WSD re-opens seating on buses for students outside catchment area

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This article was published 03/10/2017 (3034 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg School Division is reopening its school buses to children who live outside a school’s catchment area but only if empty seats are available.

The WSD adopted a “courtesy seating” policy at its meeting on Monday night. That means students outside a catchment area can have bus seats so long as there are empty seats.

However, no new bus routes or stops will be added to accommodate courtesy seating. As well, courtesy seats are not guaranteed for the entire school year. Students outside the catchment area could be bumped by new students entering the division.

Up until this year, families of children ineligible for school bus service could obtain the bus service for a nominal fee. The WSD cancelled that service this year to save costs.

But the cancellation caused undue hardship for a number of families with children in Manitoba’s largest school division with 78 schools and 33,000 students.

The new policy begins in November. It takes time from the start of a new school year to determine the precise number of students using the school buses.

The policy applies to students outside a catchment area but also to those with exceptional learning needs or who live in hazard areas, said Sherri Rollins, WSD chair.

Rollins said the policy is generous in providing school bus transportation at no charge to kindergarten-to-Grade-6 language and alternative program students, and for nursery students attending French immersion milieu schools.

Parents can anticipate more information on the policy change going home with their children.