Frequently Asked Questions

The Toronto Catholic District School Board and the Toronto District School Board share a joint transportation system. Students from either Board may at any given time be riding with students from the other Board. The following information may answer some of your questions regarding transportation services.

Q1. What school am I eligible to receive transportation from?

A1. Visit WebQuery at http://www.schoolbus.to/webquery/. By inputting your address and grade into WebQuery you will find what school if any has transportation from that address.

Q2. How do I apply for bus service?

A2. If you qualify for bussing please contact the school for which you plan to attend to have the necessary forms filled out.

Q3. Do Children in special programs qualify for transportation?

A3. If the students are registered in a Provincial or Board defined Special Education Program then transportation is available. Certain programs like Gifted and French Immersion may or may not have transportation; please contact the school for more information.

Q4: Does my child have to attend the school in our local community?

A4: For the most part the TCDSB has an open boundary policy which means you can apply to any school in the system as long as there is room available at the school. There are a few elementary schools that do have attendance boundaries which require you to reside within the bounded area in order to attend that particular school. Transportation would not be provided if you choose to send your child to another school which falls outside of the transportation area corresponding to your address.

Q5. Will I be accommodated on bussing if I go to an alternate address?

A5. Students utilizing daycares and babysitters may use the bus if an existing stop is already available.

Q6. I am eligible for transportation and choose a caregiver outside of my normal school boundary. Will transportation be available from my caregiver location to the school in that area?

A6. No; students are only eligible for service based on the transportation boundaries for the schools. Service will not be provided to out-of-area students under these circumstances. Transportation will not be provided even if a bus is servicing program students out of area with available seats.

Q7. Will the Board provide service if I temporarily become incapacitated (i.e. broken leg)?

A7. Service will be provided to students who have short term disabilities via a 19 passenger vehicle only if there is time and room available on the bus.

Q8: I am not eligible for transportation services under the distance policy. Is there another way my child may be able to receive transportation?

A8: Yes; under the TCDSB’s ‘Extenuating Circumstance Policy” students may petition their school principal for approval of transportation for exceptional reasons. A letter outlining your extenuating circumstance along with an ‘extenuating circumstance request form” must be submitted by the school to the Student Transportation Services Department. Approval by the school principal does not mean that transportation will be provided as it depends on the availability of seats and sufficient time for the vehicle to perform its route. All extenuating circumstance requests must be submitted each year service is requested.

Q9. Will I be traveling on a school bus?

A9. Most students travel on yellow school buses but transportation may also be provided via the TTC, mini vans, or Taxi if the particular requests warrant this type of service.

Q10. Which students need to be in car or booster seats??

A10. Students who are less then 8 years old, or weigh less then 80lbs, or are less then 57
inches are required to be in a car or booster seat if they ride in any vehicle other then school busses. This means mini vans, taxi's, or the family car will require these seats to transport children to and from school.

Q11. Who is driving my child to school?

A11. The School Board contracts out our bus services to transportation carriers that recruit and train drivers. All drivers are required to have safety, first aid, and epi pen training and require a criminal background check before they get behind the wheel of the school bus with children on board.

Q12. Can my pick up or drop time be changed earlier/later so I can get to work.

A12. No, the School Board is not a babysitting service and will not adjust pick up or drop times to suit parents needs. Bus routes are interactive and a single change for one student can impact the timing for dozens of other students.

Q13: Can I request that the bus driver change my stop time, location or route?

A13. No - Drivers are employees of the transportation carrier and not the Board. Carriers are under contract with the Board and as such both the carrier and driver must comply with the Boards policy and terms of the contract. A driver cannot and will not authorize requests. It would be inappropriate for a parent to place the driver in jeopardy through demands contrary to policy on their condition of employment. All requests should be made through the school.

Q14: If students are misbehaving on the bus and mistreating my child, who should I contact?

A14: The school bus is an extension of the school and as such it is the school principal who is responsible for the discipline of the students. It is expected that the students follow not only specific bus rules but those rules and regulations that the principal has established at the school.

Q15: Are my children in danger of losing bussing privileges if they misbehave?

A15: Yes; if misbehaving children do not correct their behaviour then the principal has the right and responsibility to withdraw transportation privileges to maintain a safe riding environment for other students on the vehicle.

Q16: Who is responsible to look after my child on their way to the bus stop?

A16: It is the parents’ responsibility for their child’s safety and conduct while walking to, from and waiting at a designated bus stop.

Q17: Do I have to receive my child at the bus stop?

A17: Our bus operators will endeavor to make sure that all young students are met by a student recognized adult. The bus operator can not be responsible if children leave the bus without an adult present. If an adult can not be at the designated stop to receive the child they should contact the school prior to the bus leaving and arrange pick up arrangements with the school.

Q18: The bus is late, who do I contact.

A18: Our operators are required to notify the schools and Student Transportation Services if the bus is running more than 20 minutes late. Busses can be delayed for a number of reasons including inclement weather, traffic, road closures, and vehicle breakdowns. Please listen to local radio, TV stations, and this site for reports on road conditions, traffic delays and ultimately school bus cancellations.

Q19: I arrived home late this afternoon and cannot find my child. What do I do?

A19: Students are usually returned to school if they are not met at a bus stop. Please contact your child’s school to determine if he/she is there. If your call is not answered, contact the bus company operating your child’s bus or Student Transportation Services. We will coordinate the search with local emergency services.

Q20: Why are there no seat belts on the big busses?

A20: School buses have “compartmentalized designed seating” which is intended to protect students in the event of an accident. High Back seats help to redistribute impact forces from the head to the entire torso and the seats are situated closer together to negate any ejection possibilities. The floor is raised, the window glass is shatter-proof, and there are strengthened reinforcements along the sides of the bus. All these factors help to make school busses one of the safest modes of transportation in use today. Please see our section on safety for more information.