Transportation

At Parkland School Division, student safety is our top priority. We operate one of the largest student transportation systems in the province and are responsible for safely busing more than 7,800 student riders, who collectively travel over 19,250 kilometres each school day. Our regional transportation system serves not only our division but Evergreen Catholic Schools, other neighbouring jurisdictions and some local private schools.

Contacting Transportation Services

Transportation Services Office

For general inquiries, please call the Transportation Services Office, which is located in the Division Office (Centre for Education) and open from 8am-4:30pm, Monday through Friday (excluding statutory holidays and summer hours - please see our Calendar & Events page for specifics).

Office Number: 780-963-8452

Parent/Guardian Hotline

In the case of a student who has not arrived at a destination as scheduled, we encourage parents to consider the following before calling our Parent/Guardian hotline, which is active on school days from our scheduled first pick up in the morning to our scheduled final drop off in the afternoon between the hours of 6:30am-5:30pm.

Checklist:

  • Have you checked the Bus Status page to see if the bus is running late or cancelled?
  • Is your child in an after school program? (e.g. volleyball, running club, etc.)
  • Do you have Alternate Seat Transportation arrangements and is there a chance your child went to the destination scheduled for an alternate day? (e.g. daycare, dayhome, mom or dad's home (in shared custody situations), etc.)
  • Has someone else potentially picked them up? (e.g. grandparent, other parent, friend, etc.)

Parent/Guardian Hotline: 780-591-5567

Safety

In Parkland School Division, we are committed to providing safe and caring environments for all students to learn, and that starts the moment a child boards a bus in the morning. For more on this topic, check out the Bus Safety section of our website. Parents are also encouraged to review the information contained in the Student Transportation Guide

 

Transportation Funding

New Distance Criteria for 2024-2025

Kindergarten to Grade 6 students residing 1 km or further from their school will be eligible for funding; and Grades 7-12 students residing 2 km or further will be eligible for funding.

Parkland School Division (PSD) operates one of the largest regional transportation systems in the province, travelling over 19,000 kilometres every school day. It is a complex system involving many partners including Evergreen Catholic School Division and local area private schools along with over 7,400 riders. Just like PSD buses, the complex system cannot turn on a dime. Therefore, newly created distance parameters do not take effect until September 1, 2024. However, the Alberta Government announced that they will be providing funding to school divisions beginning in 2023-2024 for those riders that would meet the new distance criteria if there is an available seat on the bus. Currently, there is a bus and bus driver shortage in the province and in our local area.

Legislation & Policy

Student transportation in Alberta is legislated under the Education Act and the Student Transportation Regulation.

Of note:

  • Parkland School Division does not receive funding to transport a child that lives less than the eligibility distances away from and who attends their designated school.
  • Provincial transportation funding exists beyond the prescribed eligibility distances from the primary residence to the nearest school along the shortest route.
  • Boards may charge fees to offset the cost of transportation.
  • The system of transportation must be self-sufficient, as fees received for transportation are protected and cannot be transferred to offset other costs.
  • The distance of a residence from a school or from a bus route is the shortest distance measured along a travelled road or public right of way between the school site or the bus route, as the case may be, and the nearest roadway access at the boundary of the quarter section or lot on which the student’s parent resides.
  • School boards are NOT mandated by legislation to register students with multiple or alternate pick-up and drop-off locations. 

We are a regional transportation provider, and we are committed to the safety and wellness of all students in our care. We recognize that our families appreciate the level of service we have been able to offer; this service would be significantly reduced or even terminated without receiving full cost-recovery through user-based fees.

Fees

The Fees & Allowances Schedule are reviewed annually by the Board of Trustees and are traditionally approved at the Regular Board Meeting in March.

For more, visit our Fees page.

Space is Now Limited

When a parent or guardian reserves multiple locations for pick-up or drop-off, this occupies a seat on multiple buses even when its not being used.  (For example, if a child stays with mom one week, dad on alternate weeks and a daycare each afternoon, and all locations happen to be on different bus routes, that individual child is taking up three spots on three different buses at all times.) 

Transportation Services registered capacity is currently approaching full.

School-of-Choice Transportation

Note: Once a Principal has granted approval to register at a school other than a child's designated school, transportation arrangements are the responsibility of the parents.

Bus transportation will be provided for students who choose to attend a school other than their designated school, provided:

  • There is space available on the bus
  • The bus does not have to be diverted from the regular approved route
  • The receiving school has the space available to accommodate the child
  • That applicable cross attendance area fees are paid

For further information, visit the School-of-Choice page.

Note: Fee Waivers are not available for cross attendance area transportation.

Temporary Busing Arrangements

Temporary busing arrangements (two weeks or less) will be considered on an individual basis with the approval of the Director of Transportation Services.

Parkland is committed to providing a safe bus ride for all students, and provides all bus operators with extensive training and support. All students learn how to ride the bus safely.

For the latest information on bus delays or cancellations, please visit our Bus Status page.

Connecting you with the right person, the first time, is our priority.

Did you know?

  • Parkland School Division does not receive funding to transport a child that lives less than the eligibility distances away from and who attends their designated school.

Who do I call for...

School Attendance Areas:

Phone: 780-963-8452 
Email: Transportation@psd.ca

Student Transportation:

Phone: 780-963-8452
Email: Transportation@psd.ca 

General Parkland School Division Information:

Division Office (Centre for Education)
4603 - 48 Street
Stony Plain, AB T7Z 2A8
Phone: 780-963-4010 
Toll Free: 1-800-282-3997 (only in Alberta) 
Fax: 780-963-4169