportation system capacity. Where capacity is limited, applications will be prioritized on a furthest distance basis.
      2. Waitlisted Priority 1 applications received prior to May 31 will be prioritized ahead of Priority 2 and Priority 3 applications and all applications received after May 31.
      3. Priority 2 applications received prior to May 31 will be processed after June 30, but will be prioritized ahead of Priority 2 applications received between June 1 and June 30.
      4. Priority 3 applications will be processed after August 1 and will prioritized ahead of Priority 3 applications received after May 31.
   3. Registrations for bus service for applications received between June 1 and June 30 will occur as follows:
      1. Applications for bus services received between June 1 and June 30 will be processed only following the processing of all applications received prior to May 31.
      2. Applications for Priority 1 riders will be processed and registered for bus services first, except where limited by transportation system capacity. Where capacity is limited, applications will be prioritized on a furthest distance basis.
      3. Waitlisted Priority 1 applications received between June 1 and June 30 will be prioritized ahead of Priority 2 applications received prior to June 30, Priority 3 applications and all applications received after June 30.
      4. Following the processing of all applications for Priority 1 riders, applications for Priority 2 riders will be processed and registered for bus services, except where the capacity of requested routes have been reached. All Priority 2 applications received prior to May 31 will be processed before Priority 2 applications received between June 1 and June 30. Where capacity is limited, applications will be prioritized on a furthest distance basis.
      5. Waitlisted Priority 1 and Priority 2 applications received between June 1 and June 30 will be prioritized ahead of all applications received after June 30.
      6. Priority 3 applications will be processed after August 1st and will prioritized ahead of Priority 3 applications received after June 30.
   4. Registration for bus service for applications received between July 1 and Jul 31 will occur as follows:
      1. Applications for Priority 1 and Priority 2 riders will be processed and registered for service or waitlisted (where route capacity is reached) on a first come first service basis.
      2. Priority 3 applications will be processed after August 1st
   5. After August 1, Priority 3 applications received prior to August 1 will be processed in the following order:
      1. Applications received prior to May 31. Where capacity is limited, applications will be prioritized on a furthest distance basis.
      2. Applications received between June 1 and June 30. Where capacity is limited, applications will be prioritized on a furthest distance basis.
      3. Applications received after June 30. Where capacity is limited, applications will be prioritized on a furthest distance basis.
   6. Registration for bus service for applications received on or after August 1 will occur as follows:
      1. Registrations for bus services received on or after August 1 will be processed only following the completion of registration steps 4.2 to 4.5 as outlined above.
      2. Applications for Priority 1, Priority 2, and Priority 3 riders will be processed and registered for service or waitlisted (where route capacity is reached) on a first come first service basis.
      3. Applications received on or after August 1 may not be processed prior to school start-up.
5. In order to establish an efficient and effective student transportation system that serves as many students as possible:
   1. Only registered riders may use the bus transportation service.
   2. Riders will be issued bus passes and will be required to produce, scan or tap them when getting on and off the bus.
   3. The bus transportation system will transport students to the bus stop assigned to the student’s home address(es), or to a designated after school childcare program approved by Transportation Department. Students will not be transported to an alternate location such as for extracurricular activities.
   4. In order to maintain registration for bus service on a route that is at capacity, registered riders must ride the bus for a minimum of 35% of school days each month, except in exceptional circumstances.
   5. In order to maintain registration for bus service, registered riders must comply with the School Bus Riders Code of Conduct.
6. A registration fee will apply to all riders. A late registration fee will apply to registrations received after May 31, with exceptions for Kindergarten registrations and other students enrolling in a district school for the first time. Payment of applicable fees is required prior to confirmation of ridership.
7. Transportation Assistance
   1. When the Assistant Superintendent assigns an individual student to a school other than the school designated for their catchment area, the District may provide transportation assistance to parents who provide transportation for their children to and from school.