Student Transportation

At qathet School District, every effort is made to ensure that students are provided with safe, efficient, and reliable transportation. 

Registration

School bus registration for the 2024/2025 school year is now open!

REGISTER HERE

Each year, students requiring transportation services must submit a registration application prior to the deadline. qathet School District cannot guarantee late registrants will be approved. Bus routes will be established based on eligible rider registration prior to the deadline.

2024/2025 Bus Pass Deadline is June 14, 2024.

Following the deadline, students who meet the eligibility requirements for bussing for the 2024/2025 school year will receive email confirmation prior to September. Courtesy riders may phone or email the Transportation department for an update on the status of their application. All authorized riders will be issued a physical bus pass and only students who have been pre-approved will be eligible for transportation services.

Eligibility

Transportation is available to students who meet the eligibility requirements listed in Administrative Procedure 560 – Student Transportation Services.

qathet School District provides bus transportation to the designated catchment school for enrolled students who live more than 3.2 km, in a straight line, from the designated catchment school and only upon application. Please refer to the map to see if your residence qualifies.   

Please note: 

• Edgehill Elementary's school catchment area is within the 3.2km walking limit; therefore, bus transportation is not currently in place
• Bus transportation is available for James Thomson Elementary French Immersion Program students within the school catchment area (outside of the 3.2km walking limit).

qathet School District cannot guarantee late registrants will be approved. To help in our planning and creation of bus routes, registrations must be submitted by June 14, 2024. Any registrations received after this date will be processed following the establishment of bus routes and subject to available rider seats.

Courtesy Riders

Non-eligible riders may be considered for transportation services on routes that have available seats and would be considered courtesy riders.

Please note: 

• Courtesy seats will be allocated based on priority for cross-catchment students from youngest to oldest riders and designated catchment students living within 3.2km walking limits.
• Courtesy seats are not guaranteed and may be revoked at any time.
• Previous or current courtesy seats do not constitute a precedent or establish a right for transportation services in the future.

For additional information on courtesy ridership, please refer to qathet School District Administrative Procedure 560 – Student Transportation Services.

Bus Routes

Each year, the Transportation Department establishes bus routes based on the eligible riders registered prior to the registration deadline. This means that late applications and courtesy rider requests will not be taken into consideration when planning bus routes.

Bus routes for the current school year:

Updated: December 2, 2024

Guidelines and Expectations

Student transportation services are not mandatory services under the School Act and as such can be withdrawn when students do not comply with the procedures as established by the District under this Administrative Procedure.

Please refer to the 2024 - 2025 School Bus Guidelines - Brochure for general guidelines and expectations when riding school bus.

Bus Passes 

All authorized riders will be issued a physical bus pass and only students who have been pre-approved will be eligible for transportation services. It is expected that students will always carry their bus passes with them when using school district buses.

NEW Student Rider App: My Ride K-12 - Bus passes issued to students are RFID-enabled. The previous Zonar bus app is being replaced by a new My Ride K-12 App powered by Traversa, and will able to provide bus location status and district communications, such as specific bus route delays, cancellations, or other bus-related messaging. *This new app will be available for download in September 2024. 

Communication to Parents (Q&A)

Q: My bus pass has been lost, broken, or no longer scans?

A: In the event a bus pass is lost or purposely broken, a $5 fee will apply for the first replacement pass. The second replacement pass will cost $10. Any subsequent replacement passes will result in parent contact and possible suspension of bus privileges. If a pass no longer scans, it must be returned to the School Board Office to receive a new pass, free of charge. If the pass is not returned, a fee will apply. Bus Pass Replacement Request. 

Q: My bus is late?

A: Occasionally there are events that disrupt the normal operation of the bus, traffic, an incident on the bus, bad weather, etc. We ask that families be patient and accept that a bus may arrive up to ten (10) minutes after the scheduled stop time with the recognition that it will not depart from the stop prior to the scheduled time. If the bus is running more than ten (10) minutes late the Transportation department personnel will do everything they can to use a combination of the methods (My Ride K-12 app, district website, social media, and possibly email) to ensure that we communicate information to parents as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Q: What happens if my bus is cancelled?

A: If there is a need to cancel a bus, we will notify the principal immediately and then inform riders using communication methods (My Ride K-12 app, district website, social media, and possibly email). In most instances the district will do its best to have another bus cover the stops later to ensure students are not left stranded; however, it will likely be after school has begun. Again, bus cancellations are rare and only if the district does not have sufficient drivers, or if the district has a bus breakdown with no spare available.

Q: Does my bus always run in the snow?

A: During the winter months there may be occasions when the buses are no longer able to run due to poor weather conditions. The decision on whether a bus can run is made on a route-by-route basis. The decision to run the bus is separate from the decision to close a school. Information regarding bus accessibility will be made and communicated as quickly as possible when the weather begins to deteriorate. In the instance of not running in the morning, or an all-day closure, a decision will be communicated via district website, social media, and possibly email by 7:00 am.

More Information

If you have additional questions or require further details, please call the district's Transportation Department at 604-414-2612 or send us an email at transportation@sd47.bc.ca