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Transportation

Important changes to busing eligibility and fees for 2023-24

The government has changed eligibility rules for students wishing to ride the school bus in 2023-24, and as a result, we are able to reduce transportation fees significantly. Because of these changes, we anticipate that we will see an increase in ridership next year. Therefore, it is very important that applications for busing are submitted by the June 1st deadline, as we need to ensure we have enough buses and drivers to acccommodate this increase. Students who apply after June 1st will be considered on a standby basis and put on a wait list.

The new eligibility rules and fees are:

Designated school (funded): $225/yearly pass

  • Kindergarten to Grade 6 students who reside at least 1 km from their designated neighbourhood school.
  • Grade 7 to 12 students who reside at least 2 km from their designated neighbourhood school.
  • Access to second bus is an additional $112.50 yearly. 
  • Family maximum is $675 (family maximum based on 3 or more students).

School/program of choice (funded): $250/yearly pass

  • Kindergarten to Grade 6 students who reside at least 1 km from their school/program of choice. 
  • Grade 7 to 12 students who reside at least 2 km from their school/program of choice.
  • Access to second bus is an additional $125 yearly.
  • Family maximum is $750 (family maximum based on 3 or more students).

Not funded/non-resident: $350/yearly pass

  • Kindergarten to Grade 6 students who reside less than 1 km from their school. 
  • Grade 7 to 12 students who reside less than 2 km from their school.
  • Access to second bus is an additional $175 yearly.
  • Family maximum is not applicable.

Driver Recruitment Campaign

Families who rely on yellow school buses to transport their children to and from school know that bus contractors are experiencing unprecedented driver shortages. This has resulted in delayed buses and students arriving late for classes when drivers have had to “double up” and cover routes without a driver. 

We know how stressful and frustrating this is for everyone who relies on this service. Since this is a province and country-wide issue, we have been working with provincial and national industry groups, the provincial government, colleagues in other school divisions and our busing contractors to look for solutions. Our contractors now have enough drivers to cover their routes, however, if a driver is sick or resigns, there are few spare drivers available to cover those routes.  We are undertaking a bus driver recruitment campaign aimed at those who are looking to supplement their income by working a few hours a day. For example, if someone is working another job that starts later in the day, they may be interested in driving the morning run with one of our contractors, without it impacting their regular job. They would not have to commit to driving in both the morning and the afternoon – they could choose the shift that best works around their other work and family commitments, or they could become a backup/spare driver. 

The bus contractor will cover the cost of training. Our contractors then pay their drivers between $20-23.25/hour when they start driving. This is a great opportunity to learn an in-demand skill and supplement one’s income by working only a few hours a day. 

If you or anyone you know might be interested in learning more, contact our Transportation department at [email protected] or 780.460.3712.

BusPlanner App

Transportation Services uses a suite of transportation products called BusPlanner. Parents who have registered their children for yellow bus service will receive instructions to obtain access to the transportation portal and the Chipmunk App. Highlights include:
  • All info, including your child's route number, bus stop and pick-up and drop-off times are online.
  • If schedules or routes change during the year, everyone on that route will receive an automatic notification via email (parents must sign up for notifications in BusPlanner to receive these notifications).

Student Transportation Manual

  Bus Planner logo

Download the BusPlanner app

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Chipmunk App

The Chipmunk App allows parents to see the location, travel direction and estimated arrival time of your child's bus. It also allows you to receive direct notifications of any delays or cancellations.   Chipmunk Tracker logo

Download the Chipmunk app

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Bus Carriers

Cunningham: 780.458.3255
Golden Arrow: 780.447.1538
Hrehorets: 825.208.9841

Interested in driving a school bus? Please contact the carrier to find out more.

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St. Albert Public Schools