Chartered (Yellow) Bus Service

Charter bus services at Red Deer Public Schools are operated using traditional yellow school buses, following designated school bus routes established by the district. These services cater to all elementary schools (excluding Aspen Heights), K-8 schools, Gateway Christian School, Escuela Vista Grande, West Park Middle School, and eligible special education students.

Our contractor, Prairie Bus Lines, provides the charter bus service under our supervision. They do not make any alterations to routes or stop locations without consulting Red Deer Public Schools first. This ensures that all transportation arrangements align with our standards and requirements for student safety and efficiency.

Contact Prairie at 403-304-8257 or 403-342-6390 if you feel a bus is running very late or has missed your stop, you have issues regarding a specific bus or driver, or any issues that may pertain to your child (eg. won't be on the bus, medical information, message to student enroute).

The Division utilizes both large and small school buses, chosen based on the specific needs or programs in which students are enrolled. It's important to note that for students in Kindergarten and Grade 1, an adult, responsible older sibling, or guardian (if not a family member) must accompany them at the bus stop. If no one is present to collect the student at the designated stop, the student will be taken back to the Prairie office or the school. Parents will then need to pick up the student from either location. If you have any concerns or need to provide an alternative guardian's name, please communicate this information to the transportation department via a letter or email.

All students requiring Charter bus service must complete the online Charter Bus Transportation Application on School Engage each year before June 25th. This requirement applies to students enrolled in both Regular and Alternative programs. Special transportation requests will continue to use paper forms and should be submitted through the school.

Applications are reviewed and approved by the attending school, with transportation costs detailed below. Any applications submitted after the June 25th deadline will incur a $20.00 late fee, in addition to applicable transportation fees. However, this late fee does not apply to new students transferring in from another school jurisdiction or to Red Deer Public families transferring schools within the Division over the summer.

Fees can be conveniently paid online through the parent portal in PowerSchool. For inquiries about alternative payment options, please contact the attending school directly.

Registered student-specific bus route information is exclusively accessible through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. It's important to note that bus routes and times may change during the school year. In the event that a bus is delayed by more than 10 minutes, a notification will typically be sent out via the School Messenger System to the contact numbers and email addresses provided in PowerSchool. This ensures that parents and guardians stay informed about any significant changes or delays affecting their child's transportation.

Costs

There are no transportation fees for eligible students attending their designated school. Late fees will be incurred for applications not submitted by June 25th for the next school year. Any fees are paid at the school or using Powerschool online and are as follows:

Regular and Alternative Program: 

• Student, Gr K-6, lives under 1 km = $300   (Regular ineligible rules apply) 
• Student, Gr K-6, lives over 1 km to designated school= No Fee
• Student, Gr 7-12, lives under 2 km = $300 (Charter Bus Only)(Regular ineligible rules apply) 
• Student, Gr 7-12 lives over 2 km to designated school= No Fee
• Student, Gr K-12 lives over 2.4 kms from designated and 2.4 kms from school of choice = No Fee
• Student, Gr K-12 attending Gateway or Escuela Vista Grande = $300 (unless greater than 2.4 kms from attending and designated school, then there is no fee) 

**Please note that the the new distance requirements announced by the Government last year, have been amended by a year to officially start in 2025-26. RDPSD decided that we would use the new eligiblity distances with as many schools as possible in the 2023-24 school year. The remaining schools will start in 2024-25.***

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