Student Transportation
Trillium Lakelands District School Board provides safe and efficient transportation for your children. School bus transportation reflects a partnership with the home so that your children can arrive at school safe and ready to learn. Please familiarize yourself with transportation procedures listed below so that, together, we can provide the best transportation system.
Trillium Lakelands District School Board transports over 15,000 students (88%) daily on approximately 350 school bus routes traveling over 41,000 km per day
ELIGIBILITY l WALK DISTANCES l INCLEMENT WEATHER l BUS STOPS l SAFETY
STUDENT CONDUCT l DISCIPLINE l TRANSPORTING ARTICLES l CONTACT
ELIGIBILITY
Students who are enrolled in the school within their designated attendance area may be eligible for daily transportation on one school bus route during the traditional school year. Students may be required to walk to a designated school bus pick-up point or to the school.
WALK DISTANCES
Each school shall have a defined walking zone within its attendance area.
Students may be required to walk up to the following distances:
To the school:
| Grade JK - 8 | 1.6 km |
| Grade 9 - 12 | 3.2 km |
To a designated bus pick-up point:
| Grade JK - 8 | 0.8 km |
| Grade 9 - 12 | 1.6 km |
INCLEMENT WEATHER
Prior to the beginning of the school day, inclement weather or poor road conditions may force the cancellation of school bus services. In this event, selected radio stations will broadcast public service announcements on the Board’s behalf.
The Transportation Department contacts a variety of radio stations in an effort to reach all homes; as such we ask that on days when the weather is inclement that you tune in to one of the radio stations listed below.
| Haliburton Area | by 7 a.m. | Country 105 (105.1 FM) MoreFM (105.5 FM) The Moose (97.7 FM) CBC (92.3 FM) Canoe FM (100.9 FM) |
| Kawartha Lakes Area | by 6:20 a.m. | Y92 (91.9 FM) The Wolf (101.5 FM) CBC (98.7 FM) Country 105 (105.1 FM) EZ Rock (105.9 FM) |
| Muskoka Area | by 7 a.m. | MoreFM (105.5 FM) |
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Please be sure that you have discussed with your child the appropriate procedure to be followed in emergency weather situations. Since weather conditions vary for different areas of the Board, parents are encouraged to determine the advisability of sending students to school in inclement weather, even if buses are running.
Please remember: if buses do not run in the morning, they will not run in the afternoon.
If during the day worsening weather or road conditions, mechanical or electrical breakdown of essential school facilities or power failure may require early school dismissal. In this event the school will follow their emergency plan to dismiss students. For more information about your school's emergency plan contact the school principal.
BUS STOPS
The school board's responsibility for the supervision of students who are transported on a bus will commence with the student's entrance to the bus and will terminate with the student's exit from the bus at the designated stops.
Students should be at their school bus stops 5 minutes prior to the arrival of their school bus. Scheduling is tight and school buses cannot wait for late students.
SAFETY
Trillium Lakelands District School Board shares with the home a responsibility for safety of its students and considers this to be of paramount importance. School bus stops are determined after a number of criteria are considered among which is the level of safety for stopping the bus.
We are extremely proud of our school bus transportation safety record and we know that cooperation is a key factor in that success.
As a parent you should —
- know your children's school bus route number and the name of the school bus company they travel on
- ensure the safety of your children to and from the school bus pick-up and drop-off location
- ensure that your children are at the school bus stop prior to the scheduled arrival time of the school bus
- remind children to stay well back of the school bus when they get off the bus so that the driver can see them and to wait for the driver's signal before crossing the road
- ensure that your children have an alternate plan in case an adult is not home to accept them
STUDENT CONDUCT
When students travel on the school bus, cooperation and consideration are the keys that make the school bus system work successfully. Students please keep in mind —
- every student is responsible to the principal or designate of the school that the student attends for his/her conduct while on the school bus
- abide by the school bus driver's instructions
- remain in your seat while the school bus is in motion
- respect the safety of others on the school bus
- speak quietly and use acceptable language
- respect the property of others on the school bus
- refrain from eating, drinking or smoking on the school bus
- keep al parts of the body inside the school bus at all times
DISCIPLINE
It is the responsibility of the driver to maintain control over the students on the school bus at all times. Reports of student misconduct will be sent to the school principal or designate in writing.
The following procedures shall be used when dealing with student misconduct. in the procedures listed below serious misconduct is deemed to be any offence that could affect the safe operation of the school bus, including the use of abusive and foul language directed at the driver. Depending on the seriousness of the infraction, the principal or designate will apply any of the disciplinary provisions.
| 1st Infraction | The school bus driver warns the student and notifies the principal or designate on the appropriate form and the appropriate discipline is initiated by the principal or designate. |
| 2nd Infraction | The principal or designate is notified by the school bus driver and appropriate discipline is undertaken by the principal or designate. Notification of parent(s) / guardian(s) (or student if an adult) by telephone or writing. |
| 3rd Infraction | A suspension of school bus riding service will be determined by the principal or designate. Notification in writing to the parent(s) / guardian(s) (or student if an adult), school bus driver and Transportation Department. Parent(s) / guardian(s) (or student if an adult) have the right to appeal the suspension to the appropriate area superintendent. |
Any further offences may result in the removal of transportation service.
TRANSPORTING ARTICLES
An article or piece of equipment may be transported on the school bus if —
- it can be safely secured on a school bus
- it is properly protected and contained so as to not cause injury; and not become a projectile
- it can be safely stored beneath the seat or on the lap of the student
CONTACT
If you have any questions or concerns regarding school bus transportation to Trillium Lakelands District schools please contact the Transportation Department.
| Haliburton Area | Bracebridge | 705.645.8704 or 1.888.719.9030 |
| Kawartha Lakes Area | Lindsay | 705.324.6776 or 1.888.526.5552 |
| Muskoka Area | Bracebridge | 705.645.8704 or 1.888.719.9030 |
