June 11th, 2021

This message is for families of students who take the school bus to school. Not sure if your child qualifies to ride the bus? Find out with our Transportation Eligibility tool.

Dear parents/guardians of transported elementary students,

Will your child be riding the school bus starting in September 2021?

Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region (STSWR) is currently preparing bus service plans for the 2021-22 school year, and families in bus zones must communicate their choice by Friday, July 2, 2021. Your next steps depend on the group you fall into:

	I want busing in September 2021.	I do not want busing in September 2021.
Used busing in April 2021	Do nothing! You are automatically registered.	Tell us you are not riding the bus using the “Do Not Ride” form*
Did not use busing in April 2021	Register by filling out the “Do Not Ride” form*	Do nothing! You are automatically removed.
Enrolled in remote learning for 2020-21 but returning to in-class for 2021-22	Do nothing! You are automatically registered.	Tell us you are not riding the bus using the “Do Not Ride” form*
Enrolled in remote learning for 2021-22 before the June 2, 2021 deadline	N/A	Do nothing! STSWR has been in contact with WRDSB schools to gather this information.

*The “Do Not Ride” form is the only tool STSWR has for you to tell us you want to change your automatic grouping.

You can always let us know if your plans change by using the “Do Not Ride” form. You may change whole-day busing or change only morning or afternoon.

The “Do Not Ride” form lets your school, your bus driver, and STSWR know that your child will not be taking the bus in one or both directions. When STSWR receives your form, your child’s transportation arrangement will be changed accordingly within 2-3 business days.

Important Information

It is important to keep STSWR informed of changes immediately to make sure your child is not assigned to a bus in error and accidentally put on a bus at the end of the day if you are expecting them to walk or be picked up.

Both the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) support active travel (walking or biking to school) as a preferred method of transportation to school, and they offer various programs that may be available to you. They also support a “Drive to 5” program encouraging those who must drive to park a safe distance away from schools to keep school areas safe.

If you have further questions about bus transportation for the 2021-22 school year, please visit our Frequently Asked Question site.

If you have any questions about your child’s school transportation, please contact Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region at 519-744-7575 ext. 221 or by email at feedback@stswr.ca.

– Benoit Bourgault, General Manager, STSWR, Inc.

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