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ENFR
705-472-8840

Transportation Arrangements

How do I register my child for the bus for September?

Simply register your child for school and provide all addresses for transportation (ex. home and childcare) to the school at that time. If your child is continuing at the same school or proceeding to the senior elementary school in the same school board and zone, please ensure the school has the most current information on file. This includes any medical needs or equipment, joint custody situations, childcare locations, and your new address if you’re moving over the summer. You may be required to fill out an additional form; please note that completing a form doesn’t guarantee that transportation is available.

Please note: transportation is always subject to eligibility (based on NPSSTS guidelines) and is provided on a permanent, daily basis. Schedules (i.e. daycare 2 days/week) and temporary changes (ex. caregiver is out of town) are not accommodated.

How do I arrange a change to my child’s transportation for this day/week?

Unfortunately, you will need to make arrangements by other means. We do not accommodate temporary transportation needs, including but not limited to accommodations for lessons, appointments, visiting friends, work schedules, or caregivers being away. All transportation is provided on a daily basis for the full school year and only permanent changes (i.e. changes to school, residence, or childcare location) are accommodated.

How do I arrange for my child to be picked up from one location in the morning and dropped off at a different location in the afternoon?

Provided both locations meet eligibility requirements (i.e. within the school’s boundary and outside the walking distance) and will be used every day, all you need to do is visit your school to complete and sign a Transportation Form (or a Joint Custody form, if applicable). Please note: schedules and special events, such as lessons, are not accommodated. Please call our office at 705-472-8840 to discuss your needs, if you still have questions.

How do I get transportation for mid-day if my child attends school half-days?

Unfortunately, you will need to make arrangements by other means. Parents/guardians choosing to have their children only attend school for partial days must make their own transportation arrangements for mid-day, though they can still access morning or afternoon transportation, provided regular eligibility requirements are met.

My bus driver said my request can be accommodated. Do I need to contact my school or the NPSSTS about it?

Yes! Drivers and operators do not have the authority to make changes. All change requests must come through the NPSSTS office. This is a safety issue: we keep track of the number and names of students on each bus to avoid buses from being overloaded and to know who is where in the event of any emergency during transportation. If your bus driver is the only one who knows all the details of your child’s transportation, the potential for unsafe situations increases. On top of that, if there is ever a replacement driver, you may not receive the transportation you’ve arranged through informal channels.

How do I make changes to my child’s transportation during the school year?

All requests for changes to student transportation are made through the school. Please visit your school to complete and sign a Transportation Form (or a Joint Custody form, if applicable). Allow a minimum of 3 full business days for arrangements to be finalized, at which time someone will contact you with details.

1

Get the form

Obtain a Transportation Form from your school. It can be completed on site or returned to the school upon completion.

2

Fill it in

Fill in the name(s) of the student(s), their school and home address, and any other applicable information. If the pick-up or drop-off location is other than home (i.e. daycare), include details in the middle part of the form.

3

Add a way to reach you

Please be sure to include at least one method of contact, preferably one with voicemail capability.

4

Sign and hand it in

Sign the form and give it to your school; they will fax it to our office.

5

Allow at least three business days

Allow a minimum of three full business days from when the fax is sent to the NPSSTS office.

6

Your school calls you with the details

Your school will call you with the details. Schools also have access to transportation details for all of their students the day after a change is made in the NPSSTS transportation planning system. Please note that the bus stop may or may not be located at the address you provided, as communal stops are frequently used.

During school start-up
We do not make changes to bus routes (i.e. no new bus stops or changes to route paths) during the two weeks before school starts and the first three weeks of school. Students will be assigned to existing stops only. All changes requested at this time of year may take longer to be processed, regardless of whether or not there is an associated route change.
Please note
Transportation is always subject to eligibility (based on NPSSTS guidelines) and is provided on a permanent, daily basis. Only permanent changes (i.e. changes to school, residence, or childcare location) are accommodated. Schedules (ex. daycare 2 days/week) and temporary changes (ex. caregiver is out of town) are not accommodated.

Bus stops and transfers

Why aren’t bus stops always located at the requested address?

Given our safety measures and service goals, a stop in front of every requested address is neither possible nor practical. Several bus stops close to one another are also a safety hazard in themselves: they increase the risk of rear-end collisions and of impatient motorists passing the school bus while children are getting on or off. Communal bus stops help reduce ride times for all students and allow routes to be planned more efficiently. Rest assured that we take care to place bus stops in the safest possible locations, taking into account a wide range of safety factors, including road conditions (speed limit, visibility, road type, urban/rural area, etc.) and the distance between homes and bus stops.

How do I share concerns about my child’s bus stop location with the NPSSTS?

Anyone can request a bus stop location review by creating an account and filling out the Stop Location Review Form. Stop reviews are conducted by NPSSTS staff using a wide range of criteria, including road conditions (speed limit, visibility, road type, urban/rural area, etc.) and distances between homes and bus stops.

Stop Location Review Form

Why do some students need to transfer between buses?

Given our efficiency and service goals, it is impossible to provide a direct route to school for every student. Even students who don’t transfer buses often travel to transfer sites, where other students transfer onto or off of the bus before it continues on its route. Combined routes and transfer sites reduce overall ride times and allow for a more efficient use of the resources at our disposal.