Important Message from the Toronto Student Transportation Group

Dear parents/guardians,

As a follow-up to the email we sent on July 24, we wanted to provide you with an update on student transportation for the start of the 2020-21 school year.

Phased Start
The Toronto Student Transportation Group (TSTG), which provides bus services for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) will be moving forward with a phased start for student transportation to ensure that students with special education needs are prioritized and receive bus service beginning the first week of school.

During week 1 of the school year only students with special education needs, excluding those in the gifted program, will be provided with student transportation.

Beginning week 2 of the school year, all other eligible students will be provided with student transportation, unless there is a significant driver shortage or other unforeseen issues related to COVID-19.

Given continued school bus driver shortages across the province, this staggered approach provides TSTG additional time to identify and address any potential start-up issues related to the driver shortage, and to ensure when full transportation services are in place, they are running as smoothly as possible.

COVID-19 & School Bus Safety
To help ensure the safety of students and drivers on student transportation services, the TSTG, working with the school bus operators, has put a number of COVID-19 protocols and precautions in place. These include:

• Requiring that all students (K-12) wear non-medical face coverings (exceptions will be made for students with medical conditions or special needs);
• Requiring that all bus drivers wear medical masks and/or face shields;
• Assigning seats for students with siblings and classroom cohorts seated together; and,
• Enhanced cleaning of high touch surfaces (e.g. seats, inside hand railing, interior windows and walls, etc.) before and after each shift, as well as in between runs.

Please see the full list of health and safety protocols and precautions to ensure the health and well-being of all students and drivers on bus.

Your Child’s Transportation Information
Leading up to the first day of school, parents/guardians will receive an automated phone call from TSTG reconfirming their child’s start date (Week 1 or Week 2). This phone call will be sent during the week of August 31.

We anticipate that students’ specific route information will be available during the week of August 24. To access your child’s transportation information, please visit the Transportation Portal, email transportation@torontoschoolbus.org or call 647-790-3829.

Thank you for your ongoing patience as we work through the start-up issues this year.

Sincerely,
Toronto Student Transportation Group