Division Office ~
Board Receives Transportation Assurance Report
The division’s Transportation Department shared its annual Transportation Assurance Report this month, highlighting successes and challenges in getting students safely to and from school.
By the Numbers
This year, 2,672 students are registered to ride buses daily, up slightly from last year’s 2,630 students. The average distance between students’ homes and their schools is 16.49 kilometres, a small decrease from last year’s 16.98 kilometres.
About 15.5% of students spend more than one hour on the bus for each one-way trip, which is an improvement from 17.2% last year. The average ride time remains steady at 38 minutes.
Safety is a Priority
The Transportation Department reported several safety initiatives:
- All buses completed evacuation drills twice yearly – a back door drill in fall and a split door drill in spring.
- The “Meet the Bus” program helped introduce new kindergarten students to bus riding.
- The “Safely on Board” program provided bus safety training for students in kindergarten and grades 1, 2, and 4.
Recruitment and Training
Driver recruitment remains a focus for the department. One of their efforts to attract new drivers includes showing recruitment videos at the local theatre. So far this school year, they’ve trained 16 new drivers with 10 more currently in training.
The department also highlighted their apprenticeship program through CAREERS Next Generation, noting that both apprentice students are graduating in June and plan to stay with the transportation team.
Challenges on the Road
Drivers typically face challenges with bad weather or finding spare drivers to cover illnesses; however, they are still facing significant challenges with motorists illegally passing stopped buses. The report noted 80 “red flashing light infractions” between August 2024 and mid-April 2025, where vehicles passed buses while their red lights were flashing and stop arms were extended, known as “fly-bys”.
In further efforts by the division to combat the issue, LED stop signs have been installed on buses, which have led to a 64% overall decrease in infractions and an 87% reduction on two-lane roads; and a “fly-by awareness video” is in the works that will feature local peace officers and bus drivers as part of a campaign to bring awareness to the issue.
In-Town Transportation Funding Distance Requirements Changes
Local families with elementary school children will see changes to in-town school bus transportation policies next year. At the April 16, 2025 meeting, the Board of Trustees approved updates to their transportation funding rules affecting hundreds of students.
What’s changing?
Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, the distance criteria for in-town ECS to Grade 6 students to qualify for transportation funding will increase to 1.6 kilometres. This is a change from the current criteria of 1.0 kilometres.
“This is a provincial funding change that affects school divisions across Alberta,” explained Shantelle Haitel, Director of Transportation. “While the change officially begins next year, the province is offering some transition money if we want to delay until 2026-2027.”
Transition Funding for 2025-2026
There are 349 Pembina Hills elementary students in Barrhead, Swan Hills and Westlock that live between 1.0 and 1.6 kilometres from their schools. Of these students, 224 currently ride the bus.
Under the new provincial rules, these students would no longer be funded for transportation and would be required to pay a fee. However, at the April 16, 2025 board meeting, trustees passed a motion to continue providing transportation at no cost to these students for the 2025-2026 school year only, thanks to special transition funding from the province.
What will change for 2026-2027?
Parents should be aware that starting in 2026-2027, a fee will apply to ECS-Grade 6 students who live less than 1.6 kilometres from school to access bus service.
The division recommends that families start planning now for these upcoming changes. “While we understand these changes may create challenges for some families, the transition year gives everyone time to prepare,” Secretary Treasurer Heather Nanninga said. “We’re working to maintain service levels while adapting to new provincial funding guidelines.”
Families with questions about their specific situation should contact the Transportation Department at 780.674.8510 or troffice@pembinahills.ca for more information.
Fee Changes for Unfunded Students
Students who do not qualify for transportation funding can still use bus services if there is space available, but they must pay a fee. The In-Town fee will increase from $100 to $200 per student starting in 2025-2026. Kindergarten students will pay a reduced fee of $100.
Capacity Challenges
The school division continues to face challenges with bus capacity. When transportation funding rules changed in 2023, busing service demand increased dramatically across the province. There are consistently more students who apply for busing service than there is space available and when buses fill up, the division must prioritize seating for funded students. This can sometimes mean changing bus routes to accommodate new students or revoking bus service for fee-paying students from routes.