School Bus Registration FAQ

Is my child eligible to ride the school bus?

PRSD provides school bus service to eligible Kindergarten (ECS) to Grade 12 students who require transportation to and from their designated PRSD school, as well as to eligible ECS to Grade 12 students from Grande Prairie Catholic School District in Fairview, Conseil Scolaire du Nord-Ouest in Peace River and Holy Family Catholic School Division in Peace River, Grimshaw and Manning.

Effective September 1, 2023, the eligibility distance for student transportation was reduced to 1 km between a student’s residence and their designated school for Kindergarten to Grade 6 students, and 2 km between a student’s residence and their designated school for Grade 7 to 12 students, measured using the shortest driving route.

Important Definitions:

Resident Student - a student residing within the school attendance boundary
Non-Resident -a student not residing within the school attendance boundary
Designated School - the school in which a board has directed a resident student
Out of Boundary/School of Choice - Student does not reside in the attendance/transportation service area for that school.

Click here to view the school attendance boundaries

Click here to confirm eligibility

Do I need to submit a school bus registration form every year?

Parents and guardians need to register their students on the school bus if any of the following statements are true:

My child is attending a different school than in the previous school year
My child will start Grade 7 in the next school year (please register even if your child is still attending the same school but is starting Grade 7)
My child required a bus pass to ride the school bus in the previous year
My child lives less than 1.0 km from their designated school (K through Grade 6), or 2.0 km from their designated school (Grade 7-12) and needs a bus pass
My child has a childcare, shared custody, or alternative bus stop
My child attended a School of Choice in the previous year
My child used interschool bussing in the previous year
My child moved to a new home address

You do not need to submit a registration form if:

Your student is a resident student who is attending the same school, has not moved residences, and was an eligible rider in the previous school year

If you are unsure if your child is still registered on a bus, you can login into www.prsd.mybusplanner.ca. If you do not see bus stop information, the child is not registered on a bus. If the bus stop information is indicated, your child is registered on a bus.

How do I register my student to ride the bus?

Know your rural emergency address (blue or green sign at the end of your driveway) or civic/physical address (10501 88 St) for the registration process.
If your child has any special needs, medical conditions or serious allergies, please advise our office.
If your child is attending a Pre-K program or is under 5 years old, they will be required to complete a “school bus readiness” evaluation administered by the school they wish to attend before they can ride the school bus.

Please note that students in Kindergarten and Grade 1 must be accompanied by a responsible person when getting on or off the school bus. Register by June 30th of the current school year to ensure your child's seat on the school bus for the first day of the following school year.

Early registration is critical to ensure that bus routes are created to accommodate student needs.

The Transportation Office remains open during the months of July and August. During our peak times (mid-August to mid-October) and at the end of each month, please register 5 to 10 business days ahead of time to avoid any service delays.

All PRSD students need to register through PowerSchool.

Returning student registration for 2024-2025 will open in April

GPCSD, HFCRD and Conseil Scolaire du Nord-Ouest students must register through BusPlanner here:

https://prsd.mybusplanner.ca/

How will I know if my student's bus route is delayed or cancelled?

School bus delays and cancellations can be viewed by visiting www.prsd.ab.ca or any school website by clicking on the “Bus Routes” icon at the right of their webpages.

We recommend creating a subscription to your student’s school bus Delays & Cancellations to ensure you are notified in a timely fashion of any changes to their bussing schedule. Delays or cancellations can happen unexpectedly with short notice and having a subscription will help you get information faster.

Click on “My Subscriptions” to sign up for notifications of school bus delays or cancellations. You may be notified by email or by text message. You can enter up to five cell phone numbers to receive notification of delays or cancellations.

For further information on Transportation Services, please refer to the Peace River School website or call(780)624-3006 or toll free 1-800-816-4711

Instructions: Sign up for School Bus Delays & Cancellations Text or Email Alerts

BusPlanner Parent Portal Login

Can my student ride the bus if they are attending an Out of Boundary School or School of Choice?

As per the Student Transportation Regulations of Alberta, if a student is enrolled in a school but does not reside in the attendance/transportation service for that school, the student or the parent shall provide transportation for the student:

to and from the school attended, or
to and from a designated stop on a bus route in the transportation service area for that school, or
between the site of the school and a point nearest the students residence on a bus route in the transportation service area for that school

To see which School Attendance/Transportation boundary you reside in, enter your physical address after clicking our “What School Can I Attend?” icon.

Please note a bus pass fee will be charged if the child resides less than 1 km from their designated school (Kindergarten through Grade 6) and 2 km from their designated school (Grade 7 to 12).

How much does a Buss Pass cost?

Per Student: $450.00*

Family Rate (3+): $1,125.00 *This annual rate is approximately $2.50/day to transport a student to and from school*

All payments are administered through SchoolCash only. Families can choose to either pay in 10 instalments, or in one full payment.

Method of payments accepted on SchoolCash are:

Visa
Mastercard
Direct withdrawal from your bank account

Instructions for SchoolCash Online

Ineligible Riders will be unable to board the school bus until payment has been scheduled in SchoolCash.

Bus service will be provided for those who pay or schedule their fees by June 30th. Anyone who purchases a bus pass after July 1st, will be put in a queue and dealt with in the order the registration/fees were received. Please allow time for processing. Any rejected fees that occur throughout the school year, may result in services being discontinued.

Do you offer financial assistance?

If you are encountering financial hardship, please contact the school’s Divisional Office or the school your child attends:

Peace River School Division - Waiver of Fees – 780-624-3601
Holy Family Catholic Regional Division – 780-624-3956
Grande Prairie Catholic School District – 780-532-3013
Conseil Scolaire du Nord-Ouest – 780-624-8855

Parents and Student Links