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BUS DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS

Kindergarten Resources

Starting kindergarten is an exciting milestone for both kids and parents. Explore these resources to help your family prepare for the trip to school, build safe habits, and make those first journeys enjoyable and stress‑free.

Parent Portal
  • First Rider Video (JK-SK)

    First Rider Video (JK-SK)

    Watch the video here:

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A Guide for New Canadians on Riding the School Bus Safely

School Bus – What you need to know! Video – For All…

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Stay Informed: Subscribe to Bus Route Delays and School Closures

The Parent Portal allows users to view their students transportation information online…

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How to Access Transportation Info in Parent Portal for 2025/2026

Effective for the 2025/2026 school year, the parent/caregiver/student’s email must now be listed on the…

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Working Together to Keep Students Safe on the Way to and From School

Student safety is a shared responsibility. We need students, parents and/or caregivers,…

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CAA Back to School Safety

For over 90 years, CAA has been keeping children safe in Ontario….

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CAA Ontario Road Safety – Teaching Kits

Teach them in the classroom. Protect them on the road The Ontario…

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STOP school bus MTO

Download and print the sign here: Download

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Drop It and Drive – Distracted Driving Video

Watch the video on Dropbox: Watch here

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Amber-Red Warning System for School Buses in Ontario

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg1KTLd7hww

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Discover Drive to 5

If you ever need to drive your student to school, a Drive to 5 map can ensure you find the safest legal parking a short distance away. Your student will be safer, you’ll avoid the chaos at the school site, and you’ll help cut down on emissions and traffic for children’s well-being.

Avoid traffic. Be part of the solution.

Frequently asked questions

My student has forgotten an item on the bus. What can I do?

Contact the Operator for lost items. To do this you will need to know your student’s bus route.

To find this information use the Parent Portal function

My student is eligible for busing; do I need to notify anyone that my student will not be riding?

To ensure that your student is not mistakenly placed on a bus, please contact us for the Do Not Ride Form. To have your student back on the bus after being removed, and if your student is still eligible for transportation, please complete the same digital form again.

Please note: If your student will occasionally be riding the bus, do not complete this form, it is only for students who will never be riding the bus. For safety reasons, it is highly recommended that young children have a consistent travel arrangement.

Where can I go to see bus delays, cancellations or school closures?

STSWR will advise, via the media and the STSWR website, of any bus cancellations due to weather. In most cases these notifications will be sent out before 7am on the day of the cancellation. Should the weather deteriorate during the day causing an early dismissal, parents/caregiv ers will be contacted by the school prior to the students being sent home.

For the quickest updates/notifications, please create an account on the Parent Portal. Updates are also posted on our social media pages:

Twitter/X – @STSWR
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/STSWR/
Instagram – @student.transportation.stswr
For the latest daily delays, check the Delays and Cancellations

How can I get information about the next school year?

Our interactive database provides the ability to select the current school year or next school year in order to retrieve school boundary and transportation information for your student.

Dates information becomes available for the next school year:

Attendance boundaries in the beginning of February. Busing eligibility and route numbers for next September available in the last week of August.

Can I make special arrangements or changes in my student’s transportation directly with the bus driver?

No. Without a written notice from Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region (STSWR), no bus driver is authorised to make changes to your student’s bus stop or bus schedule.

All student information changes, including address changes, must be made through the student’s school directly. Please contact ​your students school to update​ the student’s school records to reflect their new​ drop-off address.

Once the school has made this change and if the student is eligible, the bus will ​a​ssigned by the STSWR transportation planner through the school records with the primary address listed.
Visit this link on our website to see if the student is eligible to ride the bus​ from the new address

Isn’t it more convenient to drive and drop off my student who qualifies for the walk zone?

Driving might feel like the quickest option, but school zones can get busy and that “quick drop-off” might turn into a stressful wait in traffic. More cars around schools can create crowded, unsafe conditions for students and even slow down your own morning routine. Schools are intentionally placed in neighbourhoods so most families can walk or bike easily.

How do you determine the distance to my student’s school for transportation eligibility?

Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region (STSWR) uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to calculate the distance for transportation eligibility. Distances are measured from the end of your property to the closest access point to the school–not door to door. The maps used are provided by the Region of Waterloo, not Google Maps, and include designated pathways and access points. Find your student’s transportation eligibility.