An eligible rider is a student who lives outside of the walk limits of Elementary – 3.2 KM, Middle – 3.2 KM, Secondary – 4.8 KM. As per our policy 18, eligible riders will continue to receive service at no charge. Eligible riders may include riders with diverse abilities as defined by policy 18. The District’s priority is providing service to eligible riders. Please note, students attending Programs of Choice are not eligible for transportation.

Is your child an Eligible or Courtesy Rider?

If you are not sure if your child is an eligible rider or courtesy rider please use this online tool to help you determine their eligibility. When asked for student grade, please insert grade in September 2024. Click here.

Troubleshooting tip: Please use correct spaces as required and avoid ordinal indicators ‘nd’ or ‘th’ when completing address. See example below:

4875 222 Street V3A 3Z7 = Correct

4875 222^nd Street V3A 3Z7 = Incorrect

Once completed, please take note of the following:

If it indicates: You ride that means your child is an eligible rider.

If it indicates: You do not ride that means your child is a courtesy rider.

If it indicates information other than above, please contact transportation@sd35.bc.ca.

The assigned bus stop is not accurate as none of the routes have been established.

Please note: The District will approve rider eligibility based on home to school calculations determined by our system.

Walk limits are outlined as follows:

• Elementary School Students K to 7: Bussing is supplied to elementary students that live 3.2 KM or further, away from their catchment school.
• Middle School Students 6 to 8 (where middle school is available): Bussing is supplied to middle school students that live 3.2 KM or further, away from their catchment school.
• Secondary School Students  8 to 12 — Bussing is supplied to secondary students that live 4.8 KM or further, away from their catchment school.

A courtesy rider is a rider who lives within the walk limits of Elementary – 3.2 KM, Middle – 3.2 KM, Secondary – 4.8 KM but is granted bus service if/when space is available on a bus route that has been established for eligible riders.

From the point of registration to October, there is no guarantee a courtesy rider will be able to be granted a seat on a bus route. Notification of a courtesy rider seat may occur in early October or even later in the fall of that school year.

To ensure an equitable and sustainable transportation system, the District has implemented a fee for courtesy riders which began in September 2020. The annual fee is $400.00 per rider and a maximum of $600.00 per family, on the condition there is capacity on a bus and on a route already established.

Prioritizing courtesy riders is based on the following criteria order:

• Students living the furthest away from their catchment school.
• Students whose siblings have been granted ridership privileges, provided that the pick-up and final destination are the same.
• The youngest student if all other factors are equal.

As per policy 18, the District prioritizes bussing for:

• Students who have been approved for Complex Resource Support or with physical disabilities who are unable to navigate conventional public or school transportation.

Please speak with your child’s school support team for details and registration instruction.

In 2019, the District provided transportation service to approximately 1,500 students. Nearly half of those students were courtesy riders. It cost the District $2.6 million in expenditures for the former transportation system; and cost the District approximately $1,400 per rider. The District, through the Ministry of Education grant for transportation, receives a grant of $260,000 to remove the fees for riders outside the walk limits. This only partially covers the cost of eligible riders (those who live outside of the walk limits of Elementary – 3.2 KM, Middle – 3.2 KM, Secondary – 4.8 KM). The transportation system was unsustainable.

The District’s goal is to utilize efficiencies and redirect funds to the classroom. To ensure an equitable and sustainable transportation system, the District implemented a fee for courtesy riders in September 2020.

The District will share information and instructions for registration in the Spring via the District website page here, direct emails to existing riders, and regular school communication channels. In general, online registration occurs in the Spring.

Eligible riders can expect to hear from the District before the end of June or depending on when they have submitted their registration. Once the District has accommodated all eligible riders, staff will review courtesy rider requests on an individual basis. Depending on when the application was submitted, courtesy riders can expect to hear from the District in October or even later in the fall of that school year. ISP riders will be notified of application status at varying times of the year, depending on when the application was submitted.

Please ensure that your child(ren)’s information on MyEdBC is up to date. Email or call your school office to make changes. This will expedite the verification process if and when registering for transportation service.

The District’s transportation department staff are able to answer your questions and address your concerns. It’s important to note that during peak periods which includes but not limited to the start of registration in the Spring and the start of the school year in September, the volume of requests is high. Staff will do their best to acknowledge having received your email within 48 hours. Please email: transportation@sd35.bc.ca.

Registration for the 2024-2025 school year opens on Monday, April 22, 2024. To proceed with registration, please review and follow instructions outlined on our transportation registration webpage here. If you have any questions or require assistance, please email: transportation@sd35.bc.ca.

The Administrative Procedure for Student Conduct on Busses was updated in December 2020. Please review the procedure by clicking here.

Please review District expectations for riders outlined below.

BUS RULES – District Expectations For Riders

Be respectful to all other riders, the bus driver, pedestrians and motorists. Only registered riders shall ride the bus and must ride their assigned bus.

Waiting for the Bus

• Be at your assigned stops five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
• Stay off the road, and do not throw things in the bus stop area.
• Wait until the bus comes to a complete stop and the door is open and the driver signals to board.

Boarding the Bus

• Form a single line as you walk onto the bus.
• Respect personal space between yourself and the student ahead of you.
• Present your Bus Pass to the driver.
• Go to your seat and sit down. Students may be assigned to a specific seat.
• Small items may be carried onto the bus which must be carried on your lap. If the driver thinks an item will block the aisle or seat the item will not be allowed on the bus. If you have any questions as to what can be allowed, prior to bringing the item on the bus, please ask your driver about it and they will guide you on what is allowed.
• Do not bring items that could cause harm. Examples include alcohol, animals, bikes, drugs, explosive items, glass, sports sticks of any type, fishing rods, laser pointers, lighters, matches, scooters, skateboards, skates without safety bags, skis, ski poles, strong-smelling sprays or liquids, tobacco products, and weapons (real or fake). The driver has the authority to deny or secure any objects of concern.
• The operation of school buses is governed by Provincial and Federal Regulations as to what and how luggage and carry-on items (including large musical instruments) are allowed inside the passenger area of a school bus.
  Instruments that can be carried on the bus must be on the student’s lap and contained within their seating space which is approximately eighteen inches in width by eighteen inches high. Examples of these instruments are piccolo, flute, clarinet, violin, trumpet, alto saxophone and ukulele. Smaller instruments carried in larger than standard size cases, may fall into the large instrument category.
  Large instruments such as baritone, euphonium, tuba, sousaphone, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, guitar, amplifiers, banjo, cello, string bass, trombone, french horn and snare drum cannot be carried on the bus.

On the Bus

• Follow the bus driver’s instructions.
• Sit facing forward with your back against the seat. Keep your legs, feet, and personal belongings out of the aisle. Do not sit sideways or turn around in your seat. Stay seated at-all-times until the bus is at your designated stop and has come to a complete stop.
• Place your backpack or book bag on your lap.
• Keep your belongings inside your backpack or book bag.
• Please keep the bus clean and use the garbage can provided. Please do not leave garbage on the seat or floor.
• The windows open for fresh air. Please do not put anything outside the window. This includes your hands and head.
• Use a quiet voice (inside voice) when talking to other riders.
• There is no eating or drinking on the bus.

Unloading the Bus 

• Wait for the bus to come to a complete stop
• Once the bus is stopped you may proceed to stand up and walk single file and exit the bus.
• Cross at a marked street crossing or intersection where possible and when it is safe to do so.
• If there is no marked street crossing, walk forward to a point approximately 3 meters in front of the bus and wait for the bus driver to signal you to cross. Do not cross behind the bus.

PLEASE NOTE: 

In accordance with the District’s Administrative Procedure 182, all District school buses are equipped to use video surveillance to monitor activity and ensure a safe and secure environment for students and staff. On board video surveillance is to be conducted only for the purpose of promoting bus safety and discipline. Video surveillance is not to be conducted for any other purpose. This notice is provided to bus riders and their families for general information and will serve as formal notice of its use. Any questions regarding the use and operation of a bus video surveillance system can be directed to the Manager of Transportation at transportation@sd35.bc.ca or District Information and Security staff at feedback@sd35.bc.ca.

The Administrative Procedure for School Bus Video Surveillance was updated in December 2020. Please review the procedure by clicking here. A summary of the notice is provided below.

In accordance with the District’s Administrative Procedure 182, all District school buses are equipped to use video surveillance to monitor activity and ensure a safe and secure environment for students and staff. On board video surveillance is to be conducted only for the purpose of promoting bus safety and discipline. Video surveillance is not to be conducted for any other purpose. This notice is provided to bus riders and their families for general information and will serve as formal notice of its use. Any questions regarding the use and operation of a bus video surveillance system can be directed to the Manager of Transportation at transportation@sd35.bc.ca or District Information and Security staff at feedback@sd35.bc.ca.