View the
Student Transportation of Peel Region's website for helpful information for students who will be riding the bus this school year.
Let STOPR know if you will not require transportation this year
If your child is eligible for board-provided transportation and will not be using it in 2020-21, please complete this STOPR Opt-out Form.
Families will be able to opt back in for transportation at any time by using the same form and selecting opt-in.
Riding the bus
Prior to arriving at the bus stop, parents/guardians are required to complete the Government of Ontario’s self-assessment for each student taking the bus and parents that will be required to assist their child in loading and unloading. If the self-assessment directs a student to stay at home and monitor health or to get tested for COVID-19, they must not come to the bus stop.
When the bus arrives, students will be loaded onto the bus from back-to-front and unloaded from front-to-back in an orderly fashion for safe physical distancing. Buses will be loaded to full capacity. Windows will be opened when feasible to increase ventilation. Students will be assigned seats on the school bus by classroom cohort and siblings from the same household. The seat behind the driver will remain empty, unless the seat is needed for the driver’s children.
In the event that a student arrives at the bus stop on the wrong cohort day, the driver will pick up any students waiting at the stop, take them to the school and Administrators will contact the family to pick up the child. Similarly, if a known adult isn’t at the bus stop to pick up a primary school-aged student, the student will be returned to school. Drivers will not leave students alone at a stop.
Health and safety
The health and safety of students and bus drivers is a top priority.
Peel Public Health’s physical distancing guidelines must be followed at all times while waiting at the bus stops. To the extent that physical distancing may not be possible, the use of non-medical masks for students in Grades 1 to 12 will be required on school vehicles. Students in Kindergarten will be strongly encouraged but not required to wear masks on student transportation. Exceptions should be made for students with medical conditions or special needs that prevent masking.
Medical masks and eye protection (i.e. face shields) will be provided for school bus drivers, school bus monitors and student aides. Eye protection for drivers should not interfere with the safe operation of vehicles and is intended to protect drivers during close contact with students, such as during boarding and exiting.
As per Ministry guidelines, high-touch areas on the bus will be disinfected by the driver at least twice daily. A thorough cleaning will be performed after the morning route and again after the afternoon route. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer will be available on vehicles for driver use and in the event a student requires hand sanitizer.
If a student is feeling unwell during a run, the driver will notify the school immediately, who will contact the student’s parent/caregiver. The bus driver will be required to complete an incident form to capture the date and the names of students that traveled on that route for contact tracing requirements. The bus will undergo deep cleaning before being put back on the road.
In the event that a student is feeling unwell during the school day, the student will not be sent home on the school bus. The school will also notify STOPR for contact tracing purposes. If a student becomes ill on the way to school, the driver will notify school staff immediately upon arriving at school.
Bus stops and route information
The number of students at each bus stop will be minimized to ensure safe physical distancing for the run. Additional stops will be added, where required. Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR) will assign students to cohorts for each school in order to plan school bus routes safely and efficiently. Given the complexity of the cohort planning, families will not likely receive bus route information until the week before school starts.
Due to various challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the timing of routes may be impacted.
Families are encouraged to subscribe to Student Transportation of Peel Region’s notification system to monitor delays and cancellations.
Special needs transportation
Accessible vehicles will be loaded to maximum capacity. The seat behind the driver will remain empty, unless the seat is needed for the driver’s children. Students will be assigned seats on the school bus.
Last updated: Aug. 18, 2020