St. Paul Education is now accepting transportation registrations for the 2025–26 school year. This year includes several changes to eligibility and fee structures, and families are encouraged to register early to support efficient route planning. Eligibility for transportation will be determined as per provincial regulation.
These updates are intended to balance affordability for families while supporting the financial sustainability of transportation services. They also help address rising operational costs, improve route efficiency, and maintain a high standard of service for students and the community.
Early Registration Incentive
Early registration is essential to assist in route planning and ensure a smooth start to the school year. As part of our new early registration incentive; families who register on or before June 30, 2025 will receive the early registration fee. Registrations submitted after June 30, 2025 will be subject to the regular transportation fee.
Please note that registrations submitted after July 30, 2025 may experience delays in processing and service availability at the beginning of the school year due to routing and capacity constraints.
In-Town Fee Changes
Previously, all in-town riders in the Town of St. Paul were charged the same transportation fee, regardless of how far they lived from their school. Starting this year, a new distance-based eligibility model will be applied for all transportation requests including rural students.
In keeping with Alberta Education guidelines, students will now be considered eligible for transportation if they live:
- Kindergarten to Grade 6: 1.6 km or more from their designated school
- Grades 7 to 12: 2.0 km or more from their designated school
Students who do not meet the eligibility criteria will be subject to pay the ineligible student transportation fee.
Alternate Seat Fee Update
The fee for alternate seat requests (additional stop required on a different bus route) has been adjusted. This adjustment reflects the fact that reserving multiple pick-up or drop-off locations on separate buses secures a seat for your child on each route, even when one is not in use. These reserved seats prevent others from accessing available space and contribute to overall route planning and capacity limitations.
Please note that approval for an alternate seat is not guaranteed and is subject to availability, eligibility criteria and routing capacity.
Important Reminder
All students who wish to take the bus to and/or from school must complete a transportation application each year. This includes students who ride a rural bus. Please note that registrations from the previous school year will not carry over.
For more information, visit our website:
https://www.stpauleducation.ab.ca/transportation