Éducation

Éducation

Policy 5004 -Student Transportation on School Buses - Ridership Guidelines

Print Version: Student Transportation on School Buses - Ridership Guidelines pdf file

Date Approved: January 6, 2005; Revised: July 2, 2008

Legislation:
Education Act pdf file
Student Transportation Regulations
CSA DS 250 School Bus Regulations

Policy Cross Reference:
Student Transportation on Buses – Discipline Policy
Student Transportation by Government Vehicles
Field Trip Policy

The Department of Education supports:

  1. Safe, secure and efficient transportation of students on school buses to and from their homes within the School Attendance Area.

  2. Providing transportation support, where possible, for students to attend schools out of their School Attendance Area where circumstances warrant, and where the Department has approved attendance in a school out of the student’s or family’s School Attendance Area.

  3. Where space permits, providing privileges for students travelling to an after school child care facility or extra-curricular activity outside of their School Attendance Area.

Definitions:

Bus capacity is generally defined as being three elementary students per seat and two high school students per seat, or a maximum of 72 students on 72 passenger buses or 54 students on a 54 passenger bus, per federal regulations. (Transport Canada Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and CSA D250).

School Attendance Area means the area within a neighborhood or community that the school is intended to support.

Peak times are those times, as defined by the Student Transportation Officer, when the largest numbers of eligible riders are riding the bus, generally between November – April.

Guidelines:

  1. Bus routes are published annually outlining times, stops, routes and school destination and are available for viewing at any time on the Department web site.

  2. Requests to send a student to a school out of the School Attendance Area must be made to the Superintendent that is responsible for the school in which the student wishes to attend.

  3. Transportation of students to schools outside of their School Attendance Areas remains a responsibility of the parents. At times, upon written approval by the Superintendent, who will consult with the Student Transportation Officer, approval will be given for students to ride the bus to a school outside of their School Attendance Area. In those instances, priority will be given to students requiring bussing on regular routes in their own School Attendance Areas, and the decision will be made based on the capacity of the bus at peak times.

  4. In situations where a parent wishes to make requests for a student to access a bus out of their School Attendance Area for reasons of after school day care or extra-curricular activities, a request shall be made in writing to the Student Transportation Officer.

  5. The Student Transportation Officer will review this request and make a recommendation to the Superintendent based on the bus capacity at peak times. If permission is granted it will be approved on an annual basis to ensure that priority is given to students travelling within their School Attendance Area and to enable the Student Transportation Officer to review the matter on an annual basis to ensure that space is available.

  6. Additional buses and bus stops will not be added for out of area requests, and bus routes will not be changed in order to accommodate these requests. Students must use existing stops.

  7. The Superintendent will respond in writing to the applicant stating the reasons for approval or denial of the request.

  8. No persons other than elementary and high school students may ride a school bus. However, in certain circumstances, for purposes of student supervision, parents, teachers, and employees of the Yukon Government will be granted approval to ride a school bus.

Appendix 1 - School Attendance Areas pdf file