Families in the Bluewater District School Board will need to register their children for bus transportation before the beginning of the new school year.
Transportation will no longer be assigned automatically to eligible students. Instead, families requiring the service must opt in through the new Edulog Parent Portal App.
Bluewater District School Board Communications Officer Jamie Pettit says the change is intended to improve communication with families, while providing additional information about their childrens' bus routes.
"Through the new Edulog Parent Portal App, families will continue to receive timely route specific notifications regarding bus delays and cancellations," Pettit said.
The app will also provide access to students’ transportation schedules, updated bus-stop maps and alerts when a bus is approaching.
"An exciting new capability is the option for families to track through built-in GIS mapping when their child’s bus is nearby or approaching their stop," Pettit said.
The opt-in requirement applies to families who need and are eligible for school transportation. Families who do not require a bus do not need to register.
Pettit says students will not automatically be placed on bus routes as they were in previous years.
"The new app requires any families who need transportation to opt in as school busses will not be assigned automatically as per past practice," he said.
However, families who do not initially register can request transportation later if their circumstances change.
Pettit says a student can be added through the opt-in process at any time, allowing the board to make a prompt change for families that missed the initial registration period.
The board has launched a transportation web page containing information about the app, registration instructions and answers to common questions.
Families without access to the app can contact Shared School Services Transportation. The board says it is also developing an alternative method for those unable to use the app.
Route information is being developed and uploaded in stages. Registered families will receive a notification once their child’s transportation details are available.
