Charter bus services at Red Deer Public Schools are operated using traditional yellow school buses, following designated school bus routes established by the district. These services cater to all elementary schools (excluding Aspen Heights), K-8 schools, Gateway Christian School, Escuela Vista Grande, West Park Middle School, and eligible special education students.
Our contractor, Prairie Bus Lines, provides the charter bus service under our direction. They do not make any alterations to routes or stop locations without consulting Red Deer Public Schools first. This ensures that all transportation arrangements align with our standards and requirements for student safety and efficiency.
Contact Prairie at 403-304-8257 or 403-342-6390 if you feel a bus is running very late or has missed your stop, you have issues regarding a specific bus or driver, or any issues that may pertain to your child (eg. won't be on the bus, medical information, message to student enroute).
The Division utilizes both large and small school buses, chosen based on the specific needs or programs in which students are enrolled. It's important to note that for students in Kindergarten and Grade 1, an adult, a responsible older sibling, or guardian (if not a family member) must accompany them at the bus stop. If no one is present to collect the student from the designated stop, the student will be taken back to the Prairie office or the school. Parents will then need to pick up the student from either location. If you have any concerns or need to provide an alternative guardian's name, please communicate this information to the transportation department via a letter or email.
All students requiring Charter bus service must complete the online Charter Bus Transportation Application on School Engage each year before June 25th. This requirement applies to students enrolled in both Regular and Alternative programs. Special transportation requests will continue to be paper forms and should be submitted to the transportation department through the school.
Applications are reviewed by the attending school and then approved by the Transportation Department. Transportation costs are detailed below. Any applications submitted after the June 25th deadline will incur a $30.00 late fee, in addition to applicable transportation fees. However, this late fee does not apply to new students transferring in from another school jurisdiction or to Red Deer Public families transferring schools within the Division over the summer.
Fees can be conveniently paid online through the parent portal in PowerSchool. For inquiries about alternative payment options, please contact the attending school directly.
Registered student-specific bus route information is exclusively accessible through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. It's important to note that bus routes and times may change during the school year. In the event that a bus is delayed by more than 10 minutes, a notification will typically be sent out via the School Messenger System to the contact numbers and email addresses provided in PowerSchool. This ensures that parents and guardians stay informed about any significant changes or delays affecting their child's transportation.
Costs
There are no transportation fees for eligible students attending their designated school. Late fees will be incurred for applications not submitted by June 25th for the next school year. Any fees are paid at the school or using Powerschool online and are as follows:
Regular and Alternative Program:
- Student, Gr K-6, lives under 1 km = $300 (Regular ineligible rules apply)
- Student, Gr K-6, lives over 1 km to designated school= No Fee
- Student, Gr 7-12, lives under 2 km = $300 (Charter Bus Only)(Regular ineligible rules apply)
- Student, Gr 7-12 lives over 2 km to designated school= No Fee
- Student, Gr K-12 lives over 2 kms from designated and 2 kms from school of choice = No Fee
- Student, Gr K-12 attending Gateway or Escuela Vista Grande = $300 (unless greater than 2 kms from attending and designated school, then there is no fee)
**Please note that the distance requirements announced by the Government last year, have been amended again. Alberta Education has allowed school districts to use a transition year in 2025/26. RDPSD decided that we would use the transition year and keep the current eligiblity guidelines. Please see the eligibility guidelines section for a more in-depth explanation***
INELIGIBLE STUDENTS
Transportation may be provided to ineligible students if there is available space on the charter bus and the student resides along the existing bus route. Please note that new bus stops will not be added for ineligible riders. Availability of transportation to ineligible students is not guaranteed and may be revoked based on changes in eligible student numbers and bus routes throughout the school year.
Out-of-city students can apply for yellow bus transportation if they utilize a bus stop that is more than 2 kilometers away from the school. This option does not apply to High School or Middle School students as they typically use City Transit. Distances for eligibility will need to be confirmed by the RDPSD transportation department.
Fees for transportation services can be paid conveniently online through the parent portal in PowerSchool. For inquiries about alternative payment methods, please contact the attending school directly. If transportation service is canceled, the unused portion of submitted fees may be returned.
For additional information or questions, please contact the Division Transportation office at transportation@rdpsd.ab.ca or call 403.342.3724.