A: Yes! If your child is eligible for transportation at an OCDSB or OCSB school, please complete the transportation confirmation form.

OCDSB students who are in one of the following school programs must confirm= Early French Immersion, Middle French Immersion, Regular (English with core French), Gifted, International Baccalaureate, School of Arts, High-Performance Athletes, Specialist High Skills Major Program, English as a Second Language, English Language Learner, English Literacy Development, Alternative Program, and Adaptive Program.

A: This is not the empty seat/courtesy program, which is currently suspended due to COVID-19. OSTA plans to resume the empty seat/courtesy program when ALL COVID protocols are removed and it is feasible to do so. The transportation confirmation process is meant for eligible students ONLY (refer to OSTA's T18 – Transportation Eligibility for more information).

A: OSTA opens the Parent Portal in mid-August of each year. Parents/guardians of children riding the yellow bus or assigned to public transit can view their transportation information for the upcoming school year. Students on vans and wheelchair buses will be contacted directly by their operator or driver with pick-up and drop-off information.

A: Yes! Transportation for 2022-2023 has been planned with your decision in mind. If you confirm transportation and do not need it later, simply decline transportation by completing the same Transportation Confirmation Form. Vice versa, should you decide that you do not need transportation for 2022-2023, however, change your mind at a later date, you can confirm transportation by completing the same form.

A: As long as you confirm transportation and remain eligible after any circumstantial changes, you will continue to be provided with transportation. It is important to contact the school with any address changes to keep OSTA's records up to date.

If you decline transportation and your circumstances change, and you need transportation later, simply confirm transportation by completing the same Transportation Confirmation Form. OSTA will review the form to ensure the student is eligible for transportation and all terms and conditions are met before assigning transportation.

A: Your child's Ontario Education Number (OEN) is a unique 9-digit identifier that can be found on any previous provincial report card. If you have difficulties finding the OEN, please contact your child's school.

The OEN must be written accurately when completing the confirmation form. Please note that the OEN number is not the same as a student number.

A: If your child is starting kindergarten in 2022-2023 or is new to Ontario, please complete the transportation confirmation form (excluding the OEN), providing OSTA with your contact information and transportation decision. Once the School Board receives your child's information, transportation will be planned in accordance with OSTA's Transportation Eligibility Policy. Your child(ren's) OEN will be provided to you by the school.

The OEN must be written accurately when completing the confirmation form. Please note that the OEN number is not the same as a student number.

A: If you have just registered your child for school (e.g., starting kindergarten or new to the School Board/Ontario), please complete the transportation confirmation form (excluding the OEN), providing OSTA will your contact information and transportation decision. Once the School Board receives your child’s information, transportation will be planned in accordance with OSTA’s Transportation Eligibility Policy. Your child’s OEN will be provided to you by the school.

OSTA will ensure the student is eligible for transportation and that all terms and conditions are met before assigning transportation. If your child is not eligible, they will not receive transportation.

OSTA will open the Parent Portal in mid-August 2022, where parents/guardians can find information about their child's transportation.

• Students assigned to a yellow bus will find the route number, stop location and pick-up/drop-off times.
• Students on van service will be contacted directly by the driver a day or two before the commencement of the route.
• Students in grades 7-12 on public transit (OC Transpo) will receive their Presto card from the school.

A: Students must meet OSTA's Transportation Eligibility requirements to be assigned transportation. To check if an address is currently eligible, go to OSTA's "Can I Ride a Bus?". Please note that this software will verify the address for the current school year only; therefore, it excludes newly built schools, boundary changes and eligibility changes due to changes in schools, grades, addresses or programs.  

Still unsure if you are eligible? We encourage you to complete the transportation confirmation form knowing that OSTA will review the submission to ensure the student is eligible for transportation and that all terms and conditions are met before assigning transportation.

A: Yes. As per OSTA's Policy T18 Transportation Eligibility, as long as the caregiver's address is within the designated attendance boundary of the school and meets the distance eligibility requirements, they will be eligible for transportation. Please complete the transportation confirmation form notifying OSTA of your decision for the 2022-2023 year.

OSTA will ensure the student is eligible for transportation and that all terms and conditions are met before assigning transportation. If your child is not eligible, they will not receive transportation.

A: Parents/guardians of students using specialized transportation do not need to complete the transportation confirmation form. OSTA will continue to assign specialized transportation subject to the approval of the applicable member school board, and those approvals are submitted through separate forms to OSTA. Confirmation of transportation will be done upon receipt of the appropriate transportation forms. Parents/guardians must contact their child’s school to initiate the process.

For more information on eligibility for students with special needs, refer to OSTA's Policy T18 – Transportation Eligibility.

A: Yes! Please complete the transportation confirmation form if your child is eligible for transportation and attends an OCDSB or OCSB school.

OCDSB students who are in one of the following school programs must confirm= Early French Immersion, Middle French Immersion, Regular (English with core French), Gifted, International Baccalaureate, School of Arts, High-Performance Athletes, Specialist High Skills Major Program, English as a Second Language, English Language Learner, English Literacy Development, Alternative Program, and Adaptive Program.

OSTA will consider public transit services for eligible students in grades 7-12, where such service is deemed to be cost-effective and/or operationally efficient. Read OSTA's Policy T7 – Public Transit Services for more information.

A: OSTA will ensure the student is eligible for transportation and that all terms and conditions are met before assigning transportation. If your child is not eligible, they will not receive transportation.

OSTA will open the Parent Portal in mid-August 2022, where parents/guardians can find information about their child's transportation.

• Students assigned to a yellow bus will find the route number, stop location and pick-up/drop-off times.
• Students on van service will be contacted directly by the driver a day or two before the commencement of the route.
• Students in grades 7-12 on public transit (OC Transpo) will receive their PRESTO card from the school.

A: If your circumstances change during the school year, leaving you eligible for transportation, it will be assigned. In these situations, OSTA suggests that parents/guardians check the Parent Portal after circumstantial changes for transportation information.

Important Note: OSTA will open the Parent Portal in mid-August 2022, where parents/guardians can find information about their child's transportation for the 2022-2023 school year.

• Students assigned to a yellow bus will find the route number, stop location and pick-up/drop-off times.
• Students in grades 7-12 on public transit (OC Transpo) will receive their PRESTO card from the school.
• Students on van service will be contacted directly by the driver a day or two before the commencement of the route.

A: Transportation will be automatically assigned, if eligible, if your child is registered at a brand new school (opening in September 2022).

OSTA will ensure the student is eligible for transportation and that all terms and conditions are met before assigning transportation. If your child is not eligible, they will not receive transportation.

OSTA will open the Parent Portal in mid-August 2022, where parents/guardians can find information about their child's transportation.

• Students assigned to a yellow bus will find the route number, stop location and pick-up/drop-off times.
• Students on van service will be contacted directly by the driver a day or two before the commencement of the route.
• Students in grades 7-12 on public transit (OC Transpo) will receive their Presto card from the school.

A: If you are planning to use transportation at any time during the year, please confirm transportation.

OSTA encourages our students and families to use active modes of transportation whenever possible. In fact, OSTA offers many creative and safe ways to get to school – refer to OSTA's Active Transportation for more details.

A: Parents/guardians of students in joint custody (variable) arrangement and having two homes who require transportation do not need to complete the transportation confirmation form.

OSTA does provide variable transportation services to eligible students who have a joint custody arrangement and whose two homes meet all eligibility requirements. Separate forms are required and must be completed for Joint Custody (variable) Transportation.  Confirmation of transportation will be done upon receipt of the appropriate transportation forms.

Refer to OSTA's Variable Transportation for Students in a Joint Custody Arrangement and Having Two Homes for more information, including important application deadline dates.

A: A paper form has been made available for parents/guardians without access to technology (e.g., computer/phone). Please contact your child's school for a copy. You may complete a hardcopy and hand it to your school.

A: For students that live within the Walk Zone, we encourage families to use Active Transportation to get to and from school.

OSTA and its partners have many great resources on School Active Transportation to ensure every student's walk to school is a success. We recommend visiting OSTA's website to get started. We offer pedestrian safety tips, walking route maps and walking school buses for select schools. The benefits of walking to school are endless, from increased health and academic improvements to reducing car emissions and congestion in school zones.

If families plan on driving their children to school, we encourage you to park 5 to 10 mins away and Walk-a-Block instead.

Other resources on Active Transportation: EnviroCentre, Ontario Active School Travel