Transportation

Transportation of Oversize Items on Yellow School Bus
Expectations for Yellow School Bus Drivers

Important Information Regarding Student Transportation May 2016.pdf

Student Transportation

Bus Pass Fees - 2015-2016

Grades	Regular Rate	Family Plan
Kindergarten	Free to designated School	n/a
Elementary	$32.00 per month	$28.00 per month
Junior / Senior	$50 per month	$46.00 per month

Annual Pass	Regular Rate	Family Plan Rate*
Elementary	$320.00	$280.00
Junior/Senior	$500.00	$460.00

Family Plan is for families with 3 or more children

Replacement Cost: $5.00 yellow bus pass - $69.00 ETS bus pass

Annual Pass applies only to yellow bus pass and is non-refundable

Do I need to complete a transportation application in order for my child to use the bus?

YES, all students requesting yellow bus service are required to complete a Transportation Application form.

If your child is currently taking the yellow bus and is continuing at the same school and all information remains the same (such as home address, transportation address, phone numbers), then it is NOT necessary to complete a new transportation application. Your child’s stop will be carried forward to the new routes for September 2015.

A new application form is required if there has been any change in information such as:

Change of address
Change of telephone number
Change in contact information

All Kindergarten students need to complete a transportation application.

All Grade 1 students need to complete a transportation application. This includes Kindergarten students who used the regular bus service this school year either at the beginning or end of the day. A new application is required in order that both an AM and a PM stop are in place on the bus route. If your child attended full day kindergarten in 2014-15 and used the yellow bus service, it is NOT necessary to complete a new transportation application.

All Grade 7 students who are eligible for yellow bus service are required to complete an application form (unless the student is continuing at the same school; e.g. at a K to 9 elementary/junior high school).

Where can I get an application form?

Forms can be obtained at your child’s school or online at www.ecsd.net

Yellow Bus Transportation Application Form 2016-2017 - PDF Form

Family Plan Application 2016-2017 - pdf form

Transportation Change Form – PDF Form

My child is not going to continue using the yellow bus service next year – what do I need to do?

Please make sure that you CANCEL the transportation – either let your school know or contact Transportation Services at (780) 441-6078 or email transportationservices@ecsd.net.

It is important that parents cancel the yellow bus service because unused stops can affect ride times as well as the efficiency of the route.

How do I know if my child is eligible for yellow bus service?

Questions regarding eligibility for transportation can be answered by the school or by calling Transportation Services at (780) 441-6078 or email transportationservices@ecsd.net.

What is the deadline for submitting a Transportation Application?

Please submit your completed application prior to Friday, May 29th, 2015 in order to ensure that your child’s stop will be in place for the first day of school – September 8, 2015.

How will I know which bus route, the stop location and the pick-up and drop-off times for my child?

Approximately the middle of August, parents will be notified by phone that the September bus routes are completed. Parents will be directed to look up the information in the Parent Portal in PowerSchool.

Parents can also check the bus route schedules which will be posted on the District website in mid-August.

What happens if I submit my Transportation Application after the deadline?

Late applications will be processed as quickly as possible but depending on the volume of late applications, it cannot be guaranteed that the bus stop will be in place for the first day of school.

I submitted my Transportation Application the last week of August or the first week of school. When will my request be processed?

Requests are processed in the order in which they are received.
During school start-up, it can take several weeks for new requests to be processed due to the high volume of applications.
The first date for route changes to be in effect is Wednesday, September 16th.
Parents will be notified by phone when the request has been processed. Information about the bus schedule (stop location and times) will be available in the Parent Portal in PowerSchool and the District website at www.ecsd.net.
Route changes are implemented weekly – every Wednesday. Communication regarding new routes is sent on the Friday prior to the Wednesday when the revised changes will be in effect.
New schedules are posted every Friday on the District website at www.ecsd.net.

Kindergarten Noon Hour Curb Service

Kindergarten Noon Hour transportation starts on Monday, September 14, 2015

There are two types of bus service provided to kindergarten students:

Yellow bus service, using designated stops on regular bus routes, either in the AM or PM (depending on whether your child is in the morning or afternoon kindergarten class); AND
Kindergarten Noon Hour transportation which is a curb service provided mid-day.

Kindergarten Noon Hour Curb Service transportation is based on the following criteria:

The address must be located within the transportation catchment area for the school.
Only one address can be accommodated for noon hour curb service.
Curb service is available where roadways and/or access allow (for example: door-to-door service may not be available in new subdivisions where roads are not developed or during winter road conditions). Under these circumstances, students may be required to access a designated safe stop location until such time as the roadways or road conditions change.

Families requesting transportation for their kindergarten child are required to complete a Kindergarten Transportation Application – forms are available at your school. The deadline for submitting kindergarten applications is Friday, May 29, 2015. Letters will be sent to parents who have submitted their applications prior to the deadline, approximately the middle of August, with the times for the noon hour pick-up or drop-off as well as information on the regular bus (stop location and times).

Why can’t my child start taking the bus right away?

It is essential information that the school and the bus driver know which students are on the yellow bus; therefore Kindergarten and Grade 1 students must be registered to use the yellow bus service and the students’ name and stop location needs to be shown on the detailed route schedule. This is a best practice in order to ensure the safe transportation of your child.

District transportation policy requires that an adult/guardian is available to receive all Kindergarten and Grade 1 students at the scheduled drop-off location and time. What happens if I am not at the bus stop to meet my child who is in Kindergarten or Grade 1?

It is the responsibility of the parent to ensure that an adult/guardian is available to receive Kindergarten and/or Grade 1 students at the scheduled drop-off location and time. If no one is available, bus drivers are instructed to contact the carrier, communicate this information and then continue on with the route. At the end of the route, drivers will return the student to the school.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT YELLOW BUS SERVICE

SAFE STOP LOCATIONS

All bus stop locations are selected with student safety in mind. Safety is the top priority when designing a yellow bus route as well as ensuring the shortest ride times possible. Students board and get off buses at designated stops such as:

ETS bus stops
the far side of intersections
the far side of crosswalks
school bus loading zones

These designated stop locations promote consistent crossing practices that are safe for students.

Every effort is made to provide bus stop locations within 400 metres of the student’s home.

DIFFERENT PICK UP AND DROP OFF LOCATIONS

Requests for students to have different pick up and drop off locations can be accommodated IF both locations are within the school’s yellow bus service and both locations remain consistent every day of the week.

Route Changes

Route changes are processed weekly. Find your Yellow School Bus Route.
Information on revised routes is available on Friday for upcoming changes to be in effect the following Wednesday:
Phone notification is sent to parents on Friday advising that their child’s route has been adjusted and to check if their pick-up or drop-off times have been affected (or to confirm stop location for new requests).
Revised schedules are posted on Friday on the district website under Bus Routes/Yellow School Bus Directory.
Parents can also access their child’s transportation information through PowerSchool Parent Portal.
Please inquire at your child’s school regarding a login and password for the Parent Portal.

Delayed Buses

Delayed bus information is posted on the district website under Bus Routes/Yellow School Bus Directory.
Transportation Services also uses an automated phone notification system to communicate to parents when a bus route is running late with the approximate time delay. Please note that this communication is dependent on bus drivers calling into their dispatch and then bus carriers notifying Transportation Services.
The home phone number is the default phone number used; however, parents have the option of requesting one additional telephone number such as a work phone number or cell phone.
Notifications can also be sent to one email address.
Telephone and email address information can be updated using the Transportation Change Form or by contacting Transportation Services at (780) 441-6078 or email at transportationservices@ecsd.net .

Questions ?

Further information can be obtained by talking to your local Catholic School or contacting Transportation Services at (780) 441-6078 or by email at transportationservices@ecsd.net.

Transportation Services is open from 7:15 am until 5:00 pm Monday to Friday (4:00 on Early Dismissal Thursdays).

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