Elementary Schools Transportation

Transportation Information

Grades 1-6

The Fort McMurray Catholic School Division offers Yellow Bus Transportation for students in Grade 1 to 6 residing more than 1.0 km from their designated elementary school. The service is only available to the designated school of the student.  Transportation service is also available for students (grade 1-6) in the French Immersion program at Ecole St. Paul School residing more than 1.0 km from the school.

Kindergarten

Transportation services for Kindergarten children is only offered either in the morning (to school for the AM programs) or at the end of the day (afternoon to go home from the PM programs). Service is not available at noon. Parents must made their own arrangements for noon transportation.  For example Kid-Drop Inc offers private transportation services for children.  Parents requiring noon transportation may want to contact them as soon as possible to register their child.

Early Entry Program (EEP)

The School Division does not offer yellow bus transportation for children in the Early Entry Program (EEP) as children under the age of 4 1/2 years old are not permitted to ride in any vehicle without a car seat as per Transport Canada regulations.

Transportation Fees

The Annual Transportation Fee for school year 2022-23 for all riders is set as follows:

  • Grades 1 – 12:       $410 per year
  • Kindergarten:       $205 per year. (one way service only)
  • Family Discount:  50% for the 3rd child.  *Discount does not apply for City Transit passes.

Requesting Transportation Services

The first day of regular bus service (except for Kindergarten) is Monday August 29th (first day of school).  Requests for bus service must be received no later than noon on Monday August 22nd for bus service in the first week of school.

  • Registrations for yellow bus service made between after noon on August 22nd until noon on August 29th will only commence after the Labour Day Weekend (September 6th).
  • Requests for bus service made during the school year are subject to a delay of up to 10 working days before the start of service.
  • Students eligible for transportation will be assigned to the nearest available master stop.

Parents registering for yellow bus service will be required to pay for the first month of service ($41) and subscribe to one of the payment plans at the time of registration. Students will not be assigned to a bus route without receipt of payment.

How to Request Yellow Bus Service

Requests for Yellow Bus Transportation for School Year 2022-2023 can now be submitted by parents of students that are eligible for Yellow Bus Transportation by using the form below:

2022/2023 Request for Yellow Bus Transportation

  • Your request will be reviewed in mid-August, when the School Administration Office reopens after the Summer Break, to determine eligibility and availability of Yellow Bus Transportation for your child/children.
  • You will be contacted during the week of August 22nd with instructions on how to make payment for your transportation fee.  Students will only be assigned to a bus route once payment is received for the first month of service and subscription to one of the payment plans is confirmed.
  • Bus routes, pick-up/drop-off times and location of nearest bus stop will only be published 24-48 hours before the first day of school (of the commencement of service).

Designated Schools and attendance area

Yellow Bus service is only available within the attendance area of each school. Service is only provided to students residing at least 1.0 km from the school. Information on attendance areas and designated schools is available on our School Boundaries page.

To determine the distance to your designated school, please use the following link EDULOG WEB QUERY.  Enter your address and select: CATH or FCTH (French Immersion) in the Program Field. In accordance with Alberta Education Regulations, the distance of a residence from a school or from a bus route is the shortest distance measured along a travelled road or public right of way between the school site or the bus route, as the case may be, and the nearest roadway access at the boundary of the quarter section or lot on which the student’s parent resides.

Kid-Drop Inc offers private transportation services for children.  Parents requiring transportation may want to contact them as soon as possible to register their child.

Choice Schools

Parents may register their children to a Catholic school outside of their attendance area (Choice School). Yellow Bus service is not available to choice schools except for Ecole St.Paul School and Holy Trinity Catholic High School that offer French Immersion Program, and therefore have busses already transporting students from all areas.

Students in the English Program residing outside the attendance area of Ecole St. Paul School or Holy Trinity Catholic High School may access existing Yellow Bus routes if space is available. Priority of access will be provided to eligible French Immersion students. Where available, the fee for choice student transportation is the same as user pay.

Kid-Drop Inc offers private transportation services for children. Parents requiring transportation to school outside of their attendance area may want to contact them as soon as possible to register their child.

Babysitter

Students may choose to be transported from either their home address or from a babysitter’s address, but not both, unless they are on the same route. Students transported from a babysitter’s address must attend the school designated for that area.

In order to be considered an eligible student when transported from a babysitter’s address, the home address of the student is used to determine eligibility (e.g. walking distance from home to school).

The same rule applies for students living at two addresses, transportation can only be provided from one location unless both are on the same route.

Specialized Transportation

Specialized Transportation is available to students with disabilities who cannot, because of the severity of their disability/delay, use regular transportation services.

The Student Services Department, in consultation with the Principal and the Secretary-Treasurer, will determine eligibility for Special Transportation and the type of transportation required.