Brandon School Division – School Bus Transportation
August 31, 2020 

The Brandon School Division has developed transportation plans for the return of in-school learning for the 2020-2021 school year according to current Provincial guidelines while also ensuring provincial transportation guidelines are being met.

https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/covid/reopening/transportation.html

Our school buses will be operating at less than full capacity due to the guidelines set by the Province.  Hence, to meet our obligations set out by the Province and to provide busing to our most vulnerable (youngest) students with these new capacity limitations, the Division has added 5 school buses.  

The Division prioritized the following students for school bus transportation:

• All Kindergarten to Grade 12 students living outside the City of Brandon boundaries (rural) will continue to receive school bus transportation.
  
  
• All Kindergarten to Grade 12 students with special needs will continue to receive school bus transportation.
  
  
• All Kindergarten to Grade 8 students that attend Alexander School and O'Kelly School will continue to receive school bus transportation.
  
  
• All Kindergarten to Grade 8 students within the City of Brandon boundaries (urban) that that have more than 1.6 kilometers to walk in order to reach their designated school will continue to receive school bus transportation.
  
  
• The Division is suspending school bus transportation within the City of Brandon for all Grade 9-12 students.
  
  
• The Division is suspending curricular and co-curricular transportation provided to Grade 7-8 students; this includes Band, Home Economics and Industrial Arts. 

For the safety of those students being transported, the Division has implemented the following measures:

• All school bus passengers in Grade 4 and over, as well as the driver, are required to wear a non-medical mask. These should be put on before getting on the bus and taken off after exiting the bus, if removal is appropriate for the setting. Students in lower grades may also wear non-medical masks.
  
  
• Enhanced cleaning and sanitizing of "high-touch" areas in buses after each route is completed as directed by the provincial guidelines for restoring safe schools.
  
  
• Provide all drivers with training and information for proper cleaning protocols. Online WHMIS training will be provided by the Transportation Department in September 2020.
  
  
• As weather permits, windows and roof vents will be opened for additional ventilation.
  
  
• Seating plans will be in place for each bus route and seats will be labeled. Students will be seated in the same seats every day for regular bus routes.
  
  
• When possible, students will be seated one per seat on the school bus. Students from the same household will be assigned seats together. Where one student/household per seat is not possible, students from the same in-school cohort/grade level will be assigned seats together. Students requiring additional supports in the form of a companion to ride the bus will be treated as if they are from the same household.
  
  
• A daily record of attendance for each bus will be maintained by the Transportation Department.
  
  
• All buses will be loaded from back to front and unloaded from front to back when possible.  
  
  
• The unloading of buses at schools and transfer points will be limited to one at a time when possible to assist with the staggering of students entering the schools.

A communication from the Transportation Department will be sent by September 2, 2020 to parents/guardians of bused students with scheduling details for bus pick up and drop off. 

We appreciate those parents who have indicated to the Division that they have alternate transportation and that they can transport their children to school.  This has assisted the Division with providing transportation to Kindergarten to Grade 8 students within the City of Brandon boundaries (urban).  

As recommended by the Province, we continue to encourage parents/guardians to provide transportation to their children where possible and ask that parents/guardians to contact/email the Transportation Department at transportation@bsd.ca if they have alternate means of transporting their children to school and will not need busing for the 2020-2021 school year.  

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​A reminder to parents/guardians of bus students:

Please remember to contact the Transportation Office if your son/ daughter will be absent from riding the bus. Parents may communicate by either calling 204-729-3975 or by sending a note with the student for their driver.

 

Please also contact the Transportation Office if a bus student's contact information has changed, if a friend is riding with them, or if other pick up /drop off arrangements are being made.

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For more information about School Bus Service, call 204-729-3975 or Email:  transportation@bsd.ca