AP 850: Transportation Services
Transportation
Background
The Superintendent ensures the provision of a safe, caring and efficient transportation service for students. This procedure addresses how student transportation shall be provided for the Parkland School Division (PSD) regional transportation area.
Definitions
a) Alternate Location: shall refer to any seat on a bus that transports a student to an approved location other than the student's residence as defined in section 4.1 of the Education Act.
b) Alternate Seat: shall refer to any student that utilizes a seat on two bus routes that transports them to two different locations. An example would be to a daycare and to the student's residence.
c) Attendance Area: shall refer to the area of catchment for each designated school, as determined by the Parkland School Division Board of Trustees, and as established under section 10{3) of the Education Act.
d) Congregated Stop: shall refer to a bus stop where a group of students meet to take a school bus to their school.
e) Designated School: shall refer to the school to which a student is assigned based on the student's attendance area, as defined in sections 4, and 4.1 of the Education Act.
f) Kindergarten: shall refer to the program year that is available to students prior to entry into Grade 1; and for children who are at least at age 4 years 8 months as of August 31.
g) Mandatory Student: shall refer to a student who is eligible to receive provincially funded transportation and is attending their designated school; this includes students covered by current PSD Transportation Service Agreements and those who are attending kindergarten.
h) Out-of-Jurisdiction Student: shall refer to a student in kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) who resides outside of the provincially established attendance boundary of Parkland School Division, and who is not a mandatory student.
i) Residence: (Primary Residence) shall refer to the residence of a resident student - as per the Education Act, Section 4(1): "a student is a resident student of the board of the school division in which the student's parent resides".
j) School-of-Choice and/or Program-of-Choice Student: shall refer to a student in kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) who resides within the provincially determined boundary area of the school division but is attending a school, or a program housed in a school, other than their designated school.
k) Transfer Site: shall refer to a location where multiple school buses meet to transfer students to their connecting school buses.
Procedures
With respect to transportation eligibility and access:
1. The Director of Transportation shall ensure that an electronic (web-based) registration process and instructions for completion shall be available in a clear and transparent manner on the PSD website.
2. The Director of Transportation shall ensure that a mandatory student is provided transportation from their primary residence or congregated stop to their designated school; notably in consideration of the following:
2.1. The parent/guardian of the student registers to receive transportation, as deemed prudent and appropriate to do so;
2.2. The parent/guardian has paid all applicable transportation fees in order to ensure transportation services are received; and
2.3. The distance to their designated school and residence is one (1) kilometer or greater for a kindergarten through grade six (6) student and two (2) kilometers or greater for a grade seven through twelve (7-12) student.
3. A school-of-choice and/or program-of-choice student, who does not meet the criteria as a mandatory student for transportation, may be provided transportation, on an annual basis, from their residence or an existing congregated stop to their school and/or program-of-choice, in consideration of the following:
3.1. Transportation Services may be provided if the distance between the residence and the school-of-choice and/or program-of-choice is one (1) kilometer or greater for kindergarten through grade six (K-6) students and two (2) kilometres or greater for students in grades seven through twelve (7-12);
3.2. The Director of Transportation or designate has determined that an existing bus for the required route has available capacity;
3.3. Registration is completed before the publicly posted registration deadline;
3.4. The alternate seat location does not require the bus route to be altered;
3.5. The parent/guardian has paid all applicable transportation fees;
3.6. The distance from the residence and the school is greater than one (1) km; and/or
3.7. The student’s unique life-circumstances promote a need for transportation.
4. An Out-of-Jurisdiction student may be provided transportation, on an annual basis, from an existing stop location within the established attendance boundary for Parkland School Division to their school-of-choice and/or program-of-choice, in consideration of the following:
4.1. The Director of Transportation or designate has determined that an existing bus for the required route has available capacity;
4.2. A parent and/or guardian has agreed to meet the bus at an existing stop location within the attendance boundary for Parkland School Division;
4.3. Registration is completed before the publicly posted registration deadline; and
4.4. The parent and/or guardian has paid all applicable transportation fees.
5. Available bus capacity shall be determined in consideration of the following:
5.1. All mandatory students have been appropriately accommodated; and
5.2. Available seats remain unallocated on the bus.
6. A student’s access to available transportation shall be evaluated annually;
6.1. Beyond the year in which transportation services are approved, there is no guarantee of continuation of transportation services for a school-of-choice student, for a program-of-choice student, or for an out-of-jurisdiction student (non-mandatory students).
With respect to transportation routes:
7. The Director of Transportation shall design bus routes to maximize efficiency and minimize ride times.
8. In designing the bus routes the Director of Transportation shall consider:
8.1. An annual review of all bus routes to ensure each route addresses:
8.1.1. changes in school populations,
8.1.2. student locations, and
8.1.3. changes to designated attendance areas;
8.2. The addition, removal or modification of existing bus routes at any time during the year; and
8.3. The transfer of buses, students and/or drivers from one route or bus to another route or bus at any time during the year.
9. When designing bus routes, the Director of Transportation shall ensure the following:
9.1. That bus stop locations are safe for students and drivers;
9.2. That there is a reasonable walk distance from a property entrance along a public roadway/right of way; and
9.3. Notwithstanding specialized transportation, the maximum distance to an available bus stop shall be one (1) kilometer for students in kindergarten through grade six (K-6) students and two (2) kilometers for students in grade seven through twelve (7-12).
10. The Director of Transportation may designate a bus stop on private property, in consideration of the following:
10.1. The owner of the property agrees to construct and maintain a satisfactory and safe turn-around point at their own expense; and
10.2. There is a Consent for Bus Pick up, Drop Off and Turn Around Agreement in place.
With respect to specialized transportation:
11. The Director of Transportation shall ensure that transportation is provided for a student to and from the site of a school that provides a specialized education program in which the board places the student, notably:
11.1. If a student is entitled to specialized supports and services under the Education Act (s.11), but does not reside in the attendance area for any school that provides suitable specialized supports and services, transportation shall be provided to and from the site of the school that provides specialized supports and services in accordance with the student’s required placement.
11.2. If a suitable form of transportation is not available, a Parent-Provided Transportation Agreement may be initiated. The availability and amount of reimbursement under such an agreement shall be based on the funding received from Alberta Education.
With respect to transportation fees:
12. Applicable transportation fees shall be approved annually by the Board.
13. Where it is not feasible to establish a bus route for a mandatory student, or for a student who receives a specialized program, or for an early childhood service student not attending kindergarten, the Director of Transportation may provide the parent with monetary reimbursement in lieu of transportation;
13.1. The parent shall be responsible for the conveyance of the student to and from school; and
13.2. The reimbursement shall not exceed the transportation grant (less administration fee) for a student, except where the Superintendent determines the student’s needs warrants additional funding;
With respect to school and transfer-site supervision:
14. At transfer sites of ten (10) or more buses, the Director of Transportation shall ensure:
14.1. That student supervision is in place 10 minutes prior to when school buses are loading and unloading; and
14.2. That supervision remains present until all buses transporting students have departed from the site.
15. The principal or designate of each school shall ensure that students are supervised when school buses are unloading and loading at the school.
With respect to transportation communication:
16. On an annual basis, the Director of Transportation shall maintain and review a Transportation Services Parent Handbook.
17. The Director of Transportation shall ensure that the Division’s transportation website includes:
17.1. Links to the policies and procedures that guide transportation decision making in the Division;
17.2. The Transportation Services Parent Handbook;
17.3. Clarification of mandatory student eligibility;
17.4. Clarification of the classification and limitations for school-of-choice, program-of-choice, and out-of-jurisdiction students;
17.5. Clear instructions regarding the registration process;
17.6. Links to the applicable fees structure; and
17.7. The fee waiver process, clearly describing the exceptional circumstances and required process by which transportation fees may be requested to be waived.
18. The Director of Transportation shall inform parents, principals, and bus operators of the Transportation Services Parent Handbook and on the Division’s website regarding student transportation.
19. The Director of Transportation shall ensure that bus operators are aware of the information contained in the Operating Regulations Handbook.
20. On an annual basis, the Director of Transportation shall review and distribute bus operators and contractors with an Operating Regulations Handbook;
20.1. Contractors and operators shall be responsible for reviewing the Operating Regulations Booklet.
21. The Operating Regulations Handbook shall include at a minimum:
21.1. Reference to the contents of the Transportation Services Parent Handbook;
21.2. The requirements of the bus operators in communicating bus cancellations and delays;
21.3. The requirement that bus operators report to the Transportation Services Department, any accident, or traffic violation connected with a school bus that the bus operator witnesses or observes, and the consequences of failing to report;
21.4. The requirement that bus operators report, to Transportation Services, any safety concerns or hazards inherent in the routes or designated stops; and
21.5. The requirement that bus drivers shall not deviate from their assigned route, without the prior approval from the Director of Transportation Services or designate.
