Transportation FAQ

To register for transportation services, please first pay for busing using School Cash online. Then us the Bus Registration Link below. You will need your student number to register, which can be found on your previous year’s bus pass or student card. If you do not know your student number, please contact your school - inputting an incorrect student number will slow the process significantly.

Bus Registration 2023-2024

 

We do not register students by phone.

The cut-off date to register for transportation services for the coming school year is June 30 for 2023-2024.

Students who are registered after the cut-off date will be placed on runs based on available space. Runs are built and revised each year based on students who are registered by the cut-off date, so it is important to register as soon as possible. If you are registering after the cut-off date, it may take up to three weeks to process your application.

Yes, the Board voted to implement a bus registration fee of $25 per student for the 2023-2024 school year.

Before registering for the bus, you can log into School Cash Online where families can pay their fees (similar to how other student fees are paid). For families that unable to pay online, schools are accepting cash or cheque. Cash and cheque payment options are not available during July and August as schools are closed. 

We have a new bus pass system and will be mailing them out as soon as they are ready. If you have not received your pass by October 15, please let us know. If you are registering during the school year, please expect a three week waiting period.

The Penticton/Naramata/Kaleden bus schedules Penticton Area Buses

 The Summerland bus schedules can be found on the District’s website: Summerland Buses

Students are assigned a bus run based on their home address listed with the school. This information will be mailed out with your bus pass. Once you receive your pass, check the website to see which stop is closest to your home on your assigned route.

Please email [email protected].  We will ensure the drivers are notified and that a new pass is sent out.

The B.C. Government's Motor Vehicle Act requires school districts to maintain an accurate and up-to-date list of passengers entitled to ride each bus.  To comply with these regulations, the District assigns students to the most appropriate route to get them to and from their home and gives these lists to the drivers.

Students will only be granted access to transportation to and from their parent or guardian’s home address.  This address must be listed in the school’s student file.  We do not bus to friend's homes, afterschool activities, or daycares.

• Their home address
• Available space on the bus

If the stop that is closest to your home is available on multiple routes and is going directly to your school, you may email [email protected] and request to be on another route that is going to your school. 

Please note that the bus for students going to Skaha Lake and Princess Margaret from Pen Hi in the morning is route 54. We will not be re-assigning these students to other runs.

It is the District’s responsibility to transport students safely between bus stops and schools.  It is the parent’s responsibility to get their students safety between their home and bus stop.  This may require parents to walk with or drive their students to/from a stop.  Stops will not be added within current runs.  If your home is outside of a current bus run, please email us at [email protected] and we will assess your situation.

Unfortunately, the District does not have the resources to provide busing to afterschool activities or daycares.  Public transit is an option for some communities.  Some daycare facilities also have their own contracted transportation services.  Check with your daycare to see if this is something they offer.

No, these decisions are made by the Director of Facilities.

Yes, you can register for transportation services at any point throughout the year. Registrations completed during the school year may take up to three weeks to process.

Please email your new address to [email protected] along with the date you are moving. It is best to email at least three weeks prior to your move-in date to ensure continuity of transportation services. Do not re-register your student with your new address. 

Students are eligible for transportation services if they attend their catchment area school and live outside of walk limits. For grades K-3, the walk limit is 4.0 km. For grades 4-12, the walk limit is 4.8 km.

Courtesy riders are students who travel to schools outside of their catchment area, request a transfer to another school, live within walk limits, or attend a school of choice program. This includes French Immersion and other programs set out the in the Choice and Flexibility Administrative Procedure 306. There is no entitlement to public school bus service or transportation assistance for students enrolled in schools outside their catchment area.

Yes, courtesy riders will be placed on runs if there is available space and no additional stops are required.

You will need to apply for a Replacement Bus Pass. The replacement cost for a lost pass is $10.

Yes, students need to be registered on a yearly basis to ride the school bus.

At this time, students are not allowed to bring guests on the bus with them.

Equipment that cannot be held on the lap of the student without projecting into the aisle or
above the seat or is deemed to be dangerous (e.g. skates without guards) will not be
permitted on the bus. Items that can roll around, such as skateboards or balls will only be
permitted if they meet the above criteria for size and are either stored in an appropriate
container or securely attached to a backpack.