My child has been denied transportation, but the bus is half empty. Why can’t they ride?

Often referred to as “filling up the bus”, this is a question we regularly receive from parents and community members. While your child’s bus may not appear to be full, here  are some important things to keep in mind:

  • Not every student who is eligible for transportation rides the bus every day, but STSWR is still required to plan for their transportation because they are eligible under the board’s transportation policy.
  • The number of students that can be loaded on a bus is based on capacity standards set by the industry.
  • STSWR plans based on 3 students per seat up to Grade 6, and 2 students per seat from Grade 7 – 12.
  • Providing ineligible students with “courtesy” transportation is not allowed under either board’s transportation policy. This is because courtesy transportation has been identified by the Ministry of Education as an inefficient practice that adds to route times and increases the number of buses we have on the road.