Stock Transportation working long weekend to clear up school bus confusion

Stock Transportation has staff working over the long weekend to help parents and guardians get bus schedules for students sorted for the coming school year.

The company is also hoping to clear up confusion around its BusPlanner bus rider subscription program. It allows parents and guardians to know of route changes, delays or cancellations.

"I want to be clear on why there was changes," said Crystal Truax, regional manger for Stock Transportation. "The changes have happened to ensure we have manifests for each bus driver of which students are riding their bus both in the morning and in the afternoon."

Courtesy bus riders

The changes are more targeted toward courtesy bus riders — students who live within what's considered safe walking distance to school — than eligible bus riders. But Stock wants both eligible and courtesy riders to subscribe.

Courtesy bus riders need to apply online to ride the bus. The Halifax Regional Centre for Education will determine spots based on seat availability. 

"In the past, there was not good controls in place and we recognize that because of who was getting on and off our buses," Truax said.

"And, as you can imagine, last year it was a tough year for everyone. And more so for the students with overcrowding issues, kids getting on buses at different times and our drivers not really having control."

​Pickup, drop-off flexibility

Truax said Stock is working on improving pickup and drop-off flexibility.

By the end of next week, the company is aiming to launch a custody calendar for students splitting their time between two homes.

"What that's going to allow families to do is have a calendar under the student profile where they'll be able to fill in the calendar a month at a time, for both morning and afternoon, of the addresses in which the student needs to be going to, and we will route them accordingly," Truax said.

Working over the long weekend

Truax said Stock has missed some deadlines with the courtesy applications. She said the company is working with the Halifax Regional Centre for Education to address the problem.

What's caused some of the delay, Truax said, is conflicting information between BusPlanner and PowerSchool — a school information program. 

"Stock has to take all data from PowerSchool, we have to take that data," Truax said. "We cannot change the data in our own system. It has to be the same data that the schools have for each student and we are seeing some concerns there."

Truax said parents and guardians with conflicting information have been contacted. She said staff at Stock are working over the long weekend to help get the bus scheduling sorted.

"What we really want to make sure is that parents feel comfortable on Wednesday. ... We are going to do our very best to make sure every application is completed. Our hope right now is to have all applications completed by end of day [Sunday]," she said.

So far, of the estimated 24,000 students within the system who take the bus, only about 12,000 have subscribed.

Those who need help setting up bus schedules are encouraged to call Stock at 902-481-8400.