Welcome from NSTS
Starting school is a very exciting time in both a parent’s and a child’s life. It is also a time when there are many new things to get used to and lots of questions about how things work. We hope this information will answer some of your questions about the transportation of your child to and from school.
About NSTS
Niagara Student Transportation Services (NSTS) is a consortium between the District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) and the Niagara Catholic District School Board (Niagara Catholic). Our goal at NSTS is to provide safe, efficient and on-time transportation services, allowing your child to arrive at school ready to learn and return home safely at the end of their day. We are responsible for the safe transportation of 35,000 students daily with the help of contracted services from school bus and taxi operators. For more about NSTS CLICK HERE
Transportation Eligibility
DSBN and Niagara Catholic Kindergarten students who live more than 800 metres from their home school are eligible for transportation to and from school. To check eligibility for transportation from your address CLICK HERE
Process for Kindergarten students registering for the 2023-24 school year:
- In the summer, families of registered Junior Kindergarten students receive electronic communication providing instructions to view your child’s preliminary transportation through the NSTS parent portal and to review important school bus safety and service information CLICK HERE.
- In the NSTS parent portal, you will be required to express your intent to Opt-In to use the transportation services NSTS has arranged for your Kindergarten student prior to the first day of school.
- Alternately, you may call (905-357-6787) or email (general@nsts.ca) NSTS to express your intent to use the transportation arranged for your Kindergarten student prior to the first day of school.
- In the NSTS parent portal, you can subscribe to receive email alerts for route delay and cancellation information.
As students advance grade levels, the distance for eligibility increases for students attending their home school to 1,600 metres for grades 1 to 8 and 2,500 metres for students in grades 9 to 12.
Bus Stop Locations
In general, pick-up and drop-off locations are designated at central points. Central bus stops are typically located within 400 metres of a student’s residence. A house bus stop may be provided if a student is not physically able to access the central bus stop.
One Bus Stop Morning and Afternoon
To ensure the safety of your child, students may only have one pick-up and one drop-off location. The pick-up location may be different from the drop-off location, but each must be consistent 5 days a week. The reason for this policy is a consistent schedule eliminates the chance of a mistake being made by one of the many people responsible for the safe transportation of your child.
Must Be Met at Stop
A very important safety practice we have in place to ensure student safety is that a parent/guardian must be with a Kindergarten student at the bus stop. This is mandatory while your child is in their Kindergarten years. The school will equip your Kindergarten student with a “Must be Met at Stop Tag” on the first day of school and it is a parental responsibility to ensure this tag is available and visible to the bus driver.
The bus driver is required to deliver your child directly to the person waiting for him or her. While the inside of a bus is one of the safest ways to travel, the outside of the bus has blind spots and danger zones where smaller children can be out of the driver’s view. We feel that when an adult meets a child, the risk of the child not being seen is greatly reduced. An adult can also offer positive reinforcement of safety practices that can be forgotten by small children.
Change of Address
NSTS automatically downloads student records from the school. If you change your address or change daycare providers, please update your child’s information with your school so transportation can be arranged accordingly. DSBN families can begin the process by completing the Moving? form on the DSBN website CLICK HERE.
We are Open All Summer
NSTS plans the transportation routes during the summer months for each school year. We are not authorized to accept address change information from a source other than the school; however, if you notify us of a change in address we will ensure that the bus stop will be ready for you when your child’s information is updated when the schools re-open in late-August.
First Ride Program
Many children entering Kindergarten have never been on a school bus. It is important that your child learns the proper safety rules of riding a school bus from an expert: their bus driver.
Together with our bus operators, we offer the “First Rider Program” to teach new students the proper way to ride a bus as well as the safety precautions needed on and off the bus. The First Rider Program is in schools. We are hopeful to return to in person delivery of the First Ride program at a community event and would share event details on the NSTS homepage.
We offer the full program virtually! To view the First-Rider School Bus Safety Program CLICK HERE
Inclement Weather
There may be times during the school year where it may be necessary to cancel student transportation services due to adverse weather conditions. Please familiarize yourself with this procedure and the modes of communication available to receive the latest information on student transportation cancellations and or school closures. Please note that parents or guardians make the final decision on whether or not to send their child to school during inclement weather conditions.
To learn more about inclement weather CLICK HERE
Contact Us
We are here to support the transition of your child to Kindergarten. Please browse our website and for information to contact us CLICK HERE