Taking the bus

Students will not be permitted to board the bus with these items:

• Open food or drink
• Live animals, reptiles, insects, etc.
• Firearms, ammunition, knives, explosive devices, fire crackers or other dangerous materials
• Large musical instruments;
• Skateboards
• Balloons
• Glass containers
• Large Sports Equipment

Any dangerous or hazardous items may be confiscated and are subject to discipline.

The drivers first and foremost responsibility is to drive the bus. They cannot see everything that is happening on the bus at all times. If something is happening on the bus that concerns you and your child, please contact the principal of your school or call our office so we can assist. Most often the driver is not aware there is a problem. However, each driver is happy to assist and make every child’s bus ride a safe and enjoyable experience.

All school bus discipline problems should be immediately reported to the principal of your child’s school. Students who continue to cause problems can be removed from the bus depending on the nature of the disciplinary problems.

Every ASD-S student who is eligible for transportation is assigned a specific bus stop and route number. Transportation staff use the Pupil Transportation Management System software program to determine required bus stops. This software considers bus seating capacity, student data, zoning information, and safety variables during processing to create the safest, most efficient bus routes possible.

Please remember that we transport more than 18,000 students every day, so it is impossible to provide door-to-door service to everyone, and do it in a timely manner. It is more efficient to pick up several students in one stop, usually at a corner or other mid-way point for the students.

Guardians are responsible for the safe travel of students who are not eligible for busing due to their close proximity to their zoned school (i.e. walking students) or who attend a school other than their zoned school. If you do not feel your child can safely walk to school, you must make arrangements to accompany them.

We place our bus stops at the safest location possible, considering visibility, distance between stops, traffic patterns, and geography. If there is an emergent safety issue, the Transportation team will evaluate the stop, however we do not change bus stops for the following concerns:

• there is no sidewalk
• weather or road conditions
• too dense or too fast traffic
• poor lighting
• parked cars along street
• a child must cross the street
• a child is alone at the designated stop
• an adult is not able to accompany a child to the stop
• a bus passes the child’s residence

The safety of a child to and from the bus stop is the guardian’s responsibility. If you have concerns for the safety of your child, ensure that they are accompanied.

Drivers do not have the authority to add or modify bus stops.  Please contact our Transportation team with any requests or concerns using the BusPlanner contact form.

In order to qualify to drive a school bus in Anglophone South School District, a person must be at least 21 years old, must maintain a safe driving record, be capable of physically carrying out a pre-trip inspection of the school bus and possess a valid driver’s license with Class 2BE including the air brakes endorsement.

In addition, prospective drivers must pass a physical examination from an approved physician.

Drivers must also complete a comprehensive School Bus Driver Training Program provided by the province of New Brunswick and the ASD-S Transportation Department.

Each year, drivers are evaluated on their driving skills and attend regular safety and training meetings.

Bus driver candidates also undergo a thorough criminal background check, this investigation will check applicants for any criminal history.

District covers all costs relating to licensing and certification.