School Bus Information

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The Sea to Sky School District provides students with a safe, effective, and efficient transportation system to and from school. Our school bus service is something that we are proud to offer to our school community, even though it is not required by the Ministry of Education.
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Who is Eligible for School Bus Transportation?
 
As outlined in District Policy 806, a student is considered eligible for school bus transportation if they attend their catchment school and if their home address:
  • is more than 3.2 kilometres (by road or walkway) from their catchment area school for students in Kindergarten and grades 1 to 3;
  • is more than 4 kilometres (by road or walkway) from their catchment area school for students in grades 4 to 12;
Exceptions to the above may be made upon application to the Board where hazardous conditions exist.
 
 
To find which schools serve your home address, you can search the school database with your address's full or partial street name by accessing the School Locator webpage.
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Who is Ineligible for School Bus Transportation?
 
Students are considered "Ineligible" for school bus transportation if they:
  • are kindergarten, grade 1, 2, and 3 students who live 3.2 or less kilometres from their catchment area school;
  • are grades 4 to 12 students who live 4.0 kilometres or less from their catchment area school; and,
  • are students attending a school outside of their English catchment area, including French Immersion.

Ineligible students who apply and are issued a bus pass are known as "Courtesy Riders." Courtesy Riders are accommodated on scheduled routes if space is available, and available seats are allocated based on distance from school. Bussing is not guaranteed for ineligible riders.divider

Current Exemptions for 2022-2023 School Year:

 

Students in Grades 10 to 12, living in the Valleycliffe neighbourhoods of Ravens Plateau, Crumpet Woods, and Valleycliffe Plateau are eligible to ride the school bus to and from Howe Sound Secondary, with a valid school bus pass.

 

Students that attend Spring Creek Elementary and reside in the Cheakamus neighbourhood are eligible to ride the school bus to and from school with a valid school pass.

 

As per the Protocol Agreement between the District and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw, students enrolled in Cultural Journeys at St'a7mes School are eligible to ride the school bus to and from school with a valid school pass.

 

Please note: Bussing is under continual evaluation and restructuring due to changing demographics.divider

Bus Registration:
 

For the 2022-2023 school year, School District No.48 is pleased to introduce a new bus registration system and fully implement a bus pass program for all student riders. The bus pass program is designed to enhance our safe, effective and efficient transportation system.

All students who seek bus transportation are now required to register annually to receive a bus pass and to have a bus seat allocated to them. We encourage you to review District Policy 806 for more information about your child’s eligibility for school bus transportation.

For the 2022-2023 school year, bus registration opens on June 24, 2022, and closes on September 30, 2022. Early registration is encouraged, and eligible students who register before the start of the school year will have a bus pass produced and delivered to their school, ready for collection on the first day of school. Eligible students who apply after the start of the school year will have a bus pass produced and delivered to their school as soon as possible.

Students applying as a courtesy rider (ineligible rider) will not be allocated a seat and pass until October 15, 2022, when ridership lists are finalized.

Bus registration for your child is confirmed when you receive an email from the Transportation Department informing you of the before and after school pick-up location with approximate time and bus number. Should your child not qualify for school bus transportation, the Transportation Department will reach out to inform you.

The registration process helps us plan and create bus routes for the upcoming school year. Our staff makes every effort to accommodate all riders based on eligibility criteria and available seats. However, the District cannot guarantee ridership. 

Please note: Transportation can only accept one registration per child. However, all addresses must be listed if a student has more than one home address.

 
Please email all completed printer-friendly forms to Paul Else, Manager of Transportation & Grounds, at [email protected].
 
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 Bus Pass Information:
 
Once registered and approved, your child(ren) will receive a bus pass from their school. For more information about the bus pass system, read the Bus Pass FAQ

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Transportation Assistance for Students with Special Needs:
 
In circumstances where special needs students live outside of the walk limits and in the opinion of the Director of Instruction, are unable to ride the school bus, a transportation assistance allowance may be paid to the parents.
 
Parents of special needs students requesting transportation assistance for their child must make an annual application by emailing Phillip Clarke, Director of Instruction – Learning Services at [email protected]
 
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School Bus Routes:
 
Brackendale Elementary School
Don Ross Middle School 
Howe Sound Secondary School
Ecole Squamish Elementary School
Valleycliffe Elementary School 
St’a7mes School
Sea to Sky Alternate School 
 
Whistler Secondary School 
Myrtle Philip Community School 
Spring Creek Community School 
 
Blackwater Creek Elementary School
Pemberton Secondary School
Signal Hill Elementary School
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School Bus Safety:
 

The safe transportation of students is everyone's concern. It requires cooperation among students, parents, drivers, teachers and school administrators.

Please take a moment to review the following documents on school bus safety and expected behaviours while riding a school bus.

Student Code of Conduct

Bus Safety Video

Evacuation Video

Safety and Behaviour on School Buses

School Bus tips for Parents

When We Stop, You Stop (poster)

How to Cross Safely (poster)

 

If you have questions or concerns about a bus route, a lost item, or an emergency surrounding the bus, please contact the Transportation Department.